Frances Rothwell Hughes
Interference Patterns
This is an ongoing embroidery project that documents the interruptions of motherhood. I was getting frustrated with trying to find space and time to focus on making things alongside becoming a mother. So I decided to start a project that is about those interruptions. The rules are simple: I start embroidering a square in a geometric blackwork pattern, building up from simple dashes to a more complex web of stitches. As soon as my baby interrupts me, I have to stop working on the square. The next time I have a chance to embroider, I have to start filling a new square from scratch. Over time the grid should fill, as a visual record of two ‘waves’ colliding, me and my daughter. Her interference will generate the pattern, turning the interruptions of motherhood into something productive.
'Interference Pattern I' was completed in March 2024.
'Interference Pattern II' is currently emerging on a muslin square that was previously used as a nappy for my daughter. The fabric features a readymade grid pattern.