In conversation with Kasia Jacquot

A Stitch in Time

According to embroidery artist Kasia Jacquot, creativity – in whatever form – is important as it allows us an opportunity to connect to ourselves.

Drawing much of her inspiration from her Polish background, Kasia teaches the lost (and quickly re-emerging) art of embroidery, endeavouring to bridge the gap between a student’s conviction that they can't make something and the item that they’d like to create. When someone books into a class, Kasia likens it to giving yourself a permission slip to be creative. Many times she has heard students say that taking time out from their everyday life can be seen as an indulgence. “In today’s world, satisfaction and completeness seems to be about keeping busy all the time and ticking things off a list. “Now more than ever our lives are so pushed into the digital space. You need to disconnect from that in order to reconnect with yourself.” Kasia is not only an embroidery artist, but also a designer and teacher. In order to inspire others and make embroidery more accessible, she has created a range of embroidery kits, with florals and symmetrical patterns reflective of her Polish background. Kasia lived in Poland until she was 10 years old. In 1981 she escaped with her mother to West Germany, before they both came to Australia in 1983 as refugees. Landing in Australia in the heat of February, Kasia says that it felt like an alien planet. They were given accommodation at the Villawood Migrant Hostel (now the Villawood Detention Centre), which became their home for one year. It was here that they learnt to speak English, connecting with refugees from countries around the world, including a large Polish community. Having moved 18 times by the time she was 18, the frequent changes shaped Kasia’s view on how you live your life. “So many times, my mother and I had to start again from scratch, so I grew not to get attached to things. I’m not overly sentimental and I don’t feel attached to anything apart from people. But I do feel connected to the things I embroider. For example, a hand embroidered table runner creates a family table and creates a home.” Her formative experiences influenced Kasia’s philosophy of “home is everywhere,” which she has been careful to instil in her own son and daughter. “Wherever you are in the world, you should respect and take care of it, and reach out to people in and around it. Regardless of how long you stay somewhere, in that moment you make connections as if it were your home.” Kasia started her own business ‘Laikonik’ in 2007. Inspired by her Polish heritage, she screenprinted her own fabrics using traditional Polish folk design and sold cushions, wall hangings and table runners online and at markets. After several years, she sold the business. Later Kasia partnered with Jo at One Village, a store that was located in Central Arcade in Lane Cove that retailed ethically and sustainably produced homewares and clothing. This was the start of a new creative journey for Kasia, as she started to offer embroidery classes from the store. Although embroidery had been part of her life since she was a child, she didn’t expect much interest and had never considered turning it into a business. “From the very first lesson, people loved it. Teaching came naturally to me and I loved seeing how people became transformed when they saw what they can create and produce.” Kasia explains that when you make something by hand, it has so much more value as you develop a personal relationship with the object. Kasia now runs embroidery classes and workshops around Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne and has been approached to start in Perth and Brisbane. The Lane Cove community also gets to appreciate Kasia’s considerable talent through her public artwork, including two electricity boxes that she has painted on the corner of Epping Road and Centennial Avenue, plus two table tennis tables, one at Blackman Park and the other at Helen St Reserve. Kasia’s love of teaching and her ability to create beauty through stitches is a treat for her students. As she readily shares her skills, it is helping to not only continue a craft passed down through many generations, but also the joy involved in creating beautiful objects.

My greatest joy is to see the satisfaction and inspiration on someone’s face when they discover they can make a beautiful thing with their own hands.