Stitching Sunsets

These works begin with direct observation of sunsets, captured through photography, drawing, and are then reworked slowly through hand embroidery.

Each piece translates a fleeting moment of light into a time-intensive process, where repeated stitches build colour, atmosphere and form. The contrast between the short-lived nature of a sunset and the extended act of stitching reflects an attempt to hold onto and re-experience these passing moments.

Positioned between drawing and textile, the works explore how time, memory and attention can be embedded in the surface of an image.

January Sky, full artwork view. Thousands of French knots in wool and embroidery thread create a pointillist sunset sky in vivid bands of crimson, orange, yellow and pink over deepening violet and charcoal. The River Thames is rendered in mixed seed beads and sequins in silver, pearl, teal, copper and red, catching the light against the dark foreground. Close-up detail of January Sky showing individual French knots in orange, yellow, red, coral, lilac and indigo wool and thread on leather, with seed beads in gold, silver and teal scattered throughout. The river is visible in the lower corner, built up from layered pearl, metallic and glass beads of varying sizes.
May Sky, full artwork view, original hand embroidery by Susannah Weiland. Thousands of French knots in soft pink, mauve, lavender, teal, mint, copper and warm amber are stitched into leather, with seed beads scattered throughout. The dark leather substrate is visible at the base. Close-up detail of May Sky showing individual French knots in cream, teal, mint, lavender, pink, slate blue, copper and orange wool and thread on leather. The density of the knots creates a pointillist surface, with metallic copper seed beads glinting between the stitches.
August Sky, full artwork view. Thousands of French knots in teal, lavender, deep plum, crimson, yellow-green, orange and red build a densely textured pointillist sunset, with gold and amber seed beads glinting through the lower bands. The dark leather ground is visible at top and bottom edges. Close-up detail of August Sky showing individual French knots in mauve, crimson, soft teal, yellow-green, peach, coral and orange wool and thread on leather. Rows of gold seed beads catch the light between the knots, with deep purple seed beads visible at the upper edge marking the darkening sky above.
October Sky, full artwork view. Dramatic dark navy and charcoal French knots are punctuated by vivid crimson and deep red seed beads in the stormy upper sky, transitioning through bands of pale grey, blush and cream to sandy yellow-gold at the base. Copper and mauve seed beads line the horizon band, with a delicate vertical thread marking running through the lower half. Close-up detail of October Sky showing the dense layering of French knots and seed beads. Deep navy, charcoal and teal knots are interspersed with crimson red seed beads in the cloud layer above, while rows of translucent mauve and copper beads catch the light at the horizon. Below, cream and pale grey knots with gold metallic thread capture the fading winter light of the lower sky.
July Sky, full artwork view. Rich teal and cobalt blue French knots fill the upper sky, with dark leather visible through brooding storm cloud formations scattered with seed beads. Blush pink and copper clouds drift to the right, while the lower half glows in warm amber, orange and yellow bands punctuated by dark horizontal lines of exposed leather. Close-up detail of July Sky showing French knots and seed beads on leather. Teal, pale blue, mauve and peach knots sit alongside dark grey seed beads in the cloud layer, with the dark leather substrate visible between. Below, amber, yellow, pale blue and orange knots build the glowing horizon, with gold and copper seed beads catching the light throughout.
September Sky, full artwork view. Deep cobalt blue and violet French knots dominate the upper sky, with large billowing cloud formations in soft pink, lavender and pale blue sweeping diagonally across the composition. The lower horizon burns with vivid bands of crimson, hot pink, orange and amber, the transition between cool and warm tones dramatic and intense. Close-up detail of September Sky showing individual French knots in cobalt, violet, pale blue, soft pink, lavender and white wool and thread on leather. The cloud formations are built from hundreds of closely packed knots in shifting tones, with deep navy and purple defining the shadows. At the lower edge, vivid crimson, hot pink and orange knots capture the glowing warmth of the horizon.
June Sky, full artwork view. Brooding grey, charcoal and pale blue French knots build the cloud-filled upper sky, punctuated by dark gunmetal seed beads and flashes of coral. Below, the composition glows with dense bands of amber, orange and yellow knots threaded with dark grey and gold metallic, the warm horizon light pushing through the moody cloud cover. Close-up detail of June Sky showing individual French knots and seed beads on leather. The upper portion shows grey, lavender and peach knots with dark gunmetal seed beads defining the cloud edges. Below, large amber and orange wool knots dominate, interwoven with slate blue, gold metallic thread and pale cream seed beads, capturing the rich glow of the evening light breaking through.
March Sky, full artwork view. A representational riverside evening scene built from thousands of French knots. The upper sky is worked in pale blush pink, white and soft grey, with blue cloud formations and a warm yellow-amber glow at the tree line. Dark knots form tree silhouettes and riverside buildings reflected in the still water below, rendered in pale blue, lavender and purple. An amber and orange bank glows in the lower right foreground. Detail of March Sky showing the riverside treeline, horizon and water reflection. Dark olive, charcoal and black knots build the tree silhouettes, with vivid yellow and amber knots catching the last evening light behind them. Buildings along the far bank are picked out in brown and grey. The river below is worked in pale blue, lavender, purple and white knots, with the reflections of trees and boats clearly visible.
April Sky, full artwork view. Warm yellow and gold French knots fill the upper sky, transitioning through amber, pink and vivid purple to a dark charcoal treeline punctuated by small gold seed beads suggesting distant lights. The river below is worked in white, pearl and pale amber knots, with vertical yellow reflections of the bridge lights shimmering across the water surface and the bare leather visible at the lower edge. Close-up detail of April Sky showing the tree line, bridge lights and river reflection. Deep charcoal and dark olive knots form the silhouetted trees and bank, with clusters of gold and amber seed beads capturing the glow of distant lights. Yellow and gold beads continue into the water reflection below, interspersed with black seed beads and white knots against the pale leather ground.
November Sky, full artwork view. Scattered white and pale pink French knots on bare leather give way to sweeping bands of amber, yellow, hot pink and peach, the leather ground visible between the rows. The lower half deepens through soft lavender and lilac to vivid cobalt blue at the base, the gentle layering of tones capturing the fading light of a November evening. Close-up detail of November Sky showing individual French knots in white, amber, orange, hot pink, peach, lavender and purple on leather. Pink glass seed beads are scattered through the upper bands, catching the light against the warm amber and peach knots. The leather substrate is clearly visible between the rows, integral to the airy, fading quality of the upper sky.
February Sky, full artwork view. Two towering dark purple cloud formations dominate the upper composition against pale blue and soft peach, their edges worked in vivid crimson and pink. Below, intense bands of orange, red, yellow and purple sweep across the horizon, with bright yellow and dark charcoal at the base capturing the last moments of a vivid winter sunset. Close-up detail of February Sky showing individual French knots in deep purple, violet, crimson, orange, coral, pink and pale blue, with clusters of large amethyst-purple glass seed beads and smaller pink beads catching the light throughout. The density and variation of the knotting is clearly visible, the beads glowing like embers against the surrounding thread.
December Sky, full artwork view. Sweeping cloud formations in dense amber, orange and yellow French knots surge across the dark leather ground, their edges defined in deep cobalt blue, violet and pink. A separate formation of pale blue knots drifts in the upper right against bare black leather, the contrast between the glowing warmth of the clouds and the dark sky particularly intense. Close-up detail of December Sky showing individual French knots in amber, yellow, burnt orange, crimson, pink, violet and cobalt blue on dark leather. The variation in knot size is clearly visible, with larger wool knots in golden yellow alongside finer thread knots in deep red and purple. Gold seed beads glint throughout, the dark leather ground appearing between the knots in the shadow areas of the clouds.