The age-old art of hand-made embroidery may seem to be a fading trade – but local embroidery artist Sarah Muscat Azzopardi is very much determined to keep it alive, one perfectly-placed stitch at a time. And her new collection is proof of that.
Called Paradiso 2.0, the collection – launched under her brand The Secret Rose – includes a range of ready-to-purchase pieces featuring detailed yet simple embroidered illustrations, from cushions, aprons and tea towels to journals and coin purses, all of which are inspired by life on a sun-drenched island in the Med.
Featured in the collection is the Boathouse Apron with a hand-drawn illustration inspired by long, languid days spent by the sea.
“Many locals are fortunate enough to have (or know someone who has) a little boathouse, and these seaside getaways have long been a source of wonder and charm for me,” she writes.
From the Summer Laundry fringed cushion, which depicts a clothesline with swimwear swaying in the breeze to a coin purse with a visual inspired by balmy summer nights in Gozo, the collection is a perfect blend of dreamy, whimsical and nostalgic.
In tandem with the launch of Paradiso 2.0, Sarah shared “It’s long been a dream of mine to have a proper online shop for The Secret Rose, where I can not only offer bespoke and custom embroidery work, but a curated collection of products that reflect my personal style and aesthetic.”
“The website has been in the works for a while, and I’m so glad to finally be able to share it, and with it, the first batch of ready-to-purchase items under the sub-brand, Paradiso,” which, in her words, is “inspired by the rhythms of Mediterranean life.”
Photography: The Secret Rose
