About

Welcome to The Olde Sewing Room. My little corner of contentment. A place where golden fibres collide with scatterings of feathers, crisp leaves and old books. A place where strength is drawn as I gently pierce my needle through delicate fabrics. In and out, in and out, weaving memories into the tapestry of my life. If you look closely, there’s a story in each stitch…

 

Hello friend, I’m Humayrah. Artist, word collector and bibliophile. I hand craft woodland inspired insects and florals with an ancient art form known as Goldwork Embroidery. Each piece is carefully curated using individually cut metals, silks, leathers and other specialized fibres. At the heart of each stitch, there is intention and a deep reverence for the natural world.

I knew from a young age that I was born to be craftswomen. My earliest recollection is of my grandma lovingly make crocheted keepsakes for us. I have fond memories of spending my school holidays in her home… the duck egg blue walls, hand-dyed silk saris that lined her wardrobe, even the soft scent of sandalwood in her saris are fresh in my mind.

During college, I was convinced I wanted to become a Fashion Designer. I went on to study Fashion but I felt increasingly disconnected from my roots.  A friend introduced me to The Royal School of Needlework and it was here that my heart became entwined in needlework and my love for good craftsmanship blossomed.

I strive to create pieces that speak figuratively and literally of the colours and textures of trees, beetles, bees, roots, and other creatures that frequent my world. Light is an integral element of my craft. Soft gold leathers, antique gold cords, iridescent metal wires all call out to me. Photography, good lighting and creating a harmonious visual composition is almost as important to me as the embroidery itself. I believe in storytelling through imagery, the comforting effect cloth, fiber and photography has on people.


  •  “The world has a natural rhythm that pulsates through all things alive - that is the beat of life. This is the tune to which I am happiest. The green of vegetation, the flamboyant colours of flowers and foliage, the birdsongs at dawn & dusk. They all direct us to the natural, divine order which our concrete jungles stifle us from experiencing. My work is an expression of a deep reverence for the natural world woven with my affinity to embroidery. With each thread, I feel that a part of me has been embedded into my work. It is this part of me that I would like to share with you”

Ostranenie

(n.) encouraging people to see common things as strange, wild, or unfamiliar; defamiliarising what is known in order to know it differently or more deeply.

Nothing is ordinary to me. Everything deserves a closer look. My hope is that through my craft, the next time you stumble upon a feather, a twig or another inconspicuous object, you remember to pause and admire its extraordinary ordinaryness…