Remember those sweet sayings—Bless This House, Homo Sweet Homo—embroidered on samplers and framed in granny's house? No longer reserved for craft circles, the ages-old technique has been literally re-spun by a sardonic new wave of crafties. The classic phrase "Home Sweet Home" has been replaced with "Go Fuck Yourself," and Amelia Bauer's tasseled pillows skip the flowers in bloom for cinematic cars exploding in flames.
Despite the snark, though, these pieces still manage to retain a sense of sweetness, and, dare we say, fashionable relevance? Allyson Ross' needlepoint button ring is a charming tribute to the traditional art, and Os Os' designers use rich embroidery to frame their quaint smock dresses. Even Ruffian encircled a flirty black frock with clever needlepoint graffiti. Definitely more stylish than stuffy.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Images, clockwise from bottom left: Jonathan Adler sunglass cases and pillows, Amelia Bauer "Jacob's Ladder" explosion pillow, Os Os dresses, Subversive Cross Stitch samplers, A look from Ruffian's Fall 08 collection, Lizzie Fortunado handbag, Allyson Ross needlepoint ring, Kate Westerholt samplers.
Collage by Suzy Kim