Today on the blog, we feature embroidery artist Lakshmi Devi of Knotty Love, Chennai. She shares in brief about her  venture and her debut showcase at our event.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am an engineer working in a leading Global Cyber Security firm who operates out of a small restrictive glass and concrete enclosure interacting with man and machine for my daily bread. My alter ego is a free spirit with a love for the arts.  Drawing inspiration from my experiences and what I see around me, I always used to make small hand crafts with different materials till I found my true passion in hand embroidery. I’ve been doing embroidery on and off for the past 15 years. I took my first embroidery class when I was 10 years old. Since then, I’ve been experimenting on the different styles and techniques of embroidery. I have taken up classes at the Royal School of Needlework, UK to further enhance my skills.

How did you begin “Knotty Love” and how has it evolved over the years?

I have created small custom-made gifts that were made to reach out to the recipient at a personal level. What started off as a hobby grew by word of mouth through my circle of friends who inspired me to take it up on a larger scale and so I started “Knotty Love”. The initial days were just me experimenting on different things, trying to understand what people look for when they want to get personalized gifts. I am still learning and trying to find my niche in this field.

Why is making so important to you? 

Working in a very demanding full-time job has its own sets of challenges. This is my stress buster. Also, the joy of creating is matchless.

What is your personal favorite pick from “Knotty Love” right now? And why?

I love to experiment on designs with negative spacing. “A Piece of me” is my personal favorite. It is really a piece of me.

What is a typical working day, like.

Since I have a full-time job, my evenings are spent on my embroidery. I utilize the weekends to plan my week ahead. Weekends are also when I test new designs and ideas.

What are your displaying at the By Hand, From The Heart.

I will be displaying embroidery frames, handmade keychains, pendants and bookmarks.

Meet the Maker @
By Hand From The Heart Makers Market 24th Edition
Friday – Saturday
24th – 25th August, 2018
10:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m
Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park, (old Adyar Gate Hotel)
132, T.T.K Road, Alwarpet, Chennai – 600018, India.

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