We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chelsea Sanford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chelsea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

When reading this question, two pieces immediately came to me right away!

First, is my piece titled, “The Fabric Hills” from 2023. It was displayed at the 2023 Oregon Biennial art show at The Arts Center in Corvallis Oregon. This piece is very important to me because I am a ‘grandma taught’ sewer and this piece was created with my grandma present. This is the first art piece that she was able to see and be involved in my entire creative process, start to finish. This was such a special moment for her and I and it’s a piece I will cherish because of the full circle feeling of creating it with her using the skill she taught me.

The Second piece is one of my most recent works titled, “…And How Do You Feel About That?” It’s my largest, most time consuming, and most vulnerable piece to date. For one year I hand embroidered all of my therapy notes and then compiled them into a very large quilt. This piece was a labor of love in so many ways. In addition to attending, the decision to share my notes and the details that were discussed and what I learned in each session, is a bold way to make my point. The point I am trying to make with this piece is that as a society there is still a stigma surrounding therapy and mental Health treatments. When I was younger and early on into my Mental Health journey I was against therapy because, “I didn’t want to sit around and respond to ‘and how do you feel about that?’ over and over again.” –The inspiration for the title of this work. Although now I feel therapy has become more accepted, there is still a block around people’s willingness to share what they discuss in therapy and their personal experience to the process. I hope this piece is used as a conversation starter, and a visual reminder to other folx who are experiencing similar things that we can be brave in seeking support for our mental health issues and discuss them. I want to take time to note that talk therapy is simply one method of treatment for mental health. It is not by any means the only method that works for people and in some cases this method doesn’t work at all. I am pro talk therapy for myself and it has benefited me during certain times on my journey, but I am in no way a believer it is the ONLY way to seek help.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have always been a creative person but never considered myself a “real artist” until recently. I always saw what I did as just being crafty and my extremely talented fine art making brother was the real artist. However, after many conversations with supporters, building my confidence through practice, and meeting more fiber artists with a similar approach to this artform, I can proudly say, I am Chelsea Sanford and I am a fiber artist!

I am a born and raised Oregonian currently living in Redmond, Oregon with my partner and our three fur babies. I ‘daylight’ as an American Sign Language Interpreter in the schools but at night I am always creating. I have always been drawn to fibers! It is something that I always came back to, no matter what. I actually have a 7 part series on my Substack: ‘Scrap Bin’ that details my life’s chapters through my connection of the fibers I was gifted, created, the impact they had on me and how that shaped my creative practice. My fibery Origin Story, I call it! In pretty much all of these stories, I mention my grandma. She taught me to sew and without her I wouldn’t be the artist I am today. Which transitions me beautifully to the beginning of my artist story.

It was tradition in my family for the new babies to receive a quilt of cross stitched squares made by each woman in the family and constructed/quilted by the grandmother of the new baby. If someone was too young or didn’t know how, their mother would stitch theirs for them. My mother did this for me until I was about 6 years old and I demanded I do my own square and requested my grandma teach me! She happily obliged and I’ve been sewing (in some way or another) ever since! My grandma is now 92 and one of my biggest supporters, the president of my “creative consulting” team, my first call when I have a creative question and the first person to see any piece I’ve created. I credit it all to her.

Since I first learned to sew I have fallen in love with many different fiber arts: knitting, embroidery, applique, fabric wrapped vases, and hand quilting. My focus now is a combination of embroidery, applique, and quilting large art quilts to be hung and displayed. Like many creative people, creating has gotten me through many very difficult times in my life and creating continuously allows me to heal through creating. Most of my art serves as an outlet to embrace my queer identity, addressing social justice issues, and my battle with Mental Health issues. Most of my pieces are created entirely by hand and I strive to use ‘new to me’ fabrics and materials either thrifted or gifted to help minimize textile waste, while also challenging me to use what I have for designs and colors allowing the materials to speak to me and guide my projects.

I think these are the two things that set me apart from other artists. My dedication to hand sewing gives me peace and comfort. Although, it does leave an opening for people on Instagram to say things like, “You need a sewing machine, girl!” Which is equal parts funny and annoying. I do in fact have a sewing machine— I asked for it when I was in fifth grade and negotiated heavily with my parents who said a trade would have to be made. No hesitation on my end. The computer in my room was out and later for Christmas, the sewing machine replaced it! On the rarity I do use my machine on quilts; it is only for quilts that are being used as blankets instead of display, and even then, only if I deem my hand stitching won’t be sturdy enough for that use. However, all of my applique, embroidery, quilting, and binding is done by hand.

The other thing that sets me apart is my commitment to using ‘new to me’ materials. There is so much fiber waste in the world, an estimated 92 million tons a year and I’m trying my best to counterthat. I find a lot of my fabric at thrift stores, people gifting me fabric (It pays to be the “Someone that sews” people know!) and I have never passed by a remnant shelf without just a peek! Also, I am a big fan of my local buy nothing group on facebook! Finding fabric in different ways is a fun way to build community. I have met so many wonderful people while on my fabric hunts that I wouldn’t have by just going to a general fabric store.

I have some quilts from my archives that are for sale, name/word banners, and I offer pet embroidery portraits– these are quick and fun for me and I donate $5 from each one to the dog rescue I got one of my dogs from. However, my favorite art to make are commissioned quilts. These can truly be anything! I have had people come to me with a very clear idea of what they want, a sunset quilt with bold colors, and I’ve had people who only tell me, “I want a quilt to honor someone I’ve loved and lost” and send me a box of their clothes; for a memory quilt. For me, these quilts and their creative process are the most beloved part of this bespoke offering. I love working with the client to create something sentimental and super unique just for them. I love getting to know the person the piece is for through stories and memories and integrating those into the piece. This process can serve as an act of healing for the person experiencing grief to discuss the person they’ve lost in a memorable way, even if it is difficult, and at the end, have a beautiful special tribute to them. This can be through symbolism in the piece with colors, numbers, or even their clothing items. I know for many people who’ve lost loved ones, myself included, one of the most difficult things to handle is what to do with all of the clothing they’ve left behind. The internal battle of not wanting to get rid of them but also wanting to move forward. A memorial quilt can help solve this dilemma and provide some magic that can keep the loved one around, in some way, forever. Some of my most proud artwork has come from these particular pieces. Also, it doesn’t have to be a quilt for someone who is no longer with us. In my eyes, memorial quilts can be for any connection to a specific person, thing or for a celebratory event. For example I’ve created pieces for a dear friend’s 30th birthday/memorial of our 25 years of friendship, one for a boss who retired after 40 years of service in the school system, and a friend’s favorite childhood tree! The creative process for all remain the same. Memory quilts can honor memories we’ve had, and/or new memories (fibrously) made that will last forever! These are my favorite quilts to make, but I also never turn down a sewing challenge if someone asks me. I love activating my creative brain. BUT if you ask me to hem your pants, I will definitely say NO. Every time. :)

The main thing I want people/clients/readers to know about me is that I do this work because I absolutely love it. I am not a full time artist (although my creative heart works full time) or professionally “trained” and the moments I dedicate to my art are precious and crucial to my wholeness. I am also of the firm belief that my art is for everyone! I never want someone to talk themselves out of asking me for a commissioned piece because they fear the cost. I am always open to a conversation and willing to work with you so you are able to bring a piece of my artwork to your home. I want my art out there and I want it to go to people who love it! I feel art truly is a way to connect emotionally to humans and I thrive on that! In my personal creative practice, money will never be more important that that connection.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The main goal I have for my creative journey is to maintain the enjoyment of it. I started creating because it was fun and I enjoyed every moment of each step in the process! I want to keep that joy. My parents have always been so supportive of me and my brother’s extracurricular passions, but they always said “as soon as it stops being fun, it’s time to reevaluate” and I have always held onto that. The feeling of overstress (of course, there is always a bit of stress when creating as you work through the process) or the feeling of “I do not want to do this but I have to” is something I want to avoid as best as I can. Also since I use my art to work to process big things in my life and help with my mental health journey, it is crucial for me to maintain the balance of creating things for other people AND things that are created for me.

In addition, I want my art to speak to people about things we don’t always discuss. For example, my piece about therapy. My goal with that piece, and all my art, is to make a statement and get people talking!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of creating for me is when something I create causes an emotional response and/or connection, either from myself or others. As I mentioned before, I feel art is a way to emotionally connect to people and that is something that I value in my life, strongly. So when something I create serves as a catalyst for that connection, it is beyond rewarding!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @thethredhead
• Other: Substack— https://thethredhead.substack.com/

Image Credits

Sade