If you think embroidery is only for grandma’s little hoops and pillows, textile artist Catherine Marchenko is here to completely blow your mind. She is famous for traditional stitching and transforming it into ethereal, large-scale contemporary art. Her latest work, Nymphéas Beyond, is a complete showstopper—a huge, Monet-inspired water lily scene that looks more like a painting than a sewing project.
This is not your average embroidery. Measuring 110 x 280cm, the piece is sewn in framed tulle, giving it a floating, dreamlike quality. By mixing dozens of different yarns with various textures, he essentially invented “textile accents.” It’s a wonderful example of how textile artist Kathrin Marchenko uses yarn to mimic the fluid, messy beauty of an Impressionist masterpiece.
To get the right vibe, Marchenko didn’t just look at pictures. went into full immersion mode. He spent time in Claude Monet’s real garden and even planted a mini garden at home to be inspired by light and greenery. He spent weeks on it, starting with tiny, almost invisible stitches that slowly grew into a rich, heavy surface. For her, the best part is that slow transformation where the yarn finally starts to look like paint. It’s a patient, beautiful process that results in something truly magical!
Check out Nymphéas Beyond below and find more of Marchenko’s beautiful work Instagram.
