New project in development, Part 2

from Surgery of the Ambulatory Patient,
by L. Kraeer Ferguson

Seeing this illustration in an antique medical text reminded me of the connections between stitch and surgery.

Surgeons use suture material to make a "running stitch"

running stitch on printed cotton

or an "interrupted stitch", like these two. (Interrupted because each stitch is separately tied off.)

And surely French knots resemble the knots used to secure suturing.

French knots

And then, too, stitch can be used to resemble various textures of organic material.  A pebble stitch can indicate organic growth, perhaps a cross-section of bone?

pebble stitch, machine-sewn

A chain stitch might indicate a kind of bacteria. As might a seed stitch. And what about bugle beads?

chain stitch

seed stitch

bugle beads

Closely-spaced machine stitching might resemble the striations of muscle.

closely-spaced zigzag, machine-sewn
with glossy rayon thread

A small meandering stitch might look like the villi in the digestive tract, or polyps.

meandering stitch, machine-sewn with metallic thread

Gently curving stitch lines or lines of couching suggest muscle fibres...

machine stitching

or blood vessels.

couched embroidery threads

In my next post I will go beyond simple embroidery and beading to explore more ways to suggest organic materials using innovative fibre techniques.