We head down under to chat with New Zealander Fleur Woods, master of the art of slow, soothing stitching
Interview byJulian Odessa
An interview with...
Speaking to us from beautiful Aotearoa New Zealand, Fleur Woods shares how she cultivated her ‘Stitched Painting’ style, her joy of the creative process, and the release of her new book The Untamed Thread to inspire creativity in others…
How did you first get into fibre arts?
I began adding stitching to my work in around 2015. It was very experimental with simple stitches on paper and then using them in mixed media collages. As I stitched more, I had the light bulb moment of realising both painters and stitchers use linen as a base. I explored what I came to call Stitched Painting, growing a passion for all things fibre.
You’ve just released your beautiful book The Untamed Thread – congratulations! What was the motivation behind the book?
Thank you! The Untamed Thread has been an absolute dream project. I wasn’t sure if I had a book in me, but creating my online course, Joyful Embroidery, the year before, taught me a lot about how to share my process and write about what I hoped others would get out of it. Timing is everything sometimes. It was fun to write about my journey, take time to reflect, and dive into the little things I’ve done, that helped me develop and connect with my creative practice.
The main purpose of the book is to share my learnings in an inspiring and gentle way, encouraging others to live a more creative life and truly connect with their unique sense of creativity. There are practical prompts as well as stories, examples and inspiration galore. This book isn’t just for stitchers, but anyone who loves colour, texture, textiles, fibre, nature and creativity.
You teach a lot of workshops. Do you find either teaching or creating your own art more satisfying?
I adore teaching workshops and travel throughout NZ and Australia (with tentative plans further afield in 2025). Creating in a room with others is total magic; there’s alchemy when a group of people gather around a table to create, coming home to ourselves and making meaningful connections.
That said, teaching requires a lot of energy, so I need equal amounts of time to create. In an ideal world, I’d spend more time creating and less time on the ‘business’, but being a practising artist is also being a small business owner. I try to ensure time creating is prioritised.
Given you’re balancing creating art and being a busines
