Five Favourite Things with Sarah Foot of Thread the Word
In this series on the Sigrid Maria Journal, creatives from various fields are asked to choose and describe five of their favourite things. These are items that could have inspired their work or given meaning to their life in some way; objects that represent a moment in time, or that forms part of journey leading to where they are now. I think it’s wonderful to, especially in these times, be able to dip into what certain things mean to people. The objects we cherish often carry energy such as love, joy and hope, and can evoke memories as well as those emotions when we think of them. The idea is to tell short stories through objects, and that with just five items you can get an insight in someone’s life, take part in their journey and get to know them a little.
Some of you may have seen (and maybe even bought pieces from!) the collaboration we did with Thread The Word earlier this year on a collection of embroidered vintage white shirts. Each one was embellished with her whimsical stitching for a little something extra that you can guarantee no one else will have on. Sarah Foot, the hands behind Thread The Word stitching, started out her career in the interiors world and later product development of homeware, gifts and stationery. Having always had a passion for textiles, collecting them from around the world wherever she went, Sarah stacked them away with plans to use them in projects that had to fit in around her full time job.
In January this year she took the leap to make embroidery commissions her full time job and hasn't looked back. Her focus for her projects is to use reclaimed fabrics wherever possible in order to minimise textile waste. Whether it's personalising vintage children's clothes, repurposing your grandmother's linen napkins into an embroidered cushion or adding something special to your favourite denim jacket - there's nothing she won't turn her hand to! For each piece she creates you can guarantee that there will only be one. The beauty of setting limits with reclaimed fabric or vintage items is that once they're gone, they're gone and adding some special embroidery on top of that makes it all the more unique. This is something so close to my heart, I adore Sarah’s style and the personal touch she adds to each item. There are great things to come, so make sure to watch this space!
Follow her at @thread.the.word
Sarah’s bespoke embroidery on an antique French cotton shirt for Sigrid Maria
Sarah’s embroidery for Sigrid Maria worn by Frankie Herbert
Magician's Robe/Evening Coat
I have always adored vintage clothes. There is something so special about imagining the life a piece of clothing had before it found its way to you. This sparkly evening coat is one of my absolute all time favourites. I'm sure it has been to lots of wonderfully glamorous parties in its life but I'm a firm believer in not saving your clothes "for best" so I wear it to the park with trainers on a Sunday morning too. And if I get mistaken for a magician every once in a while, so be it...
Sarah in the magical Magician’s Robe/Evening Coat
Giraffe Sculptures from Zimbabwe
I have been so fortunate to travel a lot in my life and my house is full of bits and pieces picked up from my adventures. This pair of hand carved giraffes were actually brought back from Zimbabwe by my grandmother and greeted guests in her hallway until I inherited them. She adored Africa and I have really special memories of seeing giraffes up close for the first time with her on a visit to Kenya. Giraffes have been my favourite animal since that first safari trip and I love these two watching over me while I'm curled up on my sofa.
Giraffe Sculptures from Zimbabwe
Overnight Sensation by Sophie Fontes
This is one of my favourite pieces of art in my house and it's all the more meaningful l because it was painted by my friend Sophie Fontes. A couple of Summers ago we had a wonderful holiday in Sicily together and were both really inspired by some amazing mixed media pieces we saw in an art gallery in Palermo. I commissioned her to create something similar for me and I am so thrilled with the result. I'm lucky to have a number of smaller pieces of hers around my house but this one in particular holds such happy memories of a fun adventure as well as being beautiful to look at.
Overnight Sensation
Inuit Slippers
My Great Grandfather was the Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company for many years and on one of his many trips to Canada he was given these beautifully embroidered Inuit slippers. The stitches are absolutely tiny and every single element of them would have been created by hand. They really show the incredible craftsmanship of the Inuit people and I often wonder if the person who made them could have ever imagined that someone would be so happy to be wearing them 85 years later. The thought of wearing them through the snow of a bitter Canadian Winter is unthinkable to me but they certainly work well for pottering around my house. I will treasure them always!
Inuit Slippers
Just A Thimbleful
My aunt gave me this antique silver drinks measure a few Christmasses ago and I love its humour. It says "just a thimbleful" around the top and is designed to look like a thimble itself which I just think is so playful and sweet. As someone who is regularly in search of an actual thimble to use, I often wish the ones I use for sewing were as beautiful and striking as this (then maybe I wouldn't misplace them all the time!). It has pride of place on my desk in my studio.
Silver ‘Thimble’