Hustle and sew: St. George artist combines paint, fabric and sewing to create one-of-a-kind art

Written by Jessi Bang
October 8, 2023

ST. GEORGE —One artist is stitching to the rhythm of her own machine, creating textile art as unique as it sounds. You’ll be on pins and needles waiting to see what she comes up with next.

Textile artist Margaret Abramshe takes a photo next to her artwork that is also featured in a magazine, St. George, Utah, Sept. 21, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Textile artist Margaret Abramshe takes a photo next to her artwork that is also featured in a magazine, St. George, Utah, Sept. 21, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

“I love painting but I also love drawing with thread,” artist Margaret Abramshe said. “I just got into it, and the deeper I went and the more I experimented, the more I saw the possibilities.”

With a master’s degree in fine art, Abramshe became an art teacher who taught a variety of art subjects such as glass, ceramics, painting, print-making, paper-making and tie-dye. 

Instead of teaching the same courses repeatedly, she said she constantly reinvented herself to bring something new to the table. After teaching art for 20 years, she retired in 2014. But that didn’t mean she retired from being an artist.

While at a doctor’s appointment one day, an art quilt on the lobby wall caught her attention. Turned out the artwork was done by her doctor, who introduced her to the Quilting Arts Magazine and gave her information on the Colorado Contemporary Quilters Group.

Textile art by Margaret Abramshe is pictured | Photo courtesy of Margaret Abramshe, St. George News
Textile art by Margaret Abramshe is pictured | Photo courtesy of Margaret Abramshe, St. George News

And just like that, her passion ignited. 

“Unlike other art, this doesn’t have rules,” she said. “You can kind of get away with anything. That’s what I love the most about it and why it’s become my thing.”

Abramshe devoted herself to a studio art quilting practice in 2015,. In 2016, her first textile art was placed on public display at The Textile Museum at George Washington University in Washington D.C. Her piece, “Stranger in a Strange Land,” was part of the “Stories of Migration” show, and included a vintage photo of her grandfather with a painted background and stitched fabric. 

Another art piece with a vintage photo of her mother won the Excellence in Fibers Award from Fiber Art Now. And another featuring her aunt will soon be on display at the New England Quilt Museum in Massachusetts.

Textile art by Margaret Abramshe is inspired by The Walrus and the Carpenter poem and includes a photo of her grandson, St. George, Utah, Sept. 21, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Textile art by Margaret Abramshe is inspired by The Walrus and the Carpenter poem and includes a photo of her grandson, St. George, Utah, Sept. 21, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Her piece “Shoes and Ships” was in a show at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, New York. Inspired by The Walrus and the Carpenter, a poem by Lewis Carroll, it includes a photo of her grandson with elements of the poem added to the bottom. 

Oftentimes, she starts with a sketch, which can be as simple as watercolor textures. She digitally combines the sketch with one of her drawings, then paints on the linen cotton canvas. She then sews black backing to each piece before completing the final step — sewing.

“If you look at the back of it, you can see the composition,” she said about the sewn shapes. “It’s like it’s a contour drawing. That’s my approach to this and something that intrigued me. I love, love, love to draw. And with this, I’m drawing with thread.”

Abramshe uses two sewing machines in her art — a mid-arm and a long arm made by Handi Quilter that she purchased from the Sewing and Quilting Center in St. George.

“During the pandemic, I accidentally bought this large one,” she said, laughing. “I got bored. But this machine is fascinating.”

Textile art by Margaret Abramshe hangs inside her studio in St. George, Utah, Sept. 21, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Textile art by Margaret Abramshe hangs inside her studio in St. George, Utah, Sept. 21, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Along with having her textile art shown in various galleries and printed in magazines, she also does lectures at various places including BYU. She teaches online courses including Digital Design on Fabric, and teaches Textile Art Toolbox classes in person at Make Space Kayenta.

She has no plans of letting her sewing skills unravel and looks forward to displaying her art in more places around Utah and Colorado. See textile art by Abramshe at the Juniper Sky Gallery in Kayenta, Zions Bank and the Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery. Visit her solo art show at The Tilted Kiln from Oct. 9 – 25. 

For more information visit her website. Stay up-to-date with the latest art and events by following @abramshe_textilearts on Instagram.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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