When researching for my HE Diploma at Windsor I wrote an essay investigating the use of stitch in illustration. While researching the essay I discovered how important the sense of touch is to us and how it is wired into our brains as an automatic response which can be understood visually as well as by actually touching. It was one of those bits of information which explains something which I had always taken for granted without consciously understanding.
It was also interesting to research the cultural connotations of stitching from the feminist standpoint and from its relationship with technology.
In the last few months I have referred to points of the essay as I learn more about illustration and the context of stitch for the children I teach, so I have dug out the essay for another read. Here it is if you would like a look also: StitchedIllustrationEssay