The stich revolution
The absorption that needlework requires settles the mind, offering a respite from strain and stress. Traditionally a women’s craft, men are also hooked these days.
AFTER a long day at work, Decklan Wong, 47, isn’t interested in watching the latest TV series or reading a fantasy novel. Instead, the Klang-based senior accounts executive picks up his embroidery hoop, and paints pictures with his needle and threads.
“I spend too much time working with numbers during working hours. Embroidery provides me with a sense of comfort and relaxation. It must be the repetitive action of sewing that encourages relaxation.
“Embroidery requires lots of patience, but there’s joy when the stitches transform a blank canvas into a work of art. That’s my form of comfort and therapy, after work hours,” says Wong who picked up embroidery two years ago.
Embroidery is an ancient art of using a needle and thread to decorate fabric. There are many types of stitches, techniques and designs, which differ according to country and tradition. Some of the common types include cross-stitch, applique, cutwork and Sashiko. In the olden days, mothers taught their daughters how to embroider as it was a required skill that marked their path to womanhood.
While women are often associated with embroidery work, there is a growing number of men (like Wong) who have a penchant for this form of needlecraft.
“I have always loved fine craft like crochet, knitting and beading. I was inspired to learn embroidery when I started to see contemporary embroidery artwork on Instagram. I realised that I had not tried that before, so I decided to challenge myself to create artwork using this new method.
“What I love is the process of weaving threads of different colours on top of each other. It is mesmerising and therapeutic,” says the self-taught Wong, who honed his skills through video tutorials on Youtube, Instagram and Facebook.
The single guy does get a few raised eyebrows when he talks about his passion, which he picked up in 2018. So far, he has only received positive comments for his meticulous craftsmanship.
“The feedback has been good. People are often surprised that I am interested in sewing and embroidery work. Most of my friends are intrigued by my artistry. I love embroidery because it allows me to develop a freedom of expression in my threadwork,” says Wong, who posts his creations on his Instagram page, @dkrwilbur.
For some people, embroidery is considered vintage art and very much part of the 1970s retro era. But in the last few years, this craft has seen a resurgence, as crafters proudly share their work on Pinterest and Instagram.
Many crafters have added modern twists to their needlework. There are mixed media works combining photos and thread, and graphic art influences. Quotes are popular.
Embroidery work isn’t just for apparels and household linens. On Pinterest, there are tutorials for embroidery on everything from pendants to book covers.
Artistic stitch
Wong custom-makes embroidery pieces which measure between 7.5 to 30.5cm. His works look fetching on jackets, sweatshirts and blouses.
Steering far from traditional motifs, the designs are fresh and trending. Among them are portraits of singer David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, animals and a creation which depicts Roman goddess Venus on the Great Wave off Kanagawa.
Another eye-catching piece is of artist Vincent Van Gogh and his magnum opus Starry Night. This piece is unique as Wong combined fine threadwork to create Van Gogh’s portrait, and coloured beads in different hues to represent the artist’s artwork, which depicts the night sky.
“It took many weeks to complete this piece, mostly as it involved lots of detailed work. The real challenge is lighting and contrast. One needs to find the right balance (between them) to make each artwork come alive.
“I treat each embroidery project like a painting, where threads are used instead of paint. Each thread colour works like a stroke of paint. Layer by layer, I paint with my stitches. It comes very naturally for me to apply colour and strokes, as I love to paint,” says Wong, who takes between seven days and four weeks to complete a design.
Wong uses different stitches to achieve gradient and volume to bring his contemporary artwork to life. Some of his favourite stitches are the satin stitch, running stitch and backstitch. He starts by doing a rough sketch of his designs and then works on the colours, guided by his inspiration.
“I love art and fashion. I enjoy browsing the web and looking at creative works of art. Whenever an art piece, exciting person or thing speaks to me, I will have the urge to recreate that in my art.”
Embroidery is undoubtedly time-consuming, but Wong is confident anyone can learn it if they have passion and patience.
“The most important thing is finding an embroidery style that you love. Once you have identified that, it is relatively easy to pick up the craft.
“Embroidery is also an affordable hobby. The tools, fabric and threads aren’t expensive. All you need is a hoop, needles, felt, scissors, threads, paper, tracing paper and pen, and you are good to go. Sometimes, I might incorporate beads and sequins too, depending on the design,” he says.
Wong encourages people to turn to social media to learn new hobbies.
“Video tutorials on Youtube can be handy when you want to learn something new. Amazingly, people are willing to share their experience and skills with viewers. I learned many new embroidery skills from different social media platforms.
“Apart from embroidery, I am always so inspired by ideas that people share online, be it building miniature houses, watercolour painting, doll-making or baking. They are all very inspiring.”