Four embroidered words in a grid: "they know your name". The stitched background is tan. The words are stitched in dark blue. The square is bordered in blue and tan braided stitches.

Four embroidered words in a grid: "they time your call". The stitched background is blue. The words are stitched in dark blue. The square is bordered in blue braided stitches.

Four embroidered words in a grid: "they scan your face". The stitched background is beige. The words are stitched in dark brown. The square is bordered in beige and tan braided stitches.

Four embroidered words in a grid: "they sold your data". The stitched background is navy blue. The words are stitched in pale grey. The square is bordered in navy and grey braided stitches.

New series in the making. This will be a series of 12 stitched poem objects, here are the first four, ready to be cut from the fabric and finished. I already have the whole set of small poems written, so it's just busy stitching time now.

#embroidery #handembroidery #textileart #poetry

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I made a little post over on ko-fi (ko-fi.com/pardalote) about the evolution of my stitched poem-objects. No paywalls, just me thinking out loud and some photos. Feel free to leave me questions or comments over there. (Or here <3)

#textileart #embroidery #poetry #fourwordgridpoem

"Science describes accurately from outside, poetry describes accurately from inside. Science explicates, poetry implicates. Both celebrate what they describe. We need the languages of both science and poetry to save us from merely stockpiling endless ‘information’ that fails to inform our ignorance or our irresponsibility." from "Deep in Admiration" by Ursula K. Le Guin

"Deep in Admiration" was a talk given at the conference Anthropocene: Arts of Living on a Dangerous Planet at UC Santa Cruz in May 2014. The text appears as the foreword to the collection Late in the Day: Poems 2010-2014 (published by PM Press).

Four embroidered words in a grid: "tell your wife that" in dark blue stitches, on a pale pink background. The stitches are in smyrna stitch on a grid. The square of embroidery is bordered with white beaded triangles.

Four embroidered words in a grid: "tell your wife that" in dark blue stitches, on a pale pink background. The stitches are in smyrna stitch on a grid. The square of embroidery is bordered with white beaded triangles.

Another stitched poem-object: tell your wife that.

#fourwordgridpoem #embroidery #handembroidery #textileart

A new addition to my “Femme Sport” series. Repurposed basketball, repurposed needlepoint and embroidery, fabric trim. #finecraft #sportsculture #queerart #queerartist #challengethenarrative

Some super important personal news: during the Olympic break I picked up a needlepoint as a new hobby.

I officially finished my first project — this iced coffee coaster. 🪡

My small ritual at first light each dawn. Color leads and thoughts follow, to notice and begin again.

Day 737 | 8 x 13 cm | February 23, 2026

Get a collage in your inbox daily by subscribing here https://frankdenos.substack.com/

#collageart #abstractcollage #abstractcollageart

Four embroidered words in a grid: "work hard then what". The stitched background is grey. The words are stitched in brown and red. The square is bordered in multiple ochre-toned colours with a beaded edge in bronzes.

Edge view of the stitched poem object: "work hard then what". The stitched background is grey. The words are stitched in brown and red. The square is bordered in multiple ochre-toned colours with a beaded edge in bronzes.

work hard then what

#embroidery
#textileart
#handembroidery
#canvaswork
#needlepoint
#beadwork
#fourwordgridpoem
#poetry

Four embroidered words in a grid: "four word grid poem". The words are stitched in blues and yellow on blue backgrounds. The square is bordered in pink and cream zigzag stitches with a scalloped bead edge in shades of dark pink.

An edge view of the stitched "four word grid poem". This view looks along one edge of the border, showing the pink and cream zigzag stitches with a scalloped bead edge in shades of dark pink.

Four word grid poem.
#embroidery
#textileart
#handembroidery
#beadwork
#canvaswork
#needlepoint
#fourwordgridpoem

Four embroidered words in a grid: "left lane must exit". The stitched background is yellow. The words are stitched in dark blue. The square is bordered in blue and yellow stitches with a simple blue and yellow bead edge.

Back to the larger format four word grid poem idea. Finished this one and edged with beads.

#embroidery
#textileart
#handembroidery
#canvaswork
#needlepoint
#fourwordgridpoem
#poetry

Five stitched square poems, edged in beadwork. The poems read: void when read once, take when foil torn, onus lies with user, near miss then this, left lane must exit.

Final set of five teeny poems. All edged and backed, their own small poem-objects now.

#embroidery
#textileart
#handembroidery
#beadwork
#canvaswork
#needlepoint
#fourwordgridpoem
#poetry

Four squares of stitching, each is a stitched four word poem: left lane must exit, near miss then this, void when read once, onus lies with user. The squares are edged in beadwork.

I'm a little in love with these. I'm looking forward to working on the full scale versions, but these tiny sample poems make me very happy.

#embroidery
#textileart
#handembroidery
#canvaswork
#needlepoint
#fourwordgridpoem
#poetry

My partner went to school with Jonk. We are sad. He was a beautiful mind.

Two squares of stitching, the frontmost one reads 'onus lies with user' in dark purple on a pale green background, the backgrounded one reads 'near miss then this' in tan stitches, with pale grey toned background stitches. The squares is edged in beadwork.

onus lies with user
poem stitch object

#embroidery
#textileart
#handembroidery
#canvaswork
#needlepoint
#fourwordgridpoem
#poetry

I'm a little obsessed, so more will be spammed.

A square of stitching that reads 'near miss then this' in tan stitches, with pale grey toned background stitches. The square is edged in beadwork: a series of triangular spikes tipped with small silver beads.

near miss then this

poem stitch object

#embroidery
#textileart
#handembroidery
#canvaswork
#needlepoint
#fourwordgridpoem
#poetry

An embroidery of the words TEL YOUR WIFE THAT in dark blue stitches, on a pale pink background. The stitches are in smyrna stitch on a grid.

I forgot to share this one with you.

#fourwordgridpoem #embroidery #handembroidery #textileart

An embroidery of the words LAST LIFE GAME OVER in a gradient of yellow to red, on a black background. The stitches are in smyrna stitch on a grid.

Another four word grid poem.

#fourwordgridpoem #embroidery #handembroidery #textileart

Four embroidered words in a grid: "well that went well" The stitched background is dark purple grey. The words are stitched in a pale variegated thread.

Another awaiting a border.

Photo of a sketchbook page with 5 illustrations of birds done in watercolor and colored pencil. The types of birds correspond to the prompts 13-17 of the birbfest 2026 list, with each having their number and Polish name written next to it

birbfest days 13-17!! 🦉🦆🪽

#art #birbfest2026 #watercolor

These fragments of paper I’ve painted earlier start the day. It's my small ritual at first light each dawn where color leads and thoughts follow, to notice and begin again.

Day 705 | 8 x 13 cm | January 22, 2026

https://www.frankdenos.com/dailycollage […]

[Original post on pixelfed.social]

Four embroidered words in a grid: "Work hard then what" The stitched background is grey. The words "Work hard" are stitched in brown and "then what" is stitched in red.

This will get a border, so it's not quite finished. But it makes me smile, so I wanted to share it.

#textileart
#handembroidery
#canvaswork
#needlepoint
#fourwordgridpoem

Fantastic, thanks so much.

Awesome, what do you use for the paste/glue/wet stuff? :D

An embroidered square that reads 'Good luck wood duck' laid out in a 4x4 grid. The piece is mainly stitched in browns and golds, and is surrounded by stitched stones and unstitched pebbles.

Good
Luck
Wood
Duck

#embroidery #handembroidery #canvaswork #needlepoint #fourwordgridpoem

Three folded cloths in faded designs, with two skeins of embroidery thread sitting on top. The cloths are worn and stitched in simple geometric patterns of running stitch.

Something I've been quietly stitching in the evenings: these zokin - cloths for cleaning, made from old tea towels.

I recommend The Green Wrapper on youtube if you'd like to make zokin from your old cloths.

#textiles #handembroidery #zokin

Ah! Thank you. Maybe that’s where it comes from for me, from a mathematical ‘problem solving in the margin’ mindset. I love that!

The canvas mesh is quite stiff and scratchy, so any long thread gets caught against it when stitching, the masking tape just makes it a smooth edge.

Mesh canvas with sampled needlepoint stitches in various colours and threads. Mostly letters, but also some grids of crossed stitches.

When I'm working on a new piece, I often create a 'side cloth' where I can do a few quick stitches to try out a colour, stitch or thread. It really helps me make decisions and not have so much unstitching.
Do you sample as you work?
#embroidery #handembroidery #canvaswork #needlepoint #sampling

Some of my favourite makes from 2025
#beadwork #embroidery

A photo showing needlepoint samples in the foreground. The stitching is of block letters in different colours. The background shows graph paper with lettering sketched out in coloured pencil. Scissors and threads are stacked up on top of the paper.

Sampling for a new series maybe. A thought that's been brewing for a while.
#embroidery #textiles #handembroidery #needlepoint #canvaswork #words