Last month, my dear friend and fellow stitch artist, Alissa Cook, and I had the privilege of presenting our joint exhibition, Stitched Perspectives, at The Corner Gallery in Stanmore, Sydney. Running from November 20th to 30th, the show was a chance to bring our unique approaches to contemporary stitched art into the commercial art space, and the response was truly wonderful.

The Common Thread: Photography Meets Embroidery

The exhibition's title, Stitched Perspectives, perfectly encapsulated our goal: to showcase the vast, vibrant possibilities of needle and thread through two very distinct artistic voices. While our inspiration and processes are remarkably different, our work complemented each other beautifully, providing viewers with a dynamic look at modern textile art.

Recontextualizing the Doily: My Work

For my body of work, I chose to re-examine the perspective of the common doily—an object historically confined to the domestic space and often considered a forgotten relic.

My process involved giving these intricate pieces new significance by applying mixed media embroidery. Incorporating layers of threads, beads, and sequins, I highlighted the delicate craftsmanship and cultural meaning often overlooked in the doily. This transformation resulted in vibrant, contemporary works of art that invited viewers to reconsider the boundaries between art, traditional craft, and history.

Nature, Texture, and Dimension: Alissa's Work

Alissa, a talented nature photographer, brought a unique blend of lens and needle to the exhibition. Her process involves printing her stunning photographic images directly onto linen. She then uses hand embroidery to accent and highlight specific areas of the photograph.

This stitching introduces amazing texture and dimension, transforming her photographic prints into tactile, mixed media artworks that bridge the gap between two traditionally separate mediums.

The Power of Collaboration: Crossing the Thread

To further highlight our distinctive styles and approaches, Alissa and I collaborated on two special pieces for the exhibition. These collaborative works proved to be a significant talking point and generated a lot of interest from visitors.

Piece 1: Alissa took a stunning photograph of the view from Gan Gan Lookout at Nelsons Bay in NSW. She printed the image onto linen, and I then took over, stitching the piece in my intuitive style.
Piece 2: I painted an impression of Alissa's photograph onto linen, and Alissa then took the canvas, stitching the piece in her signature style.

These pieces truly demonstrated how two different methods and perspectives can meet and enrich a single textile artwork.

Workshops: Sharing the Stitch

The exhibition wrapped up with a fantastic final weekend where we each conducted a successful workshop, allowing us to share our techniques with enthusiastic attendees.

"Threads of Time" (My Workshop): My attendees were provided with a beautiful kit of materials and doilies to stitch intuitively. We were truly amazed at the personal creativity and unique approach each student took to stitching their doilies—it was incredibly inspiring, and I learned so much from them!
“Field Of Lavender” (Alissa’s Workshop): Alissa guided her attendees on how to stitch into a field of lavender. The focus was on intricate details, teaching students to think about perspective, direction, angle of light, and the types of stitches needed to highlight the natural elements within the photo.

Both workshops were immensely successful, and we enjoyed sharing our passion with such talented participants.

A Delightful Response

We were genuinely thrilled with the community's response to Stitched Perspectives. We had many visitors through the Gallery doors and enjoyed connecting with everyone.

What was most encouraging was the genuine interest and intrigue shown not just by other artists and creatives, but also by visitors with no prior knowledge or particular interest in embroidery and textile art. Being able to discuss the possibilities of contemporary stitch art with such a diverse audience was a highlight for both of us.

We are excited to be bringing you another exhibition back at The Corner Gallery in August 2026. New work, and a new artist will be joining us! Stay tuned……… .

Next Steps and Where to Find Us

Thank you to everyone who visited Stitched Perspectives! If you missed the show or want to see more of our individual work:

Find me on instagram @elizabethsullivanart
Find Alissa on instagram @alissa_cook_photoembroidery

Stitched Perspectives: A Look Back at our Stanmore Exhibition