For this episode of Textile Talk, we’re joined by the exceptionally talented textile artist, Emma Rosa. Nestled in rural Devon, Emma creates intricate botanical sculptures using fabric, thread, and a host of multidisciplinary techniques. Her pieces, often indistinguishable from real flora, are inspired by nature’s overlooked beauty and underpinned by a deep respect for craftsmanship, conservation, and storytelling.
With a background in fine art and a successful career in vintage dressmaking, Emma has merged her skills to develop a distinctive practice that celebrates the natural world through stitch, structure, and sculpture. Her passion for accuracy, her eye for detail, and her openness to experimentation make this an inspiring and informative conversation for anyone interested in textile art, craft, or the creative process.
Emma Rosa
Textile Talk with Emma Rosa
Listen to the episode on your favourite podcast platform or click the link below to listen now.
From Dressmaking to Botanical Embroidery
Emma shares how her career in vintage dressmaking gradually transformed into botanical sculpture. After taking a break from business to raise her daughter, she began experimenting with fabric flowers, inspired by the glass botanical models of the Blaschka family. What began with a simple, improvised lily eventually blossomed into a full-time artistic pursuit. She continues to draw from her dressmaking expertise and fine art training.
Intuitive Design and Sculptural Techniques
Learn how Emma’s process is both instinctive and methodical. While her earlier fine art work was expressive and abstract, her textile sculptures demand precision. Yet, she approaches each plant with a sense of freedom. She allows the materials, and her growing knowledge of plants, to guide the creative outcome. She explains how she breaks down each plant into its individual parts before beginning to construct it in three dimensions.
Emma also lifts the lid on her fascinating technical process. From sourcing and starching silks to using traditional Japanese flower irons for shaping, she reveals how each flower is meticulously formed, coloured, and assembled. Her experimentation even extends to dandelion seed heads and root systems, which require entirely different methods and materials.
Colour, Texture and Realism
A recurring theme throughout the episode is Emma’s dedication to botanical realism. She discusses how she carefully studies her subjects to observe the subtle variations in colour, texture, and form. Dyes are layered, thread carefully selected, and fabric manipulated to evoke the life and delicacy of each plant. Whether it’s replicating the sheen of a leaf or the fragility of a petal, Emma brings the same level of intention to every piece.
The Challenge of Display
Presentation is an essential part of Emma’s practice. From antique museum domes to Victorian glass bottles, she carefully stages her work to reinforce the illusion of freshly gathered plants. She describes how these vessels add a poetic element to the finished piece—giving a sense of time, preservation, and history.
Working to Commission and Pricing Your Work
For those pursuing a creative career, Emma’s insights into the business side of her practice are invaluable. She reflects candidly on the early struggles of underpricing her work at craft fairs, the shift to exhibiting in galleries, and the confidence it took to assign her work a higher value. She also discusses how she estimates costs for commissioned work, factoring in experimentation time, materials, and the uniqueness of each project.
The Importance of Experimentation and Community
Emma is a proud member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen and speaks warmly about the sense of belonging it offers – especially in a profession that can often feel isolating. She advocates for regular experimentation, reminding listeners that some of her most successful techniques were born from hours (sometimes weeks) of trial and error. Her encouragement to carve out time for creative risk-taking is an uplifting takeaway for artists at any stage of their journey.
Looking Ahead
Emma offers a glimpse into what’s next for her: exciting exhibitions at Mobilia Gallery in Boston, USA, and the Green and Stone Gallery in London, timed to coincide with Chelsea Flower Show and Kensington in Bloom. These projects represent not only a celebration of her craft, but also a significant step forward as she explores working on a larger scale and collaborating with other artists.
This is a truly inspiring episode, rich with insight, humour, and heartfelt reflections on balancing creativity, motherhood, and business. Emma Rosa’s passion for the natural world and her dedication to her art shine through in every word.
Listen to the full podcast episode now to immerse yourself in Emma’s world of fabric, thread, and botanical wonder.
Links
Listen on your favourite platform or right here.
Follow Emma on Instagram @emma.rosa.artist
Follow on Facebook.
