Hoop for the best

KOCHI: Embroidery hoops being used to display artworks is a new trend. City-based artist Praveena Preme, an artist who creates innovative portraits and caricatures on the cloth, is one such hoop artist.
Praveena’s adventure started almost year-and-half ago. “Although I was interested in art from a very young age, I thought of exploring hoop art about a year back while preparing for my entrance exams. I came across it on Pinterest and got hooked,” she says. 

This 21-year-old artist creates beautiful portraits and floral designs in embroidery hoops using multicoloured threads. She has christened her venture ‘Crafterina’ and recently put up a stall at Olam festival held at Tagore theatre where over 15 of her works were displayed. Although she experiments with different themes, her current concept is ‘twines’ which is all about connecting emotions. A second-year microbiology student at Amity University, Noida, Praveena loves experimenting.

Embroidery hoops are inexpensive and the texture of the stitches can be seen and touched which make them more appealing. Once the stitching is done, the hoop can be framed and hung on the wall or be propped on a shelf. Praveena procures all the raw materials such as hoops, fabric and threads from the Chalai market. She works on gifts for occasions too—birthdays, festive greetings or wedding anniversaries. 

Praveena has completed over 25 embroidery hoop artworks so far. Although two types of hoops are available—plastic and the metal—Praveena prefers using metal hoops. Her hoops range from 4 to 16 inches in length. “It varies from piece to piece. If it’s a simple pattern, it takes only one day. But, if it’s a portrait, it takes up to two days,” says the artist. The most challenging work she did was a caricature of a couple for a wedding anniversary gift. “ It took me a week to complete” she added.