I have been using stitch for lines and for texture and have been thinking about how the stabbing of the needle into the cloth brings something extra – it expresses a kind of violence, perhaps a kind of necessary pain which simultaneously pierces and repairs. Stitching, as in mending, strengthens. But it also perforates and weakens. A piece which has no functional purpose except to be displayed on a wall can be very fragile, unlike a garment or serviceable cloth which must withstand handling and use. As I stitch, I damage, I restore.
traces 
oooh! this is mouthwatering work. I can feel myself ‘reading’ the stitches underneath my fingertips. So much like a healing form of braille – I wonder is that an additional function of stitching…..
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Miriam, that is a great thought! And perhaps why it has been hard to decide whether to frame these behind glass or not…
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