Deborah O'Toole

With a background in performing arts, I have always been drawn to the glam and sparkle of theatrical costumes and haute couture. My late Nan's stash of luxe vintage clothes, fabrics and haberdashery has been a long standing source of inspiration to me and even today, I am routinely distracted in vintage shops and homeware stores by especially luxurious or tactile fabrics. I'm a self-confessed hoarder of clothes which simply can't be thrown away because "the fabric is so lovely" and, I have had plans to create artwork from some of those pieces since I was a teenager. 

Nowadays I create artworks employing a range of traditional craft techniques such as quilting, embroidery, beading and crochet, manipulating them to a more contemporary aesthetic. I love working freely, allowing the design to develop organically. I embrace frayed edges, exposed batting, loose threads and random sprinklings of bling!

I imagine the finished piece to be akin to a princess who arrives home from the ball after a big night of fun and dancing; still wearing her silk gown and jewels, but disheveled and a little frayed around the edges!

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#textile #textileart #mixedmediaart #mixedmedia #embroidery #australia