Naomi Beetlestone Detre

Everything I Own was created in response “Who are you? Show, don’t tell.”

I wanted to create something that was honest, by nature – that left no place to hide. I gave myself the option to not put something on camera, on the condition that I had to immediately give it away. I had to own the things I owned, and accept whatever judgement may come.

My fiber arts practice is materials-driven – I wait until a fabric reveals what it would like to be, and then do my best to realize it. I work mainly with secondhand and recycled textiles, so there are inherent restrictions in the design process – I can’t simply go out and buy more.

In my quilting practice, I hope to honor the fabrics that I use by combining modern and traditional techniques to create pieces that are visually unique.

I’ve been knitting and crocheting for almost 20 years, and because of this, I’m quite fluent in the process – I can improvise, and make things up as I go. I enjoy the process of discovery that comes with creating something from a mental image, rather than a published pattern.

I learned corsetry through a Short Course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in Summer 2017. All corsets were made using these techniques, adapted slightly to better suit the needs of the project.

I enjoy collage because of the inherent restrictions of the medium. When you use one side of the page, you sacrifice the other. You can’t will the photo to be a different size or color, since you’re working in physical space with limited materials

I almost exclusively use collage to create postcards for friends – the process of creating something small and sending it out into the ether, rather than keeping it for myself, has allowed me to release some of the pressure of making the 'perfect thing.'

I am a self-taught embroiderer, and recently I have taken an interest in more traditional methods (see: Blackwork David Bowie)

The jacket series is ongoing; I make 1-2 per year as gifts

Inspired by modern burlesque performers breaking the norm of what is traditionally attractive, I started creating pasties with unconventional themes and construction.

Many are hand-beaded and embroidered, while others simply use glue, paint, and craft-store finds. Each measure approximately 2” in diameter.