My journey into artistic practice started in the streets of NYC with a roll of film, a developing tank, and the camera I inherited from my father. Moving to Germany, I embraced family life, and my practice shifted to textiles and creating comforting objects for the people I love. Instead of film, thread has become my medium for documenting my inner and outer world.
As in photography, my focus is on the analog process- making things by hand, slowly, with thoughtfulness and deliberateness. I relish the imperfections that reveal the hand of the maker. I am inspired by stories waiting to be told, messages to be shared, or everyday moments ready to be interpreted through stitch.
Mindful of the fragility of the world we live in, my work also has a conscious focus on sustainable, repurposed materials. It is a privilege to work with textiles whose weave is already infused with the stories and adventures of the lives they have helped live. Working with sentimental fabrics, whether it's my late father’s clothes, my children’s socks, or even my husband’s old diapers, adds an extra layer of textile storytelling and meaning to my work.
Committed to the creative process, I often take on weekly projects and set parameters for myself to encourage creative practice, no matter the outcome. I believe my superpower is being a thoughtful gift giver- I enjoy making things with someone else in mind, or tiny offerings to be shared with others.
Artist CV
Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir
b. Wisconsin, USA 1976
lives & works in a village in southern Germany
Education
2024 Quiltmaking with Heidi Parkes
2022-2024 Soothing Stitch Circle with Ekta Kaul
2004 Master of Science in Education
1998 Bachelor of Arts
Selected Juried Exhibitions
2026 The 16th International Textile and Fibre Art Biennial “Scythia”, Ivano-Frankivs’k, Ukraine
2025 SAQA International Exhibition: AI Artistic Interpretations
2025 Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts Soft Magic- invited as student of Heidi Parkes
2025 Threaded Paths: Global Stories in Thread
2024 The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show
2024 International Quilt & Fiber Arts Festival, Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum
Profiles
Spotlight: Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir, Textile Artist by Create Whimsy, October 2025
Quiltmaking with Heidi Parkes, Student Presentations: Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir by Heidi Parkes, September 20, 2025
Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir, Domestic Documentarian by Needlexchange Podcast, August 10, 2025
Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir, Domestic Documentary Part 2 by Needlexchange Podcast, August 17, 2025
Workshops
Making Zen May 4-8, 2026 Wishing Houses, Tiny Stitched Homes, A Stitched Alphabet