Chloe Giordano’s miniature embroideries are the essence of whimsical. Dedicated to the natural world, her embroidery subjects include woodland critters like rabbits and badgers. Those are mostly depicted surrounded by butterflies, tiny flowers, and leaves.
Employing freehand embroidery, Giordano’s technique was learned through trial and error and is a continuation of her formal training in illustration. According to Giordano, she took to sewing during the last year of her illustration degree at the University of the West of England.
Much like drawing, Giordano uses the sewing thread as a though it were a pencil. Her designs are first drawn onto the fabric with a vanishing fabric marker. Using single strands of sewing thread (either cotton or polyester), she embroiders on dyed fabrics—unbleached calico that she dyes by hand.
“I nearly always work on calico, with sewing thread rather than embroidery floss,” she further explained in an interview with Textile Artist. “My technique itself is very simple. I just layer a straight stitch over and over, working from a detailed drawing I’ve made and a few photos to reference certain areas.”
Originally from Buckinghamshire, and currently based in York, her work is sold online and has gained over the years a massive following (to date, Giordano has some 265,000 followers on Instagram). The work itself naturally takes a lot of time, with the average timespan for her animal embroideries taking around a week.
But with most of us stuck at home, she just might inspire you to take on embroidery: “I can’t think of a better way to spend a quiet day,” says Giordano.
