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

@thread.yarn.paper

www.clairevoelkel.com  ‍ ‍

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