Devil’s Apron in Blue I is shaped from Laminaria longicruris, the Sugar Kelp known for its broad sweeping blade. The real plants that wash up on the west coast of Ireland often arrive torn and worn after their long journey from Canada, but I chose to reimagine the kelp as it exists before the weathering. I traced the clean, open shape of a healthy blade and stitched it in a lace like structure that feels almost seethrough, echoing the translucency you see when living kelp lifts and folds in shallow water.

This piece sits within my In Blue series, created in homage to Anna Atkins and her early cyanotypes. Instead of producing the blue silhouettes she made, I reverse the palette. The algae themselves hold the blue, suspended on a clean white ground, like a quiet inversion of her work and a small tribute to the clarity she brought to botanical forms.

The blade carries layered blue threads that shift as the light moves, with airy openings that give the piece a sense of breath and lift. The stem narrows into a gentle cluster of holdfast threads, a hint of where the plant once anchored itself in rock. Even with its delicacy, the form feels steady, as if it is still shaped by the rhythm of tide and current rather than damage or decay.

It is framed in a white wood box frame with Artglass to protect the fine stitch work and keep the colours crisp and true.