About Me
Why I Make Art
As a high school art teacher of special needs students by day, I am constantly on the hunt for inspiring media and therapeutic techniques. I get to dabble in all kinds of projects which then require an outlet for my own explorative work. i truly believe that being creative and making art can save us, and I love to share my creative techniques with students of all ages.
My creative practice now includes teaching one day workshops with adults and teens in cool venues like museums, libraries and creative spaces. Fabric collage is my first love and I welcome conversations about how and why hand stitching is such a great way to tap into creativity and reduce stress. Email me to start the conversation…susanbleignier@gmail.com
What I do...
I love to collect and play with all media but hand stitching and playing with my sewing machine is my favorite thing to do. I have always loved to sew because it is so relaxing and the feel of textiles feeds my love of texture. I have created a small business around my wool felt creations. Earrings, garlands, and stuffed whimsical ornaments travel from show to show during the crafting season.
I use repurchased fabrics and thrifted threads and tools when ever possible. Cutting up clothing, curtains, old quilts, almost ANY fabric, and turning it into art is less waste added to our landfills. This makes me happy that I can do my small part for our environment.
My Inspiration
Nature is magical and it’s my never ending source for stitching inspiration. I love using vintage fabric, repurposed textiles and hand and machine sewing to create art that makes people smile.
Upcoming Events
Join me for upcoming events…
Vintage Textiles to Contemporary Collage@The Red Mill Museum , Clinton, NJ - Sunday July 19 from 1-4pm.
Hand stitching, no experience required, vintage doilies, runners, placemats, quilt tops in a way that repurposed them into a cool and contemporary textile collage piece. See theredmill.org for details. $ 80.00 class registration, $20.00 mareials fee
Boonton Holmes Library- Radical Embroidery -Part 2 Saturday July 18, 10:30-12 pm.
This workshop is a continuation of Part 1, for library members only. We will continue exploring embroidery stitching and fabric collage to communicate a radical idea into a visual image. There are spaces available even if you missed Part 1. Call library to sign up, $20.00 fee.
Hunterdon Art Museum Summer Workshop Series- Radical Embroidery
August 30th 12pm
Practice tried and true embroidery stitchesalongside other participants for encouragement, with step by step, one on one instruction.
See website for details and to sign up. Hunterdonartmuseum.org
