a stitch in time

Using vintage embroideries and some crafty needlework, ulla-stina wikander gives old-time objects a fresh start.

Tell us a little about yourself, please. I was born and raised in Sweden. Early in life, I was interested in all sorts of creative things like sewing, painting and construction. My family and some of my teachers were very encouraging.

Do you have a background in art? At the age of 16, I started going to evening school to study painting and drawing. After high school, I went to a one-year preparation art school, and it meant a lot to have the opportunity to learn and study art. Then I applied to university and did a five-year course with a focus on painting and sculpture.

What is your connection to cross-stitch? When my children were small, I found it hard to support them. I had to do extra work at the Gothenburg Opera House as a prop master in the prop department. We often went to flea markets and secondhand stores to buy props for the various opera performances. It was there I came across cross- and tent-stitch embroideries. I started to collect them, but didn’t know what to do with them. My feelings were mixed – they were both lovely and regarded as kitsch.

Where did the idea for this project come from? I thought the embroideries were really beautiful and wanted to bring them back to life. In 2012, I started to cover ordinary household things from the ’70s, like a sewing machine, vacuum cleaner and electric mixer. I find it interesting to see how these objects transform in a new context. The objects go from obsolete and forgotten to ‘dressed up’. There’s also a feminist point of view, focusing on women’s everyday work that some think doesn’t count.

Where do you find the items and embroideries? I visit different markets and secondhand stores once a week. When I travel in Sweden or abroad, I usually visit the local flea markets – I’ve carried lots of embroideries in my luggage over the years.

What different materials and craft techniques do you use? I use needle and thread, and of course, glue. First, I make a pattern in calico. Then I look for a suitable embroidery and start to cover the item. If the embroidery isn’t big enough, I choose one with a similar pattern. I like the wool embroideries best. I also dye the zig-zag band in the right colour.

How long does each piece take to make? To finish a phone or electric mixer takes about 10 hours. Bigger installations I work on for months, because I usually add things as I go. It’s important to me that I use the same pattern across a whole installation. It might be red cottages and a blue sky, a moose in nature, or different flower patterns.

What’s the strangest object you’ve covered? ‘Painful Work’ is the title of a typewriter that took a long time to do. I almost gave up the project – I worked with it for several hours and thought I’d destroyed both the typewriter and the embroideries.

What happens to the pieces once you’re finished? I’ve had several exhibitions where I sell my objects. I also receive kind emails from all over the world with encouraging words, and sometimes somebody will ask if they can buy an object.

Which item would you like to cover next? I'd love to cover a complete girl’s room from the ’70s, and I’ve started to collect objects that could be suitable for that. A dressing table, a beauty box, a mirror, a blow dryer, and other things like that.

Where can we see more of your work? ullastinawikander.com