Pack of cards inspires third placed entry

Article Added:
Rachel Doyle was announced as third-place in our Spellbinding Textiles Competition at our launch event on 16 January. She collected her prize from Ario www.ario.co.uk who joined us on the day.

Rachel interpreted our theme as card tricks and designed an intricate embroidered box just big enough to fit a pack of cards. Working with the theme of a pack of cards is not a new concept for Rachel, which helped her work with our theme. She explains, “I have worked with playing card designs before when I stitched a piece based on Alison in Wonderland, so I thought my previous card design as a way to interpret the theme. That time I did a straightforward translation of the queen of hearts into embroidery. This time I designed the card myself, turning the Jack of the pack into a magician. His crown became a top hat and his sword became a magic wand.”

The piece is entirely hand stitched, including the box construction. The embroidery was worked by first applying tiny pieces of silk appliquéd to the main cotton fabric. Couched gold threads were then used to outline the magician and for decoration, along with the finishing touches of sequins and beads. The suit motifs are worked in satin stitch and padded appliqué.

Usability is an important aspect of Rachel’s work as she likes her pieces to have a purpose, “so I decided to put the magician onto a fabric box.” Rachel’s design, being the size of a pack of cards, is very small and the intricate work that has gone into its creation is fascinating to see. Rachel estimated the work as taking around forty hours to complete, which is evident in the detail shown in the piece.

Rachel is currently in her final year of an apprenticeship at the Royal School of Needlework and has had some experience of exhibiting her work in the past, including work in an exhibition in Japan. Over the next few months she intends to work on several projects including a tapestry shaded figure, smocking, creative gold work and fine whitework, before embarking on a career in embroidery.

Rachel will be graduating in August and everyone at HotHive Textiles would like to wish her the best of luck with her final few months.