Kathrine Allen-Coleman

This series of work has come from a lifetime of influences. My maternal Grandmother, who was a pattern designer, taught me how to embroider when I was a child. Pillowcases were adorned with running stitches, satin stitches, and cross stitches. This was all done under the auspices of building a hope chest. Somewhat like a dowry, it was a collection of household things I would need when I married. Meanwhile, my paternal Grandmother, (who taught me the lazy daisy stitch by the way,) was one of my family’s storytellers. I remember looking through her closet full of clothes she didn’t wear anymore and hearing about what event she wore what dress to. She just had to catch a glimpse of a hem and she would reminisce about what event she wore it to, and who was there. The power of a piece of clothing to bring back such a flood of memories brings me to where I am.As I find myself more and more facinated with the nicknames of childhood, this series is evolving. I am incorporating more and more ‘woman’s work’ into each piece, and am enjoying the stories they have to tell.