Harder than it seams
A passion born out of interest, churned out of perseverance and hard work, is what kept Sylvia Eirlyn going through the hours of embroidery work. From one thread to another, her detailed stitchwork is a charm on its own.
Detailed in characteristic with an intricate charm, the embroidery art of Eirlynowls speaks volumes of the hard work and numerous practises that Sylvia Eirlyn Andoh does.
Born and raised in Miri, the 25-year-old housewife is currently based in Negeri Sembilan, bringing her passion from one state to another.
Her hobby in the craft stemmed from the abundance of time she had during the recent pandemic Movement Control Order (MCO). “In 2019, my interest in this craft came from watching videos and browsing through photos on social media. I noticed that people abroad were avid embroiderers.”
“Initially, I did easier ones, such as flowers. And with the help of my parents, who are both weavers and knitters themselves, they taught me the basics to begin my embroidery journey. However, since I was still working at the time, I only had much time to practise during the MCO as I had quit my job then. In those months, I managed to learn the basics of embroidery,” she said.
Continuing her embroidery journey until today, Sylvia’s skills in the craft had improved immensely. However, even though she is a skilled embroiderer, she admitted that she still faces challenges when sewing alphabets onto the cloth. According to her, the lettering must be done finely and straightly.
As she is her own teacher, the crafter learned harder and newer techniques by watching the processes on various videos on Youtube and other websites. On September 12, 2020, she started her embroidery business, crafting for various occasions such as weddings, birthdays, newborns and others.
Sharing on her platforms, Facebook and Instagram, at @eirlynowls_threads, Sylvia said that she is now taking on five to eight embroidery projects a month. As she enjoys embroidery, Sylvia disclosed that once she starts a project, her mind can’t stop thinking about it until she is done. “It feels like I am addicted to doing this,” she chuckled.
She revealed her routine with the craft: “After I wake up in the morning and have taken my shower, I would begin my embroidery work up until lunch. After that, I would continue my work until dinner time. When I’m done with dinner, I will continue until almost midnight, or when my eyes are tired.”
Sylvia explained that she only takes Sundays off from embroidery work. And whenever she feels exhausted after a laborious project, she will take about two to three days off before starting the next one.
According to Sylvia, the hoop sizes vary, with the smallest being 10 centimetres and the biggest being 30 centimetres. It can take up to two weeks, depending on the complexity and size of the project. However, she revealed that there were times when she was stuck on the same commissioned project for almost a month because of the intricacy of the designs. “I remembered a piece as the fine details had made me grow tired of the craft as I kept pricking my fingers.”
Asked about the tools and materials she uses, Sylvia shared the basics, such as linen cloth, needles of different sizes, DMC thread, embroidery hoops, scissors and a frixion pen.
Being a professional embroiderer and having taken part in numerous art markets, Sylvia advised those who wanted to start the craft by learning how to do the basics, such as lines, then slowly shaping it into a flower.
“To start embroidering, one must first lock the cloth tightly onto the hoop to prevent it from loosening during the sewing process. Then, draw the patterns onto the cloth using a frixion pen and divide the DMC thread according to the design.”
To date, Sylvia’s craftwork is highly sought after in her current home, Negeri Sembilan, and even back home in Sarawak.
From receiving friends to strangers and families as her clients, the love and support shown by her customers is an encouragement that motivated her to learn harder techniques.
“Even when joining art markets in Miri, I get many clients who share their memories with me, as those from the olden days loved embroidery works sewn as decoration on clothes,” she added.
In the future, Sylvia hopes to be able to bring her brand name, Eirlynowls Resources, abroad. “After all the challenges that I have faced throughout my journey in embroidery, I hope I can remain steadfast for the sake of developing my business to a higher level.”
