April 2010

The latest discovery in graffiti & embroidery:

About a year ago, Jon Baker, a personal trainer at New York Sports Club, and Iviva Olenick, an avid gym member, met and became trainer and client. While working together, they discovered a mutual love of art, and decided to combine their media. Jon is a native New Yorker and graffiti artist who works primarily with marker on paper. Iviva Olenick is a textile designer and fiber artist. Their site documents the development of FiberGraf, where street art, graffiti, and embroidery merge.

learn more & browse their blog here:  LINK

They have also collaborated on tshirts & other stitchgraf  projects — check it out!

Feb 2010

That’s right, Stitchbombing is for the Truly Fearless Stitcher…

But I get ahead. First we must define our terms, yes?

Stitch Bomb, v., to pass a thread/cord/rope/wire through a public surface (such as fabric, plastic, metal, fencing, etc.) in order to produce a “mark” often worked into the form of a monogram, symbol, motif  or text; generally a covert or unauthorized action.

Here in the Freedom of Stitch Gallery, we want to find, appreciate, and advocate Stitchbombing in the grand tradition of Graffiti Bombing in order to bring stitchy goodness to the masses.

So SHOW US YOUR STITCH!!  We want to see it! It’s easy:

Bomb, document, share (and we’ll keep it real quiet… sshhh)

victoria@freedomofstitch.com

Get creative:  perhaps a little birdy on the bus:

Ulrika Erdes (Sweden) stitchbombed this lovely bus seat with a MOST sweet cross stitch.    And another lil dude looking out the window:

You can find more about her and her fearless public embroidery here  *link*

And this is ONLY the beginning…  just WAIT til you see what’s in the works…

Consider the Craftivist Collective cross stitching fences in protest; if ever there was graffiti stitch, THIS is it:”Love stinks unless you act on it”:

*link* to flickr gallery

and

*link* to website

And this… just in from the lovely Radical Cross Stitch crew:

Tutorial for stitching a chain link fence in protest against wasting dollars on wasteland:  **LINK**

Additionally,

over at wiki, there’s a work-in-progress to document activist stitch:

**LINK**

In the mean time… Be fearless…

Bomb. Document. Share.

It’s ALL Freedom of Stitch to us!

Ssshhh…

16 Feb 2010 Stitchbomb Chronicle Update

Just when I thought I was finished applauding and bravo-ing my amazing friends for their activism on behalf of the Haitians who are putting their lives back together, I tripped over David Littler’s report on the Sampler-Culture Clash blog detailing how Ele Carpenter is raising money in San Francisco through her Open Source Embroidery project  *LINK* — By auctioning all sorts of objets d’art, including: GRAFFITI’ED CHAIRS!!    If you haven’t already investigated the Sampler project, you’re in for a real treat -  When dj’s meet stitch, it’s a truly special exchange!  Check it out!  *LINK*

And now, with David Littler and Ele Carpenter teaming up to use their needles for the best of the good… it only reconfirms what I’ve been saying: when we put our needles ON the record, the BEST things come of it!  Incidentally the auction is as follows: Sunday 21 February 2010,  Silent Auction 12-4.30pm / Live Auction 5pm,  Tiburon Town Hall, 1505 Tiburon Blvd, SanFran CA,USA.

Show your support if you’re in the area! I’ll continue building the Putting Needles on the Record project and stitching up the place… Be Fearless!