Man-broidery
About the author: Jenny Hart is an artist, designer and author living in Austin, Texas. She and her work have appeared in Rolling Stone, Lucky, ReadyMade, Bust, Real Simple, InStyle and The New York Times. Her websites are www.SublimeStitching.com and www.JennyHart.net
Man-broidery. Boy-broidery. Guy-stitching. Bro-broidery. Whatever you call it, guys are (and always have been) doing it. You know, embroidering! Wielding the needle! Marking the muslin! Poking the pillowcase! Splitting the stitch! Which is fantastically awesome. I say: there needs to be more men embroidering. And it seems that there are.
After all, needlework tends to be seen as belonging to the ‘gentler arts’ related to home and fashion, executed by women in a domestic setting. And, no matter how spectacular the results, no matter how many hours of patience and work, it seems to be appreciated by the few. Until men do it! Then we’re extra happy about it. And that’s okay, because traditionally in this country, men are not found quietly working over their hoops.
One of the best-known, living legends of embroidery is Monsieur François LeSage, whose work has playfully and beautifully adorned haute couture for decades. LeSage still presides today over Ecole LeSage in Paris where anyone (for a price) can enroll and learn some of the finest techniques of embroidery.
But don’t take my word for it, men are stitching it for themselves and here are some fine examples of men-who-stitch:
You might want to learn about the less ‘gentle’ embroidery found in the Manbroidery Flickr Pool
February 6th, 2009 at 10:24 am
I have some lovely embroidery done by my Great-Grandfather when he was a soldier in the trenches during the 1st World War. In fact, I think it was a relatively common hobby for soldiers then: “Soldier’s Embroidery – Soldiering was often a boring job. Many hours were spent simply sitting around in barrack rooms, troopships or trenches. Many soldiers did craft work to pass the time. Embroidery and cross stitch were popular pastimes; they were quite easy, and very time consuming. Badges of the Regiment, or its Colours, were often popular subjects as they were very familiar to the soldier, and a source of pride.” – taken from http://www.worcestercitymuseums.org.uk/coll/worsor/wos3.htm
February 6th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
I don’t give a toss about needlework, really, but just wanted to remark on how funny and well written this post was. Poking the pillowcase indeed! Although I must say the Charles darwin one got me laughing. Some of this stuff looks like what Banksy would do were he to take up a needle.
Now there’s a thought.
February 6th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
so interesting! Thank you for sharing this !
February 7th, 2009 at 3:08 am
Good one! I agree with E-Lo about the quality posting, though not about not giving a toss about needlework. Each unto his own, I suppose!
Though not strictly embroidery, here’s a gent who takes latch-hook (lad-hook??) to the extreme: http://www.martinwilson.com.au/. Note the dimensions!
February 12th, 2009 at 7:26 am
awesome!!! Takashi Iwasaki! i am in love
March 5th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Thanks for plugging Manbroidery Flickr pool, only I wish you had included the creator, Johnny Murder’s work. But I guess embroidered NAMBLA jokes and crackheads aren’t for everybody. ;)