I've been inspired by the book, The Wander Society by Keri Smith. The society's purpose is to promote aimless wandering as a creative pursuit and its motto is "Solvitur ambulando," or "It is solved through walking."
Have you ever noticed how taking a walk in nature helps you to unwind and sort out your troubles? I walk for exercise, but also for peace of mind and creative inspiration. I wanted to create a patch that celebrates how walking in nature inspires, heals, and strengthens me.
I started with a sketch on paper, then made a copy of the final design and covered the back of the copy with graphite. I pinned the paper to a piece of denim cut from a retired pair of jeans and traced the design, pressing hard to transfer the graphite onto the fabric.
It was a little hard to see the graphite marks on the denim, so I darkened the design guidelines with a Sharpee.
I watched a video on making your own decorative patches. It helped me to figure out how to fill in the boot with color and how to bind the edges of the denim. Other than that, I have no real training in embroidery. I just made up stitches, doing the best I could.
I stitched while watching videos with my husband or having conversations with my family. It was a pleasant way to keep my hands busy while listening.
My embroidery thread came from the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse (25 cents per skein!).
I like the wobbly wonkiness of the patch. It looks handmade and organic. Human.
As a foil to the rise of AI art, I enjoy celebrating human-made art. I find it makes creating more relaxed when I celebrate my wobbles and imperfections.
I hope this inspires you to design your own patch and create expressive, wearable art!
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