Embroidered Tennis Rackets Put a New Spin on a Classic Craft

Artist Danielle Clough has created colorful embroidered renditions of everything from emojis to Wookiees. Now, she’s serving up a new series of vibrant works: embroidered tennis rackets.

In her "What a Racket" series, she experiments as much with form as she does with content, using the strings of the vintage rackets as her canvas. Covered with colorful flowers, the rackets put a new spin on traditional floral imagery.

“A friend showed me a racket with a simple heart woven in the center and I just had the 'If I can figure out how to embroider into that, it's going to make my day' feeling. It was just a thought I couldn't shake. So, I went on the hunt for an old racket and figured it out,” Clough told mental_floss. “There are a few shortcuts I could take but I prefer to sew directly onto the racket. It's more challenging that way and obviously more limiting than fabric (as basically most of the surface is air. Ideal for breathing, but not for stitches). But I feel more rewarded by the outcome that way.”

Check out more of Clough's work here.

[h/t: Colossal]

All Photos Courtesy of Danielle Clough