Rebecca Levi: Dirty Lines

Stitched by badecca

Rebecca Levi (badecca) has a solo embroidery show this weekend (March 27-28) called "Dirty Lines" in Brooklyn.

Rebecca, tell us a little bit about yourself, your methods, and your show:

I know a lot of folks on here from the embroidery Flickr and blogging communities. I'm going to be showing a 10-year retrospective of my artwork this weekend (March 27-March 28) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It's going to be the first time I've had my embroidery work in a gallery, and I'm really excited to debut it! My dream is to connect with other people in the NYC embroidery community at this little show.

Like many folks on Feeling Stitchy, I enjoy embroidering unusual and unexpected subject matter. This collection of work was inspired by found images and ephemera that I've culled from flea markets, vintage male physique magazines, erotic trading cards, old LIFE articles, and other sources.

I typically hand draw the image on water color paper, then scan and play with the size, and then trace it on fabric prior to embroidering it (here's an example of the drawing before and the stitching after). I used to display these pieces strictly on pillows, which are such perfect, manageable canvases.

For this show, I've framed a lot of my more complex pieces into large 20"x20" wall hangings. I used this technique that I found on Needle'n Thread, where you sort of sew a corset in the back of the frame. I must say, I'm pretty thrilled to get off the work off of the couch and on to the wall.

I'm particularly excited to show my new series "Bad Romance" (yes, named after the Lady Gaga song), based on 1950s romance comics. These were a lot of fun, and I plan to do more multi-panel comix-inspired work in the future.

Please note that this show features adult content - but we're all adults, right?

Thanks, Rebecca! I can't wait to see her embroidery in person, isn't the color and texture in her work amazing?