Designers are subverting the traditional crafts of machine stitching and hand embroidery with radical results. Stockholm-based duo Fredrik Färg and Emma Marga Blanche, who used a heavy-duty industrial sewing machine to stitch sections of a plywood chair, have dubbed the technique “extreme sewing”. Their prototype chair, Couture, has gone into production with Spanish manufacturer BD Barcelona, bdbarcelona.com, which opened its first London showroom earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Claire Coles, clairecoles.co.uk, has built up an enthusiastic clientele, including Jaeger, Missoni and Perrier-Jouët, for her distinctive wallpapers. Her tactile, textured designs are collages of paper, fabric and leather, which are hand-stitched and embroidered.
In Bristol, Jacky Puzey, jackypuzey.com, who trained in fine art and taught for many years, has set up a business making dramatic screens, room dividers and fashion accessories to…
