Katrin Vates’ embroidery captures the lushness of the great outdoors. Her meticulously detailed landscapes use tiny stitches to depict tall trees and hidden houses. They evoke the beauty and wonder of walking through the woods, where the landscape is vast but full of small moments, such as a leaf floating towards the ground.
Vates first became interested in embroidery as a way to decorate her home. “Then I became interested in old Japanese and Chinese paintings,” she tells My Modern Met, “and I decided to switch to pictures.” Her work is now available on canvas fabric. She begins by embroidering something that has inspired her. It could be a tree, a house, or even a bush. “A landscape gradually emerges around it.” “I don’t do sketches very often,” she admits. “I prefer spontaneity in the work process in most cases.”
If you’ve ever stitched, you might think Vates’ work is all French knots—tiny balls that dot the fabric’s surface. While French knots are part of Vates’ stitch repertoire, she also uses straight stitch and chain stitch. “In general, people believe that more than half of my photographs contain French knots, but they do not,” she explains. “I’ve learned to use the straight stitch in such a way that it’s difficult to tell it apart from a French knot.” This technique allows me to add realism to my embroidery.”
Continue reading to see more of Vates’ embroidered landscapes.
Katrin Vates, an embroiderer, creates lush landscapes with tall trees and hidden houses.
Katrin Vates: Instagram
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