Feather to Chain Stitch DNA Column

2024
Size: 100 x 10 x 10 cm
Perspex tube, nylon polyester threads, glass beads

Exhibited in ‘Making as Learning’ 62 Group Exhibition at Salts Mills, Yorkshire

Every act of making leads to learning, with new knowledge gained from every creation. For eons the natural world has evolved countless forms of life, recorded the successes in DNA, and built that knowledge into the next generations. Celebrating this most extraordinary manifestation of making as learning is this stitched three-dimensional double helix- a DNA strand. The shape is created by interlinked stitches evolving as they spiral upwards. Starting tentatively and chaotically they develop through variations of shape and colour to become progressively more refined before finally splitting into two strands – creating new directions from which to make and learn.

Photos: Jack Armour

Pad Stitch Manipulations

2023
27 x 27 x 19 cm
Perspex box, nylon organza, polyester threads

Exhibited in ‘Tailored’ 62 Group Exhibition at Sunny Bank Mills, Yorkshire

In this work I explored the three-dimensional qualities of pad stitch. This is a hand stitch traditionally used to shape bespoke tailored garments and is usually completely hidden inside suit collars and lapels. Here it is exposed and exaggerated, illustrating how tailoring can manipulate fabrics to create curvatures and exact fit.

Photos: Jack Armour

Interlaced and Fly Stitch Estuary

Winner of the Innovative Use of Textiles Award for the Fine Art Textile Award 2023

The traditional subject of the embroidered landscape has been rendered in a contemporary form, using the topology of the Mawddach Estuary in mid Wales as inspiration. Fly stitch and a composite interlaced stitch are used to sculpt the contours and textures of the land and water and a fabric layer denotes the waterline. The threads follow flowing curves and span the full height of the piece, passing through the fabric to create the shape and form of the landscape above and below ground level.

Photos: Jack Armour

Floating Fly Stitch

2022
27cm x 27.3cm x 27.3cm
Acrylic box, polyester thread

Exhibited in ‘Essence’ 62 Group exhibition at The Knitting and Stitching Shows, London and Harrogate 2022

The essence of Isobel’s practice is an exploration of the sculptural potential of three-dimensional embroidery stitches. Using an evolution of fly stitch, the core form is created from layered, independent red triangles of thread pulled into geometrical order by blue tensioning threads, causing vibrant interactions of the complementary colours.

Photos: Jack Armour

Video: footage- Isobel Currie, Editing- Lucy Forrester at Proud Fox Studio

Overcast Stitch Globe

2021
27 x 27 x 27 cm
Acrylic box, polyester threads, organza fabric

Exhibited at the Whitaker Gallery, Lancashire as part of the British Textile Biennial 2021

This exploration of three-dimensional overcast stitch depicts the connecting and crossing lines of textile trade that have combined and layered up to build into global networks throughout history. The passage of the threads reflects the continued flows of people, materials, techniques and ideas involved in textile production and consumption.

Photos: Jack Armour

Video: footage- Isobel Currie, Editing- Lucy Forrester at Proud Fox Studio

Cretan Stitch Conversations

2020
33 x 23 x 18 cm
Acrylic box, polyester fabrics and threads

Exhibited in 62 Group exhibition ‘Conversations: People, Places, Materials, Objects’ Hampshire 2021

This work uses Cretan Stitch to diagrammatically map an artist’s internal conversations. The multiplicity of stitched thread lines represent the many unspoken dialogues artists engage in to distill down a myriad of ideas and possibilities towards the endpoint of a single unified design.

Photos: Isobel Currie

Running Stitch Under Construction

2019
36 x 23 x 20 cm
Acrylic box, organza fabric, cotton threads, metal needles.

Exhibited in ’Construct’ 62 Group exhibition, Sunny Bank Mill, Yorkshire.

Needles are frozen in the act of construction, making visible the journey of needle and thread as they travel through the fabric to create a design in running stitch.

Photos: Isobel Currie

Lazy Daisy Lily

Lazy Daisy Lily

2019
36 x 36 x 5 cm
Acrylic box, cotton threads, glass beads
Photos: Isobel Currie

Fly Stitch Autumn Landscape

2018
Size: 34 x 11 x 45 cm
Acrylic box, cotton threads, organza fabric, glass beads.

Exhibited in 62 Group touring exhibition ‘Ctrl/Shift’ 2018/19.

I wanted to explore the traditional and popular subject of the embroidered landscape but rendered it in a contemporary form. My inspiration was the topology of the Peak District, with its unexpected steep dales carved by water from the higher flat lands. The strong V shape of fly stitch is suggestive of valley sides, and converging and diverging stitches follow flowing curves and sculpt the three dimensional shapes of the hills and dales.

Photos: Isobel Currie