How I Stay Creative Outside of Painting

Growing up with fiber artists in the family helped me develop an interest in needlework. When I was younger I enjoyed doing cross-stitch, and then after college I got a job at a needlepoint shop here in Philadelphia, and I learned how to needlepoint as well as developed my interest in embroidery further. As an artist who loves to draw and paint I found myself drawn more to the art of embroidery. It is fun to create a design and use needle and thread to “paint” it on fabric.

I recently finished a sampler dedicated to my previous cat, Macy, who passed away 3 years ago and to my current cat, Lucy. I liked deciding on a layout and choosing which flowers would look best, and then digging through my thread stash to choose the colors and thread that would suit it best. I look forward to getting it framed and hanging it on my wall.

My current work in progress is a design by MadisonTeaseColors I found on Etsy. I loved the design of the witch and her cat, so I purchased it and started choosing threads to bring it to life. I look forward to finishing it, getting a pillow insert and having it ready to display in time for Halloween.

One of the reasons I keep coming back to embroidery is because I find it so meditative. If I don’t have the concentration or energy to paint I can pull out my embroidery and feel like I’m relaxing and creating something just for myself. It’s nice to have something to do while I watch tv or a movie as well. I have a bin in my studio full of assorted threads, patterns and fabric, and I look forward to creating more pieces I can enjoy in my home.

Embroidered Handkerchiefs...Anime Style!

For my most recent blog post I wrote about making vegan Katsudon, inspired by the show Yuri!!! On Ice. In one of the last photos of that post you may have noticed a handkerchief on the table with Yuuri's face on it. I decided for my last set of handkerchiefs (which I bought this past fall with the intention of stitching on) I wanted to stitch the main characters of this show. I stitched (starting from the right of the photo above) Yuuri, Victor, Yuri, and Makkachin, Victor's poodle.

I am happy with the way they all turned out. I tried a few different stitches, but stuck for the most part with DMC floss as the thread. I like DMC for its versatility. It works really well with a lot of different stitches, and there are a wide range of colors. I still have quite a stash of threads from my time at the needlepoint store, so I didn't have to purchase any new threads, which was a plus as well!

I have definitely enjoyed getting back into embroidery over the past few months. It has been a nice stress reliever, and I have enjoyed being able to incorporate them into my posts. I don't have a new project decided on, but I have a stash of projects waiting, so once the urge to start stitching again reappears I will be able to find a project very easily. I hope you enjoyed seeing these, and if you're inclined to figure out a way to incorporate a fandom or image you like into your own crafts, this is a great way to do it!

Embroidering Again

Crafts have always been around and were encouraged ever since I was a child. My family is full of creatives, whether it is art in the form of quilting, sewing, Watercolor painting, Craft painting, music, woodworking, or gardening, among so many others. It was not hard to find inspiration and encouragement when it came to expressing myself through art, no matter what medium I decided to try that day. 

I knew at a very young age that I found the most pleasure in drawing and painting, but I always enjoyed trying my hand at many of the other mediums, and that included embroidering and cross-stitch. 

After junior high, when I was more into cross-stitch, I didn't revisit stitching until 2010 when I started working at a local needlepoint shop here in Philadelphia. I worked there from 2010 until 2016. Working in retail has its struggles, but I did discover that I do still enjoy stitching, particularly embroidery. To me, embroidery is a very easy transition from painting. You are pretty much drawing and painting in thread. 

I haven't designed my own patterns yet, but I have worked from some I found in books or purchased transfer patterns for. 

Recently when I decided to start making food from my favorite anime I decided that I wanted to finally embroider some napkins. These will officially be used in a future blog post (you'll have to come back to see what recipe I feature them with), but I thought it would be fun to post these finished pieces here to show the other kinds of art I enjoy pursuing when I'm not painting and drawing on paper.

I got these patterns from a Japanese embroidery book I bought at Kinokuniya in NYC. It is by Yumiko Higuchi, whose website you can see here. These were quick and fun little projects, a couple of them taking only a couple hours to finish. I definitely plan on doing more projects from this book.  

Another project I finished a few weeks ago is one that I have been working on for over a year. I haven't spent a lot of time on it though, since I've been more preoccupied with painting, but when I finished the napkins I knew that I needed to finish this one before I start any other embroidery projects. 

This project is made from a Sublime Stitching design. I love Sublime Stitching's designs. They are all contemporary designs, and are great for encouraging younger stitchers to get into the craft. Definitely check out their website. There are lots of designs, many of which you can purchase PDFs of to download to your computer instead of purchasing the physical copy (if you don't want to wait for it to come in the mail to get started on your next project), and they even sell stitching supplies and threads too!  I can attest that their stitching accessories are super cute! 

I plan on getting a cute little frame to hang this up on my wall by the front door. It is the perfect entryway piece for my apartment.

When I purchased the pack of grey handkerchiefs I also purchased a pack of white ones too, and I have been debating what I want to stitch on them. I have another idea for a future recipe post that I may incorporate into this project....check back later to see what I come up with.

If you have any favorite embroiderers or pattern companies you like to use let me know! I am always interested in finding new inspiration for my crafting projects. :)