Greetings Aurifil family! As Master Educator and Aurifilosophy Program Coordinator I’m excited to introduce you to Robin Smith, son of the amazing Aurifilosopher and Quilt Imagineer Annie Smith. We had the pleasure of meeting Robin in 2023 at International Quilt Market & Festival and were mesmerized by the beautiful creations he was preparing with an antique chainstitch machine and Aurifil 12wt thread.
We invited Robin to share a bit of his craft with us today, but, before we turn you over to him, let me say that Robin is working on a vintage machine that is run by a hand crank attached to the machine gearing under the tabletop. His delightful creations are prepared by turning the hand crank with one hand while guiding the fabric with the other hand. Robin is a MASTER!! We hope you enjoy the projects, background, and insight that Robin shares with us today.
Thank you Robin (and Annie).
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Happy Stitching!
Karen L. Miller ~ Redbird Quilt Co.
I’ve been chain stitching as Fowl & Maker for four years. I’ve always had a knack for crafts and have been familiar with sewing machines, but Fowl & Maker was actually my first foray into embroidery. Aurifil 12 weight, cotton or wool, is the perfect thread for my chain stitch embroidery.
How I got my start with Chain Stitching: I studied Graphic Design in school and loved it. I found myself inspired by early 1900s Western textiles and hand-made techniques, which led to many hours spent studying vintage chain stitched designs. In December 2019, I lost my “safe and sure” corporate job, and the pandemic arrived just a few months later. With the world on lockdown and work being hard to find, I bought a chain stitch machine on a whim and taught myself, hoping to earn some money on the side. It quickly became my full time pursuit.
My mom, Annie Smith, is a professional quilter who has been using sewing machines since she was 8 years old. Growing up, our home had at least two sewing machines set up on any given day and she taught me how to use them. She definitely instilled in me an appreciation for textiles and hand-made goods. We did a collaboration recently where I stitched a signature hem on a Bespoke Patchwork Skirt of hers. She picks the quote and I stitch the words on the hem, creating a unique wearable for her to wear while she teaches. It’s a pretty cool blending of our talents. I really enjoy personalizing clothes for my little family of girls as well.
There are few things more alluring than traditional chain stitch embroidery these days, and I think that is due to three specific aspects. Excuse me while I wax romantic over my craft.
1.) The handmade nature of each stitched item transforms it into a piece of art. Chain stitchers see every single stitch as it enters the garment, unlike the high-tech embroidery machines of today. Not to discredit computerized embroidery, but there is a genuine love and passion poured into each stitch that breathes life into every design and gives it an undeniable warmth.
2.) No two pieces are identical. It is impossible to replicate a design exactly the same way twice. These pieces are not mass-produced and readily available at your favorite retail store. There are subtle nuances and charming inconsistencies between each finished design, making them, truly, one of a kind.
3.) Timelessness. I could show you something stitched in the 1940s and something that was stitched last week and it would be challenging to tell when each was created. Traditional chain stitching is like holding an item from the past, present, and future at the same time. When I stitch something, I like to wonder where the pieces I stitch will be 50+ years from now.
I have worked on some pretty cool celebrity collaborations. I feel so fortunate to have been connected to and worked with so many great brands and companies. I’ve worked with Auberge Resorts, Chef Tim Love, Dickies, Faherty, eBay, Magnolia and many many more! I think the “is this really happening” collaborations were giving Chicagoans the Cowtown treatment with Visit Fort Worth at Windy City Smokeout and stitching for future baseball Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw’s incredible organization, Kershaw’s Challenge.
I only use antique chainstitching machines made by Singer and Cornely and that’s getting harder and harder to do with the rising cost of original machines. There are a few companies who make replica machines nowadays, but they just aren’t built the way they used to be. The funny thing is, each machine has its own little quirks and personalities. It’s all about finding the machine that speaks to you (and isn’t totally rusted out)! The other piece to the successful chainstitch equation is Aurifil 12wt thread, of course! Either cotton or wool, it stitches beautifully and washes and wears the same way – beautiful. The antique machine loves the new thread – the thread feels so good going into the fabric and it doesn’t seem to matter what type of fabric it is. It just flows so smoothly.
I’ve worked on some pretty amazing custom pieces for folks. At “live” events, I will stitch whatever is requested by a customer. One of those events was at Willie Nelson’s music festival called Luck Reunion with TX Whiskey, (another “is this really happening” collaboration for me), where a young lady, maybe 13 years old, asked me to stitch the entire alphabet around a bandana. It seemed excessive at the time, because I usually stitch a name or a short phrase, but I had to applaud the creativity. I love thinking about where that bandana ends up in 50+ years.
I do have a few favorite pieces that I’ve worked on and I reckon it would probably have to be my very first piece I made for myself: a Dickies-brand Eisenhower jacket with a World War II bomber logo on it. I’ve always been a student of World War II and during the war, to boost morale, Disney artists designed a bunch of art for military use. The design I used was bomber plane nose art featuring Mickey Mouse riding a bomb with guns blazing. I made it as a tribute to the US Marine Corps as sort of a “what-if” piece. Typically, designs were hand painted on A2 leather jackets, but I stitched it on a red Dickies Eisenhour jacket and it turned out very nice.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak about my craft and Aurifil thread. It’s such a pleasure to create with 12wt thread and have a plethora of colors to use to stitch my art.
ABOUT ROBIN: Robin Smith resides in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife, three young daughters and an English Bulldog named Sookie St. James. He has been practicing the art of chain stitch embroidery for 4 years landing gigs with popular artists like Matthew McConaghey and Metallica. Alongside other requested events and venues, Robin has fulfilled custom stitching requests at the Country Music Awards. Show him some love, follow Robin on Instagram @fowlandmaker. You can find Robin’s schedule of public events at his website, FowlandMaker.com.
Robin, thank you for sharing your art with us – it’s really amazing to see thread applied this way. Also — the larger, custom creations you’ve done are so very beautiful!! I hope to see you at Quilt Market/Festival again in 2024!! We appreciate you (and your talented mom too 😉 )