Ailish Henderson: Using Fine Art techniques in a textile way

Until she went to college to study Fine Art, Ailish Henderson had never picked up a needle. No amount of encouragement from her mother who sewed quite a bit could persuade her to do so. Ailish preferred fine art techniques, especially related to drawing and painting.

But after entering college, she felt something was missing. And that something was textiles. Ailish enrolled in a textile course where she ultimately discovered ways to use her sketches to inform textile art that combined drawing, painting, collage and stitch. She never looked back.

After a decade of developing her practice, Ailish hosted her first solo exhibition in 2016. Currently, she teaches lectures and serves as Editor-In-Chief for the Mr X Stitch embroidery and needlecraft website. She has also launched her own line of printed textiles available for purchase.

This article showcases both the techniques and inspiration that led Ailish to adopt her “sketch-to-stitch” process to create thought-provoking images. You will also be introduced to Ailish’s process for transferring her hand-designed art to digital fabric designs.