All photographs taken by and courtesy of Harikleia Sirmans.
Meet Harikleia Sirmans in this edition of Member Monday! Sirmans’s textile journey began with a sheep named Stella and has unraveled into a colorful world of yarn, embroidery hoops, and community care. From stitching altar kneelers to crocheting nests for baby birds, her practice is stitched together with equal parts heart and curiosity. Dive into this conversation to explore her fabric stash, favorite fiber reads, and visions of a future where cloth might just be smart enough to think.
(TSA) What is your first or favorite textile memory?
(HS) One of my first textile memories comes from childhood, when my family raised a sheep named Stella. I loved petting her and feeling her soft white fleece. After she passed, my parents preserved her fleece as a decorative rug in our living room. I liked to sit on it, brush it, and remember Stella.
My grandparents also raised sheep, and every summer they would shear the wool, wash it in huge basins, and dry it under the sun. Then my grandmother would sit at her spinning wheel and turn the wool into fine strands of yarn. Afterward, she would dye the yarn, wrap it into balls, and give them to the local weaver to transform into thick, warm blankets, tote bags, and rugs. The entire process was fascinating to watch.
(TSA) Does your work tend to reflect a communal process or more of an individual practice (or both?)
(HS) My work is an individual practice, but it’s geared toward the community. I am a seamstress who makes clothes from scratch and offers alterations. Much of my work involves bridal wear, prom dresses, and formal attire, especially in the spring and fall. I also make small quilted items like bags, light upholstery, and household goods.
In addition to sewing, I crochet blankets and accessories, and I embroider. One recent needlework project was a series of kneelers for a church altar, done on Penelope canvas with wool thread.
Giving back to the community is essential to my practice. I contribute to projects such as Wildlife Rescue Nests, where I crochet nests for injured or orphaned birds and small mammals. Through the Lydia Project, I sew small tote bags for women undergoing chemotherapy. I also sew jackets and crate mats for puppies in training for the Dog Guide Foundation, which supports the blind and visually impaired.
Another part of my work involves writing articles about sewing and textiles, which I publish in related publications like PieceWork magazine.
(TSA) Do you have any textile-related books / resources that you particularly recommend?
(HS) I love learning anything related to textiles. It can be fashion drawing, new sewing techniques, plants used for dyeing cloth, stitching baskets with macramé cord and fabric strips, draping, pattern cutting, crochet patterns—anything! I read articles and watch video tutorials on YouTube, in textile magazines, and through online platforms. Some of my favorite resources are The Dressmaking Academy, University of Fashion, and PieceWork magazine.
I also love learning about the history and farming of natural fibers, and the process of turning them into thread and weaving them into cloth. One of my favorite books is The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook by Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius. This magnificent book profiles many producers of animal fibers and the journey from fleece to yarn.
(TSA) Are you actively collecting textiles? Please share something about this collection or about the process of collecting in general.
(HS) I love collecting quilting fabrics for small projects. I usually buy half-yard or one-yard cuts of color-coordinated fabrics for items like toiletry bags and pillowcases. I buy high-quality fabrics from two online family-run businesses: Connecting Threads and Hawthorne Supply. I especially like their linen, faux linen, chambray, faux tweed, cotton twill, flannel, and lawn. They also offer digitally printed fabrics, thread, patterns, books, and notions.
(TSA) How do you imagine that humanity might engage with textiles in the future? Or What are some lessons from the past that we might consider as we work with textiles today?
(HS) I believe that future textiles will incorporate electronic components woven into their fibers, capable of monitoring vital signs and protecting against extreme weather conditions. Designers and scientists have already developed such innovations, including Galvorn fiber, Liquid Crystal Polymer fiber, and 3D-printed textiles. In fact, I published an article on this subject in ROOM journal.
As for lessons from the past, I think we should embrace all handcrafts—like weaving, dyeing, and shoemaking. Schools could bring back home economics and teach students how to make things with their hands. It’s important to understand how things are constructed and how they work. I also believe there should be more trade schools to teach new generations practical skills, such as upholstery and home maintenance.
When I was in elementary school, I attended home economics classes every week. Girls would bring their embroidery, crochet, or knitting projects, while boys worked on wood, metal, or paper crafts.
Harikleia Sirmans is a Librarian at Valdosta State University, and the Dressmaker and Owner of Grecian Needle. She holds an MLIS, and she studied Pattern Cutting at London Centre for Fashion Studies. She has been sewing and embroidering for 37 years. She won the Valdosta’s Best Dressmaker award three times. She has published several textile and fiber arts-related articles in Piecework magazine website, ROOM: The Space Journal of Asgardia, and All Free Sewing. She also translated two Greek novels, and indexed four film books. She was born and raised on the island of North Evia, Greece. Today, she lives with her husband in Valdosta, Georgia. Sirmans has been a member of TSA since 2022.
Website: grecianneedle.com
