Randi Veiteberg Kvellestad

I create textile art through embroidery. The small stitch is fascinating, and it is explored through church textile assignments as well as in different art projects.

Q&A

What craft do you work with?

After my master’s degree I started embroidering in a textile company. Furthermore in 2010. It is motivating to compose design and material to achieve an aesthetic harmony between textile, design/concept, and church space. With wool fabric, silk yarn and embroidery, preferably in layers, I create meaningful symbols.

What inspires you to work with this craft?

The little stitches fascinate me, and I like the slow process. The stitches’ length, direction and density create surfaces and textures in exciting explorations. The shiny silk yarn creates light effects on different fabrics. Therefore, I like to experiment with the silk yarn.

How do you start your creative process?

Professional assignments start with visiting and photographing the church. Afterwards, the design process continues with sketching, finding wool fabric and silk yarn as well as experimenting with the embroidery. The most demanding thing is to find suitable materials. Other art projects usually start with exploring material combinations and continue in an experimental and hopefully targeted design process.

How would you best describe your workspace and what tools could you not do without?

My workplace consists of a large table, a good chair and plenty of daylight. I need both large and small embroidery frames, based on the size of the work, as well as a lot of silk yarns in different colors and both wool and silk fabrics.

Are there new techniques you would like to try?

I want to embroider in larger formats. The embroideries can then be used in new contexts.

What have you learnt or the best advice you have received that you would like to share with fellow crafters?

Trust your own voice and your own ideas. Take a break and look at what you have done, what is fun to do? If you need inspiration, try new material combinations, or set borders for your work e.g., work with only one color. Do not give up.

What professional dream do you have?

In my professional dream, I want to adapt embroidery in collaboration with other art forms, for example through movements on a stage.