I am drawn to embroidery and I am exploring a number of the implications of this needle and thread-based process in my own artwork. Traditionally seen as a feminine medium, embroidery has strong associations with women as homemakers. This includes the suggestion of delicacy and softness, as well as compliance with a particular gender role. Ironically, textile labor, such as women working in mills during the nineteenth century, was incredibly arduous, and anything but soft or delicate. Nonetheless, modern associations with knitting, sewing, embroidering, or nearly any textile remains to be seen as strictly gendered in the traditional sense of the word. Although I am critical of these associations, I too am not immune to these sexist impressions of the craft. For example, I can’t help but think of my own grandmother’s house when I see an embroidered work. By critically exploring these associations of embroidery with women and domesticity in my own work, I see an opportunity to reinterpret and empower this traditional medium.