This month's Q&A session is with Hoopla Focal- Deirdre is on hand to help you express yourself through Gaeilge!
1.Where are you based? I'm living in Drumcondra, Dublin
2.What first got you into embroidery? When my daughter was born, I wanted a name plaque for her room and couldn't find one I loved. So decided to make my own. It was my first real delve into embroidery. I've always been interested in textiles. As an archaeologist, I'm fascinated by the historic use of embroidery as a form of personal, social, and political expression. So I love putting a modern twist on that!
3.How did you learn? I'm self-taught. I'm a bit of a perfectionist,
so I was ear-deep in embroidery research and practicing techniques before I started my first project (which was a name plaque for my cat - as a trial run!).
4.What is your favourite technique? I'm amazed at people who have the patience for satin stitch! But I love the simplicity of a well executed backstitch. 5.What is your favourite subject matter? I love stitching text. It's so personal and expressive. It's why I started Hoopla Focal. 6.Why do you stitch? To relax, stay sane, and keep in touch with my creative side.
7.And where can we find you? I'm on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest with the handle @HooplaFocal. My website is HooplaFocal.com