Roz Chast's "Lockdown Sampler"
By Françoise Mouly
For Roz Chast—and for many cartoonists, writers, and artists—staying home was a habit long before the coronavirus pandemic. But the lockdowns have revived Chast's passion for crafts, which keep her hands moving and help quiet her anxiety. Chast paints Ukrainian Easter eggs, known as pysanky, but she especially loves embroidery—and one result is the cover for this week's magazine. (Prior results can be seen here and here.) We recently spoke with Chast about how she learned the craft.
When did you start embroidering? Was it something you did as a kid?
I had a teacher in the sixth grade, at P.S. 217, in Brooklyn, who taught both the boys and girls in class how to embroider. We had to embroider a map of the U.S. with products that each area was known for. I remember loving to stitch the ears of corn. The dear little yellow kernels!
What different kinds of stitches are in this image? Which ones do you like or dislike?
Chain stitch, satin stitch, back stitch, French knots. I like them all, but chain stitch might be my favorite.
Have you connected with a community of like-minded embroiderers? If so, what qualities do you share?
I've connected with a few embroiderers on Instagram. One of the most worthwhile is the Tiny Pricks Project, in which people take direct quotations from Trump and embroider them. The person who runs it, Diana Weymar, coördinates the participants, and the project has expanded to include quotes from others in Trump's circle.
Mostly I follow people who have respect for the craft but like experimenting with methods, material, and imagery that aren't a hundred-per-cent traditional. I like the work of people who think of embroidery as drawing or painting with thread.
What other crafts do you turn to?
I was always interested in rug hooking and pysanky. I found people who knew the crafts, and they taught me.
Quarantine seems to have repopularized specific pastimes: sewing, baking, tending plants. Are there other activities that have been keeping you busy?
I bought a new vacuum cleaner. It's O.K., but not as fun as embroidery.
See below for other covers by Chast:
"Subway Man"
"Venus on the Beach"
Find Roz Chast's covers, cartoons, and more at the Condé Nast Store.
Françoise Mouly has been the art editor at The New Yorker since 1993.
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