Susan Levi-Goerlich is a gifted artist who uses her sewing machine as a paintbrush. You may have noticed some of her paintings -- landscapes, garden scenes, bird portraits, and abstracts -- on the walls of The Endless Skein. We love the way she layers color and texture, creating effects you wouldn't think possible with stitches on silk.

Susan will be bringing some of her work to The Endless Skein on June 17, 2023 for a trunk show and meet-and-greet. She graciously agreed to an interview so we could learn more about her and her work.

How did you learn to make paintings with fiber?

I studied art in college, but with regard to my fiber techniques, I am self-taught. My first piece was inspired by some work I saw that used pre-programmed sewing machine embroidered stitches. (This was in 1980, so pre-programmed had a very different meaning back then.) My early work was basically embellished appliqué on cotton and was fairly primitive. After I learned to paint on silk and began incorporating different weaves of silk into my pieces, the work became more refined. Over the years it has continued to evolve. Sometimes, at a crafts show, someone would ask an innocent question such as, “Is this bobbin embroidery?” If I had no idea of what that might be, I would look it up and then start playing. If I liked what resulted from the experimentation, it would become one of the tools in my toolbox. I do a LOT of playing in my studio!

I read on your website that you created your first stitched painting while in law school. Did you juggle your art with a law career for a while, or did the art become your career right off the bat?

Yes, I did make my first stitched paintings while in law school and while I was a new lawyer. As it happened, I gave one of my very first pieces as a gift to a family I visited in Germany. While it was being framed, people expressed interest in buying it. Not so much later, I ended up leaving my law job and moving to Munich for 2 years, and while there, I began selling my work. I continued selling my art once I returned to the US. (In the meantime, that family became my husband and my in-laws.)

What is free-motion machine embroidery? Do you need special equipment to do it?

The basics of free-motion embroidery are pretty straightforward: drop the feed dogs; remove the presser foot; adjust the tensions; put the fabric in a hoop; then begin drawing, using the thread as others would use a pencil or paintbrush. Of course, the devil’s in the details! The timing can be a bit tricky in the beginning—lots of broken needles!

I use an almost 50-year-old sewing machine. It’s a basic, household sewing machine—not computerized.

I put together a little video showing how I stitch a piece.

Do you exclusively use silk, or do you use other fibers as well? What kind of silk do you use?

I do use silk pretty much exclusively. I mostly use habotai. I love the range of colors I can get, as well as the various textures. Plus, when necessary, I can dye it myself.

Have you ever explored other fiber arts, such as knitting, crochet, or weaving?

I love all forms of fiber. I have knit for decades, but only during the pandemic (and its countless and endless Zoom calls) did I knit enough that I finally began calling myself a “knitter.” I‘ve done some large-scale punch-needle rugs. I crochet a little, but it’s mostly limited to plastic-bag totes and scrubbies. I have a loom in the attic and in theory I know the mechanics of weaving, but I’m definitely not a weaver.

You create landscapes, garden portraits, bird portraits, abstract paintings, and functional art. Is one of those formats your favorite? Do you prefer to work big or small?

I love working small--there’s a wonderful intimacy about small pieces; they’re like little jewels. Big pieces are great too, because they challenge me.

In terms of the subject matter, I bounce back and forth between abstract and representational work and am very grateful that I have both. I can’t be working on both at the same time though—I think I use different parts of my brain for each. Plus, I mess up my studio too much when I’m working on abstracts!

What would you consider your most ambitious project to date?

Well, definitely my craziest and most ambitious projects were a pebble mosaic path and mosaic wall in my garden! But my most ambitious fiber-related projects would have been some of my large-scale bobbin-embroidered landscapes and an abstract piece representing the 10 commandments that I did a while back for a synagogue.

What are some memorable places you’ve traveled that have inspired your landscapes?

Often my travels inspire my work (Colorado and its wildflowers, for example) but sometimes my work influences my travels. For example, a couple of years back I did a commission that was based on Acadia National Park in the autumn; that spawned a fabulous trip to Acadia in the fall. And likewise, a piece I did based on the Canadian Rockies inspired an absolutely incredible trip to British Columbia this past summer.

What has surprised you about your career in fiber art?

I guess I’ve been most surprised at how little time I actually get to spend creating art. While I describe myself as a fiber artist, in reality I run a small business. As such, I wear a LOT of hats: sales person, accountant, marketer, lawyer, website designer, inventory control, publicist, photographer, computer whiz (ha!) and, when I’m lucky, artist.

Visit The Endless Skein on June 17, 2023 to meet Susan Levi-Goerlich and for the opportunity to purchase some of her work! You can learn more about Susan and sign up for her newsletter on her website.