ARTIST INFO

HOMEBODY TEXTILES
Sarah and Emily Parkinson

TEXTILES | Naturally dyed and screen printed textiles

Penland Affiliation | 2022 Penland instructors, 2020 Penland Studio Assistant (EP), former Penland staff (SP)

Artist Bio | Emily and Sarah Parkinson, the co-founders of Homebody Textiles are color lovers and pattern aficionados through and through. Em has a degree in fashion, a closet full of mustard clothes, and a kitchen full of silver serviceware. Sarah has a background in environmental sustainability, a flock of hens, and lots of mud on her hiking boots. They both learned to sew sometime in elementary school thanks to their mom’s capable hands and have been working with textiles in some way or other ever since.

Homebody started as whispers and what-ifs that slowly crystallized into something more. Inspired by the rich palette of natural dyes, asymmetry, and the quiet elegance of household objects, they sketched and tossed around ideas. In the fall of 2019, Em and Sarah designed their first collection on the cobalt-blue porch of a little farmhouse in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

There’s a lot they love about this collaboration, but the best part is just that—collaboration. Homebody is the two of them, their materials, their designs and processes, and all of you. It’s so much more than the sum of its parts.

Artist Statement | Our pieces are everyday celebrations—of creative minds, our vibrant natural world, and the magic they spark when they work in concert. Each one brings together modern design with centuries-old dye wisdom and printing techniques. The results are timeless and fresh, intentional and unexpected.

We’re a small studio with a big heart. Everything we make at Homebody starts as blank fabric and pencil sketches, transformed one step at a time by our four hands. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we’re serious about making the most exquisite pieces we can in the most thoughtful way we know how. For us, the name Homebody speaks to an intimate place of care and connection. Our dearest hope is that our textiles find their way into your homes—however you define them—and allow you to feel just a little more at ease, a little more inspired, a little more you.