Embroidered Edging c. 1938

Marie Famularo made this drawing of Embroidered Edging, we don't know exactly when, with what looks like graphite or charcoal on paper. The wispy lines are incredible. I love the way she’s thinking through the image, finding the form as she goes. It’s interesting, isn’t it, how she renders the material qualities of the fabric and embroidery with such simple means? The texture feels so delicate. Look closely, and you can see the subtle gradations in tone, how she uses the weight of the line to suggest depth and shadow. There’s a real tenderness in the drawing, a feeling of care. The repeated motif of leaves and berries, rendered with a sort of loose precision, is kind of hypnotic. This piece reminds me a little of the work of Ree Morton, who also had an interest in domestic craft, and the way that so-called feminine forms of making could be elevated to high art. It's all about embracing the process, isn’t it? Leaving space for intuition and accident, and trusting that something beautiful will emerge.