Ruth Hughes is a textile artist from the United Kingdom, her artistic name is Wild Floss (in Italian it sounds more or less like ‘wildflower’). She creates handmade embroideries with a contemporary twist and abstract shapes that focus attention on a bold design, three-dimensional structures, and engaging colour combinations.

Ruth draws inspiration from the shapes found in nature, from plants and landscapes. The contrasts produced by botanical and artificial elements is a constant source of inspiration for her. Ruth loves to explore the combinations that stem from the clearest, most precise lines and the softest and most chaotic ones that she translates into imaginative forms.

Ruth has a free approach to design, a bit like in jazz improv. Each of her pieces, in fact, develops spontaneously, guided by the fabric and material used. Design lines come to light as she arranges texture, depth, and shape. Thus, allowing the yarns to determine the final pattern.

Ruth is excited about the future of hand embroidery and textile art in general. Which are no longer seen only as a form of craftsmanship but which, instead, are starting to be seen as a real art form.

We were lucky enough to meet Ruth, host her at DHG for a few days, and to form a wonderful friendship with her. During her stay, Ruth created two of her embroidery hoops for us. Full of flowers and geometric motifs, of different colours and textures. All precisely measured to achieve a perfect balance between solids and voids, bright and opaque tones, round edges and angular points.

The materials selected by Ruth were the extra fine merino tops, the Cleopatra yarn in cotton and linen, and our beloved Piuma yarn in pure merino wool.

The result is magnificent!

If you are passionate about this textile genre you can learn more about it in our embroidery section.