The Rookery is one of my favorite buildings, and it is honestly my favorite piece. This piece showcases the exterior motifs using a unique art medium: embroidery.

Research

The level of detail both inside and outside the Rookery building is truly remarkable. It was difficult to choose just one area to focus on! Eventually, I decided to examine the exterior motifs at the corners of the building. What caught my eye were the Moorish-style details featuring floral designs. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the flowers themselves are actually prairie-style, which helps to evoke a sense of the midwest in the building's design.

The Design

To capture the likeness of the Rookery, I aimed for a realistic design. Although I specialize in line work, expanding into other styles and colors was beneficial.

Embroidery artists use two techniques to create realistic designs:

Stump-work: This raised embroidery style forms a 3D effect using padding beneath stitches.
Thread painting: This technique uses threads like paint to blend together monochromatic threads, creating depth with shadows and highlights.

After testing both techniques, I realized that thread painting would take significantly longer to complete. Switching to stump-work allowed me to focus on the shapes and padding, and who doesn't love a "true" monochrome piece?

Once I chose the technique, I traced the individual shapes on paper to determine their size before embroidering. I even tested the technique with scrap thread to see how it would look on the final piece.

I was pleased with the test results and felt confident in replicating the design. From there, I traced the outline of the entire reference picture to print.

Photo Courtesy of Brick of Chicago

Design in progress

Finished Design

Finished Piece

After many hours and even a few finger bruises, this piece was well worth the effort. Although it is my favorite, I am even more excited to give the Rookery a forever home. Thank you for reading ❤️