Devil's Apron in Blue I by Anna Hutchinson

Anna Hutchinson

Devil's Apron in Blue I

Freemotion machine embroidery mounted with pins on paper

70 x 70 x 2 cm (27.56 x 27.56 x 0.79 in)

€2,000

Available

Devil’s Apron in Blue I is shaped from Laminaria longicruris, the Sugar Kelp known for its broad sweeping blade. The real plants that wash up on the west coast of Ireland often arrive torn and worn after their long journey from Canada, but I chose to reimagine the kelp as it exists before the weathering. I traced the clean, open shape of a healthy blade and stitched it in a lace like structure that feels almost seethrough, echoing the translucency you see when living kelp lifts and folds in shallow water.

This piece sits within my In Blue series, created in homage to Anna Atkins and her early cyanotypes. Instead of producing the blue silhouettes she made, I reverse the palette. The algae themselves hold the blue, suspended on a clean white ground, like a quiet inversion of her work and a small tribute to the clarity she brought to botanical forms.

The blade carries layered blue threads that shift as the light moves, with airy openings that give the piece a sense of breath and lift. The stem narrows into a gentle cluster of holdfast threads, a hint of where the plant once anchored itself in rock. Even with its delicacy, the form feels steady, as if it is still shaped by the rhythm of tide and current rather than damage or decay.

It is framed in a white wood box frame with Artglass to protect the fine stitch work and keep the colours crisp and true.

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Purchase

From Anna Hutchinson

Nexus

Freemotion machine embroidery mounted with pins on paper

40 x 40 x 2 cm (15.75 x 15.75 x 0.79 in)

€750
Evidence

Freemotion embroidery, stainless steel textile, mounted with pins

30 x 30 x 2 cm (11.81 x 11.81 x 0.79 in)

€550
Dendritic Arbor

Freemotion machine embroidery mounted with pins on canvas

30.5 x 40.5 x 2 cm (12.01 x 15.94 x 0.79 in)

€500
Circle Study III

Freemotion embroidery, gold metal leaf, mounted with pins

40 x 40 x 2 cm (15.75 x 15.75 x 0.79 in)

€450
Circle Study II

Freemotion embroidery, gold metal leaf, mounted with pins

30 x 30 x 2 cm (11.81 x 11.81 x 0.79 in)
Circle Study I

Freemotion embroidery, gold metal leaf, mounted with pins

30 x 30 x 2 cm (11.81 x 11.81 x 0.79 in)
Skyscape 9 – Western Midsummer Sunset

Freemotion machine embroidery, mounted with pins

30 x 30 x 1.8 cm (11.81 x 11.81 x 0.71 in)

€300
Siphoned Feather Weed in Blue I

20 x 20 x 1.6 cm (7.87 x 7.87 x 0.63 in)

View All Artworks

Additional Artworks

Nexus

Evidence

Dendritic Arbor

Circle Study III

Circle Study II

Circle Study I

Skyscape 9 – Western Midsummer Sunset

Siphoned Feather Weed in Blue I