What is Surface Design?

details of my surface designs: hand-dyed fabrics, recycled rags, and stitching

   Of course fiber artists (a.k.a fiber freaks and textile geeks) have their own lingo. Just like electrical engineers, neurosurgeons, and Big Wave surfers have theirs. So I'll spend a little time talking definitions and giving examples here.
   Surface design involves the creative exploration of processes such as dying, painting, printing, stitching, embellishing, quilting, weaving, knitting, felting, and papermaking. 
   In 1976 a national organization, the Surface Design Association, was founded to support the innovation going on in contemporary textile art. Today the SDA publishes a journal, maintains a website, www.surfacedesign.org and sponsors exhibitions.
   

Hand dyed, painted, and stitched surface by Polly Masaryk

Dyed, pieced, layered, and stitched cotton by Polly Masaryk

   Surface designers are community-oriented. We tend to share skills and technology. Many of us are teachers and historians as well as artisans. For this reason, many local surface design groups satelite around the national organization. Utah has an active membership. Check us out at www.utahsurfacedesigngroup.org