A Needle Pulling Thread - Inspired by TILES

ISSUE 61 - 2022

From the practical and ordinary tiles to the most sublime tilework designs created in the world, tilework is an abundant source of ideas to apply to the needle arts across all categories. The designers in this issue have drawn from cultural influences and modern tilework to explore the techniques to interpret tile designs into lovingly crafted needlework projects. Quilting techniques explored in this issue are appliqué, free motion quilting, working with half-square triangles, and machine embroidery. Consider one tile as your quilt block and you have the starting point for your quilt pattern.

In knitting, tilework is expressed using lacework and mosaic knitting. Mosaic knitting can be daunting for some of us but trying it out by making a cushion cover is like knitting a larger swatch.

You must try crocheting Ruth Forbes’s Spring Posy Cushion Cover. This is an advanced skill-level project but worth sinking your crochet hook into. It’s made up of four “tiles” or “swatches” that display beautiful bouquets of posies in relief, mimicking embossed tiles. Breaking the project down to making one swatch at a time is an excellent way to learn intricate stitches.

The issue wouldn’t be complete without embroidery options. It seems to me that embroideries in general look sculpted or chiselled, where the work is raised from the background as in many tile examples.

We just scratched the surface of design possibilities! I hope you enjoy tilework as an inspiring source for your needlework designs.