Painting with a Hook

My Dover Home, 48" x 30". Hooked with Briggs and Little wool yarn on linen. Designed and hooked by Kathy Thornhill, Long Reach, New Brunswick, 2013. 

I have worked in handcrafted pieces most of my adult life. Both of my grandmothers worked in fiber arts, and my mom sewed and knit. I learned the basic stitches as a child and got serious about stitching after university.

A few years ago, I discovered a stitching guild near my home and joined for three years. I learned many more stitches, and last year I realized I wanted to do more than just recreating someone else’s designs. Joyce Gill, from Prince Edward Island, came to our group to lead a creativity workshop. I knew I wanted to create a stitched piece using one of my photos. During the workshop, I did just that. While working the piece, I realized the freedom of artistic license. I couldn’t recreate on fine linen exactly what I saw out my window, so I moved things around to make them fit into the piece and only kept the design elements vital to the finished piece.

Kathy Thornhill has been a photographer since 1998. She began hooking pieces from her photography in late 2013 and is now totally hooked on hooking. Her photography and hooked items are available at Sparrowhawk Studio in Long Reach, New Brunswick; Fullerton’s Corner Market in Long Reach; and at the Kingston Farmers Market in Kingston, New Brunswick. Kathy@btlens.com, website: www.btlens.com.

This article is from the January/February 2017 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.