Um, Let Me Rephrase That....

Firstly, Su please don't think I was having a go at you. I wasn't, but if it came out like that I'm sorry!

I will skip RANT mode today and try and adopt considered, calm putting forward of opinion instead (just for a change!). What I was trying to get across was that so often I hear non-stitchers and stitchers themselves saying "Its JUST needlework or cross stitch or tapestry or whatever". What I wanted to say was that is still art. And its still craft. And that just about everything that is created by people is always a bit of both and neither one is better than the other.

There are people who are great technicians (either artist or craftsman) but does there work touch you? That is what makes art, not whether it was done by a brush or with a needle. Paint on a canvas or thread on fabric can be either pedestrian or transformative, depending not on the medium but on the work as a whole and how it affects the people who see it or touch it or hear it or smell it.

Personally, I'm in two minds about how I consider my work. For the most part its original designs based on period examples, so there is a certain creativity in it that would put it in the art side but then alot of the production is following the pattern which I consider just good craftspersonship. But then good art usually involves excellent technical skills which is just another way of saying craftsmanship!

So do people just call it art so they can charge more??

Stacey, as far as cross-stitching goes, I don't do alot of it mainly because I'm not very good at counting and following instructions and its harder to cover up mistakes!!