recent work

Do you know your stars?

I've been collecting lots of images and not posting. I've gotten out of the habit, and am trying to get back into it. I think part of it is that I used to diligently upload images to flickr and then post here, but the new flickr sucks. I hate how it looks and it's difficult to navigate, so I totally stopped using it. I'm wondering what you guys do- collect images on hard drives, print them out?

Here's some work I've made as weddings gifts and the VI is a baby piece. The stars were gifted to a wedding party in France! Each one got a custom note typed out by hand. The hearts are wedding presents too. I love seeing my work all done, but damn my arm is hurting. No joke!

an embroidered family history

I recently had the pleasure of adding some hand embroidery to a very special family heirloom. This baptismal gown, dating from the 1950s in France, is shared with family members when they baptize their children. Then the child's name and birth date is embroidered onto the gauzy slip. I added a few of these names with the most delicate hand I could.

I don't usually take on these types of projects because of the logistical difficulties, but this beautiful piece called to me. I love the story of this gown, an embroidered family history.

You know I'm a sucker for a good vintage piece too! Really enjoyed photographing it. Here are a few behind the scenes and details of this gorgeous gown. The details are amazing!

Does your family have any heirlooms that have been passed down through the generations?

New Year, New Online Class with Craftsy

Happy, Happy New Year!! I hope you had an amazing holiday & New Years. I'm in California soaking in the sun and warmth of the west coast and spending all the time I can with my family and friends until I go back to the cold of NY.

I'm very excited to kick off the new year with a big project I've been working on behind the scenes for awhile now. Today I get to announce....drum roll please: I've filmed an online class with Craftsy called, Design it, Stitch it: Hand Embroidery!!

People have always asked me if I had online videos on how to do stitches, and now, I do! So happy that you can now take a very in-depth embroidery class with me anytime, anywhere, and in your pjs if you wanted!

In the class I teach you over 25 stitches, different transfer methods, how to stitch on tricky fabrics, and my favorite, designing your own patterns. We stitch a few projects together a sampler of all the stitches and a beautiful customizable shirt and you also get some bonus patterns.

To celebrate the launch I'm giving away one free class subscription. All you have to do is sign up for Craftsy here. If you already have a Craftsy account you can use the same link and just log in to your existing account to be entered. (If any trouble seeing the giveaway page try using Firefox.) I'll announce and email the winner Jan. 14th.

 

If you've ever wanted to learn to embroider, refresh your skills or pick up a new hobby for the new year this class would be perfect! I hope you'll check it out & don't forget to enter to win the class for free!

Free workshops at Renegade Brooklyn!!

Hello Brooklyn!

I'm teaming up with Kollabora at Renegade Brooklyn to offer you some Free Embroidery Workshops this weekend. Hell yeah!

Come check out all the amazing sellers and then head over to the Kollabora booth for some hands-on making. I'll be leading workshops at 1 & 4 pm. We'll be making super easy, fast and fun projects that can be personalized and, did I mention free?

What: Free Embroidery Workshops

Where: Kollabora tent at Renegade Brooklyn // East River State Park // N. 8th St. and Kent Ave.

When: June 22 & 23, workshops at 1 & 4 pm

Why: because making stuff is fun & you're awesome!

Will you be heading out to Renegade? Come say hello!

p.s all these embroideries are projects found in Stitched Gifts.

Lets go to Nepal....

Today Design*Sponge is sharing the third installment of my Embroidery 101 series, a Nepali Tiger satin stitch project. This pattern comes straight from Nepal from a once in a lifetime trip a few years back. I thought it would be fun to share a little of the adventure and the background story of the pattern.

We set out on a short hike to Swayambhunath, a monkey temple, weaving our way through an open field and then small homes with open doors, across a small bridge over a trash filled river with the carcass of a giant boar. We followed a dirt path and soon came to road where kids were playing and vendors had stands and small restaurants lined the dirt street. At the base of the temple there was an elaborate, colorful archway and monkeys were running around everywhere. In India we had learned not to hold bags or any items loose in our hands with monkeys around because they will run up and steal it hoping there is food inside.

We met a very streetwise, smart, charming kid who was about 10 who spoke perfect english. He and his chubby silent friend were curious about us, wanted to be friends and really wanted us to buy them lunch, which naturally we did! We walked up very steep, narrow steps to the temple, which were lined with vendors declaring that "Looking is free" and I met a man selling  punch needle embroidery tools.

The young boy was now my interpreter and guide explaining to me what the man was saying. He explained how to use the handmade punch needle, how he transfered patterns, and showed me all the many patterns he had made. I bought a few sets and this project with D*S is the very first time I've used the patterns. I've been meaning to for-ev-er, and I'm so glad that I get to share it on D*S.

Each pattern is made from hundreds of small pin pricks on a waxed paper. He demonstrated how gasoline mixed with powdered pigment is rubbed over the pattern on top of the fabric leaving a doted pattern behind. It was bizarre to see gasoline used so casually on fabric.

He was a fast and skilled maker. He tried to show me a few times how to use the punch needle and I couldn't figure it out. Very impressive to see a master craftsman using tools he made himself.

I love reminiscing a bit here. I really wish I could go back to Nepal and India. Would you like to see more travel pictures and more stories? I have over 200 gigs of images and no shortage of enthusiasm for this trip!!

Embroidery 101 with Design*Sponge

I'm so honored and proud to be a guest contributor to Design*Sponge for an Embroidery 101 series of how-to and projects. For the first post, which went up yesterday, I used the running stitch to create an Ombre Summer Scarf. It's a super easy stitch that's incredibly useful and beautiful. The scarf itself (and I know I'm totally biased, but it's true) is lovely and warm and my new favorite. I love the subtle gradation of colors and how the two sides contrast and compliment the ombre effect. Go check it out!

 

Easter Egg Embroidery Pattern For You...

Happy early Easter my friends!

Here, just for you, is an eggcelent eggbroidery pattern freebie. Ok, silly pun time over. T

hese little guys are super fun and easy to make. You can use the pre-drawn patterns or go crazy making your own on the blank eggs. So simple you can stitch them up with your kids or even just print them out to use as a coloring page. I filled them with fiber fill, so they can be little pin cushions or fill them with lavender for a beautiful little egg sachet.

You can find the pattern here. If you make these you MUST share with me on zee facebooks or flickr. Or else! (Insert non-threatening fist shaking and tough face here.)

I printed the pattern on linen fabric, which I teach how to do in my book Stitched Gifts, but you can also transfer the pattern with water soluble pen or an iron transfer pen/pencil. After stitching I sandwiched two pieces of fabric together (I used a blank egg pattern) and did a simple backstitch around the egg shape, leaving about an inch open to fill the egg. I stuffed my little eggs with the blunt end of a paint brush to get a nice rounded shape, and then sealed them up with the back stitch. Simple & fun!

Enjoy you little eggs & let me know how it goes!!

Inspired by: Candace Hicks

Never enough time, right? I just couldn't fathom the time it took Candace Hicks to make these stitched composition books I checked out at the Center for Book Arts last week. Candace gave an artist talk and I was impressed by her painstaking work and punny, self-deprecating humor.

Every line of the canvas pages, every letter and the covers are all stitched by hand. She has a full time job, a kid, and reads A LOT. All the stitched books are basically about the books she reads. Her stitched composition books document the coincidences she finds in her readings from one book to the next, like new words or an odd phrase that repeats like, "stuffed mountain lion" or "black currant lozenge".

Some of the books are massive, like 2 x 3'. Turning the pages is like exploring a game, because each has some new element to investigate; zippers revealing the back of a page, folds, pockets and of course the text itself.

If you're in NY you should go see/touch/read these fabric books!

Here are some vine videos I took to give you a sense of what flipping through the pages is like...

Etsy Holiday Shop: Embroidered Card Workshop Pt. 2

Etsy in real life + Me!!
Teaching at the Etsy Holiday Shop was a blast.  The shop was insanely cool. No nook was left un-bannered, glittered, decorated and untherwise, Etsyified. There were people letter pressing on the spot, drawing your portrait, creating one of a kind jewelry right in front of you, artists creating all day in the storefront window, workshops all throughout the day, AND music in the evening. I even got to attend The Moth at the shop!

Oh, and did I mention there was a swing? I took it for a spin after my day as a featured artist in the window. Read about it here.

My workshop, Embroidered Cards & Gift Tags, came straight from the pages of Stitched Gifts.  People stitched holiday cards with laurel wreaths and snowflakes.  Some went rouge with hot air ballons and one girl even embellished her backback with embroidery thread.

Definitely get a creative high from teaching, love meeting new people, seeing what they make and sharing my love of making with them.....

They did really good huh?

Thanks to all who came out! & Thanks Etsy! It was such a great time & I'm so honored to have been involved with such a rad project. THANK YOU!!