Guest Artist
Louise Saxton
ICC Sydney Darling Harbour
Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm | June 26 to 29, 2025
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Wharf
Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm | September 3 to 6, 2025
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Bank
Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm | October 15 to 18, 2025
Loving Vintage
Artist Louise Saxton has a passion for vintage household needlework. She uses it to create new artworks, cut and collaged, recreating ancient stitcheries into new contemporary art pieces.
She has been referred to as the embroidery vandal, but in fact she is honouring these humble, decorative pieces of household linen which are no longer in vogue, reclaiming them and giving them a new life.
Her assemblages are held in public, commercial and private collections in Australia and internationally. Read more on her website.
Louise Saxton has participated in Artist in Residence programs in Australia, Malaysia, France, Mexico and Spain.
Louise is a visual artist known for her unique practice of reclaiming disinherited and discarded needlework. She transforms the heritage crafts of embroidery and lace, made by the hands of others in bygone eras, into exquisite two- and three-dimensional works of art. She refers to her practice as a “silent collaboration with the original makers”. Her goal is to elevate these textile crafts that have been historically dismissed as merely “women’s work” to the same status as painting, sculpture and other ‘fine arts’.
We’re thrilled to have her with us at the Craft & Quilt Fair to share her processes and show samples of her work. Louise will also teach two workshops with limited numbers on Thursday and Saturday only so book now as places will fill.
Be guided by Louise in her workshop and make a Memento Monogram in her trademark style using vintage textiles.
Workshop Details
Louise will also teach two workshops with limited numbers on Thursday and Saturday so book now as places will fill.
Memento Monogram Workshop
Thursday and Saturday, 10.30am – 1.30pm.
More details and booking links below.
Fee: $140
The inspiration for this workshop is Louise Saxton’s artwork and process for reclaiming vintage and antique needlework;
In this workshop you will make a Memento Monogram from reclaimed needlework. The artist/tutor will have examples of her own monograms to show.
You will learn how to extract (cut out) embroidered and/or lace motifs from domestic linens; arrange them into the shape of a letter which references a friend or loved one (eg R for Ruth) and pin the motifs to tulle on an embroidery hoop.
You will first use paper and pencil to quickly design your monogram, then using sharp scissors you will extract the embroidery and/or lace and using fine lace-pins, attach the motifs to nylon tulle stretched on an embroidery hoop. When finished, the hoop can be hung on a wall (creating lovely shadows through the translucent tulle) or you may go on to stitch the monogram down onto fabric or have it framed.
Your kit will include:
- One embroidery hoop (25cm)
- Pieces of tulle cut to size
- One box of lace-pins
- One pair of sharp scissors
- A paper carry bag to take home your memento and kit materials.
Participants are to bring: Louise will provide some embroidery and lace to use, however, participants are requested to bring some of their own – doilies, tablecloths, tray cloths etc. that they have found in opportunity shops or; heirloom and/or other pieces they have at home and are prepared to cut up.
As the hoops are only 25 x 25cm diameter, we won’t be able to use very large pieces of embroidery or lace, so please keep this in mind when selecting your needlework pieces to bring.
Sydney
Melbourne
Thursday Sept 4: 10.30am – 1.30pm SOLD OUT
Saturday Sept 6: 10.30am – 1.30pm SOLD OUT
Brisbane
Thursday Oct 16: 10.30am – 1.30pm SOLD OUT
Saturday Oct 18: 10.30am – 1.30pm SOLD OUT
Louise has recently released a book documenting her work. Cut and Pinned – an Artist Monograph illustrates her journey over two decades, collecting, reclaiming and re-imagining discarded needlework.
The book will be available from Can Do Books at the fair. Read more about the book here.
