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Saddened by the sight of abandoned needlework, a family of designers at Frederique Morrel ^[4] have made upcycling  ^[5]tapestry their main passion. From old piles of handmade drapes, to forgotten pillows, to intricately woven knick-knaks leftover from the neigbor’s rummage sale, these designers are rescuing ^[6] embroidery from oblivion by transforming passed over pieces into new beautifully crafted foot-stools, couches, and stunning woodland creatures.

One of the most striking series are that of the trophy heads entitled “Passe Murailles.” The colorful ^[7] animals in this set are not made from actual creatures, but from foam-filled polyurethane. The designers cover the life-like molds with vintage embroidery and top them with real antlers. Each work is a celebration of color and the whimsical craft of embroidery, offering a sense of nostalgia from a skill that has since  gone to the cultural wayside.

The designers’ love of embroidery is also clear in their elaborate family portrait ^[4], a collage of color with a nod to old-school pixelation. And for yet more whimsy, visitors can turn to Morrel’s site for an amusing slideshow of the designers’ attempt to embroider their own dog, Maggie ^[4], where we see that perhaps upcycling is more about appropriate use — trophy heads yes, dog costumes maybe not… Sustainability, we guess, is as much about trial and error as anything else!

+ Frederique Morrel ^[4]

via designboom ^[8]