Carly Leech is a textile artist of over 30 years experience, using thread from her sewing machine to draw plants and animals on to silk, cotton or yarn which has been dyed or fabric painted. The joy Carly gets from making is substantial and she hopes to spread her joy to collectors of her work. Carly’s principal practice covers 3D garden bowls, embroideries of gardens and animals, Empowered Woman, bookmarks, and jewellery. Carly is inspired by textures in nature: on tree trunks, in rockpools, the way water moves and how plants grow. Carly loves to see where animals live, how they move and what they eat and then recreate it in textiles.
Carly studied at the Melbourne College of Textiles in Brunswick and starting as a weaver and silk painter. She changed her style once she became interested in drawing with a sewing machine or free motion machine embroidery and wanting to explore 3D forms. The garden bowls were developed over a 2 year period. Working out the best sewing methods and flower stitching to the right stiffener. “I evolved my skills into free motion machine embroidery or drawing with a sewing machine to form my new creations. I love the joy they bring me.”
A lot of Carly’s work is inspired by nature, colour and texture and mixing her different techniques together.
“I love the feeling at the end of completing a project and thinking ‘Wow, I made that!’
Carly will be in an exhibition in the Bolin Bolin Gallerystarting this July, “Hidden in the Garden” Find out more . She. has been involved in previous exhibitions in the Bolin Bolin Gallery – Trois Artisans in 2023, Flourish in 2021, Trio Creative in 2019, Renewal in 2018 and Triple stitch in 2016 as well as regularly selling her work at Bulleen Art & Garden. She also exhibits widely and helps run and sells her work at the Alcove shop in Box Hill Community Centre.
