Life & Work with Anna Saterstrom of West Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Saterstrom.

Hi Anna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Textiles and needlework have been a constant in my life. Growing up I never questioned the connection between women and thread in all its manifestations. My mother and aunts all had some project underway at all times, from clothes to curtains to costumes to baby gifts to church kneelers to home decor, to bed covers. The list as endless and as natural as sweeping porches and setting tables. I believe that fiber has always been the natural element for women’s work from the receiving blankets to wrap a newborn to the shrouds to envelop the ones we lose, and all the hours between.

When women are faced with any event or transition from joy to tragedy, the first impulse is to reach for a needle. Baby clothes, wedding gowns, prom dresses, rituals of all kinds, religious and social. For times of upheaval, social unrest, war, communities of women gather. They have knit sweaters, socks and scarves for soldiers on the front lines. Women made quilts to guide enslaved runaways to freedom, to warm children in war torn countries from the Blitz in World War II to Ukraine and Gaza today. Women use fabrics to express discord as well, consider the suffragettes in white linen and the pink hats of more recent times.

Recently my work has centered around the forgotten and neglected work of more recent needlewomen. My inspiration is to “Honor the Work of Her Hands” and to see with new eyes the crocheted doilies, the lace placemats, the tatted edges on pillow cases, the delicate smocking on baby gowns. Most women my age have a chest or a drawer or even a closet crammed with needlework that took our ancestors endless hours to produce. I want to remember them and to respect their skills, many of which have been lost to us in recent times.

Recently Jessica Eichman, (my daughter,) and Sarah Dark started a new community of needleworkers that we call SloStitch Nashville. The idea was to include the voices of women of every generation of life from teens to elders who are interested in textile as a creative medium. As the oldest member of the group, I have delighted and rejoiced in the enthusiasm of so many young people who are discovering and inventing ways of expressing their individual creativity through fiber and textile. Watch out for this group! Our first group show is scheduled for November!

Thank you for the invitation to be a part of the series. Anna Saterstrom

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I struggle with the sad story of textile production through recent centuries from the exploitation of humans and cultures to the exhaustion and pollution of our precious environment. A tragic disregard for the health and wholeness of our planet is the long and painful saga of industrial development. I am most encouraged by stories of discovering and renewing ancient production and practices, repurposing existing textiles and acknowledging the nourishing connection between fiber and civilization itself.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I suspect that, like many women, I have always found it difficult to use the word “art” to describe my needlework. We have all been conditioned to draw an artificial line between what is called “Fine Art” and what we demean as “Domestic Craft.” I have rejoiced to see increasing appreciation for fiber art in museums and galleries around the world.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
For me, ‘risk’ meant taking my work out of my home and beyond my immediate circle of friends and family. A good friend, Michele Lambert, of Shimai Gallery in Nashville, invited me to bring some work to exhibit, and I was frankly stunned to find out that my pieces resonated with people I didn’t know. I’ve heard that my work often encourages conversation about deep connections and renewed appreciation for the work of ancestors and their needlework. That makes me very happy.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @slow_stitch_toys_and_textiles @AnnaSaterstrom