My sister Louise Gardiner, who has died of cancer aged 51, was a professional machine embroiderist; her work ranged from embroidered illustrations to large-scale artworks and commemorative capes. She also set up the Lou Gardiner brand to sell luxury silk scarves, pouffes and cushions.
Among her most notable works were a two-metre quilt, entitled Licky Lips Genie, commissioned by the Liberty department store in London for a window display in 2010, and a collection of five large and intricate tumbleweed designs entitled You Blow Me Away that were exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery in 2012.
Lou was born in Knutsford, Cheshire, and grew up on a dairy farm called Oak Farm in nearby Styal that was run by our parents, Judy (nee Hobson) and Alan. After attending Rydal school in north Wales, where she played hockey and tennis, starred in Grease and Guys & Dolls and excelled at art, she completed an art foundation course at Manchester Metropolitan University, then studied for a degree in textiles at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Shortly after graduating in 1994, she launched her career as an embroidery artist, initially with work that was mainly figurative and featured observations of the everyday, such as glamorous shopping ladies or a girls’ big night out.
In 2003 she moved to Bristol, where from her base in Jamaica Street Studios she created her first large-scale commission for the Gloucestershire hospital foundation trust, a set of original embroideries entitled Wacky Races that are still on display in the children’s centre at Gloucestershire royal hospital.
While taking on more commissions she began to help others to harness their own creative potential through her Super Stitcher courses, which were featured on Channel 4 via a masterclass on Kirstie’s Homemade Home TV series in 2009. She also appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, where she told the programme that she drove her sewing machine “like an Aston Martin”. She set up the Lou Gardiner brand in 2012.
Lou’s later work took on a more organic flavour, celebrating biodiversity and the patterns of nature. As well as embroidery, she used applique with paint and ink to create sumptuous and detailed pieces. That style was perfectly illustrated by the Cape of Empowerment, a huge garment commissioned in 2017 by Pukka tea company as part of its Womankind organic tea range launch.
Her final project was put together with the late entrepreneur Hugo Burge at Marchmont House on the Scottish borders. Cape of Creative Courage, commissioned in April 2020, was inspired by the woodland of Marchmont House, where Lou drew extensively. The project soon took on special relevance as it motivated her to continue to embroider as her cancer progressed. An international community of hundreds of followers sent in flying acorn embroideries as part of the project.
Aside from her work and creativity, Lou will be remembered for her great sense of humour and infectious smile.
She is survived by her partner, Ben Davies, our mother Judy, and her siblings, Shelly and me.
