Artist Transforms Vintage Postcards with Embroidery

By
Jovana A
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UK-based artist, Francesca Colussi Cramer, was lucky to discover a small vintage shop near her home where she could buy old postcards and photos. She then began a unique art project: embellishing the old photos with embroidery.

“Adding thread on paper alters an existing surface and creates such a rich texture and contrast with the original image itself,” the artist shared. “It’s both visual and tactile, and doing it on paper, instead of fabric, comes with challenges and differences that I find more intriguing every day. It is a sort of conversation with the past in the images, like lifting a layer of dust and letting the color through, adding another chapter.”

See her work below.

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Hello to all the new followers and old Instagram friends! One year ago I posted my first embroidered postcard in these little squares and today I’d like to say thank you to all the lovely people who commented, liked, and supported this feed! A bit of background for those who don’t know me: my name is Francesca Colussi, Italian based in North Wales, UK. Before I started stitching old photos, I trained as a weaver and worked as surface pattern designer here in the UK, and before that in children’s publishing in Italy. I believe in the power of storytelling. I believe in a more sustainable world. I’d love to know how you discovered my work, say hello and let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Ps. The woman in the photo is not me but a German lady that I found on eBay. She’s been my profile photo for a long time and was the first person I embroidered. The stitches in the hat are not perfect but I love her because she’s been an important part of the journey.

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Thank you so much for all the photographs and postcards that you sent me. Some of you trusted me with very precious family photographs. It’s going to be so hard to choose! I’ll go and collect the last parcels arriving today at Mostyn, because, well… I didn’t realised that the 31 was a Sunday! Hand embroidery on my own old Egon Schiele’s 2003 calendar. The title is in Italian because at the time I was still living there: “Casa con biancheria stesa ad asciugare” 1917 (which means “house with laundry hanging out to dry”). But I always thought that the tree was in serious need of some flowers… #francescacramer #francescacolussi #contemporaryembroidery #embroideryonpaper #textileartist #contemporaryart #embroidery #stitchedintervantions #dscolor #dslooking #embroideredphoto #mixedmedia #thatsdarling #bandofun #flashesofdelight #design #art #contemporarycraft #appropriation #textileart #textileartist #egonschiele #schiele

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