About Ana Sumner

I bring the beauty of nature to life through fabric and thread, transforming flowers, trees, and ocean scenes into textured, colorful art. Each piece reflects my love of the outdoors and my passion for all things fibers.  

The Artistic Process

From the first brushstroke to the final bead, each piece of Sew Unique Art created by Ana Sumner is a labor of love. The intricate, multi-layered process can take several weeks or months, ensuring every detail is unique.

This artistic journey involves:
  • The background: Building a luminous canvas with hand-painted fabrics.
  • The subject: Developing texture and form through a mix of free-motion machine drawing, hand embroidery, hand appliqué, and felting.
  • The final details: Bringing each artwork to life with the rich dimension of silk ribbon embroidery, specialty threads, and sparkling beadwork.

The Artist

Ana Sumner is a mixed-media fiber artist recognized for her richly textured creations that celebrate the beauty and resilience of nature. Blending fiber and paint, she transforms landscapes—from towering trees and delicate flowers to ocean vistas—into dimensional works that capture the enduring spirit of life.

Her artistic journey began in her mid-forties, when a Crazy Quilt workshop inspired her to “create from imagination,” sparking the development of her distinctive mixed-media style. Ana’s labor-intensive process combines painted fabric backgrounds with intricate hand stitching, silk ribbon embroidery, felting, beading, and other fiber and painting techniques to achieve exceptional depth and realism.

Since founding Sew Unique Art in 2007, Ana has exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Houston Quilt Festival and galleries and festivals in North Carolina, Illinois, and Missouri. Her work has earned multiple honors, such as “Best of Mixed Media” at the Edwardsville Art Fair, IL (2021 & 2022) and a Fine Craft Award at the 2025 Historic Shaw Art Festival in St Louis, MO. She has been featured in Embroidery Guild of America Magazine, appeared on Quilting Arts TV on PBS, and graced the cover of Quilting Arts Magazine (Spring 2021).

Ana continues to exhibit at Green Door Art Gallery in Webster Groves, MO, teaches silk ribbon embroidery, and creates art from her home studio in Edwardsville, IL.

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