Kindred Stitches: Exclusive Embroidery Pattern

The new issue of Kindred Stitches is now available and it features a hand embroidery pattern by yours truly!

Kindred Stitches is a new digital craft magazine available for download exclusively via the iTunes store for the iPad and iPhone. Because it is digital, it includes live links to this PDF pattern (and all the other projects featured therein), video tutorials, and places to shop for materials. I love how interactive and convenient that is. Just download the free Kindred Stitches app in the iTunes store and then choose a subscription or individual issues to purchase and download right to your iPhone or iPad.

I was thrilled to be asked to contribute to this, their second issue, and had a lot of fun drawing the "Vintage Bowls" pattern to coordinate with their "retro vintage" issue theme. It brings to life the retro lines and designs of mid-century kitchenware in a handy printable PDF that you can apply to a simple tea towel or any other embroidery project you have in mind. Also included in the magazine are step-by-step how-to photos for each stitch and a floss color guide so it is beginner and intermediate friendly. Feel free to stitch it up in the same colors I've used or customize it to match your own kitchen or a friends—the choice is up to you!

"Vintage Bowls" hand embroidery pattern WIP

This issue also includes an interview and gallery of my work—I'm flattered to have been asked by the lovely ladies at Kindred Stitches and really hope you all enjoy the magazine and my little contribution!

Karma Coming and Going

A big thank you to Cross Stitch Collection magazine for featuring some of my stitching in their May 2013 issue! It's such a treat to have ones work noticed and I am completely flattered. It's available on new stands now and online here.

 

You may have seen this already, but I wanted to pass it along just in case!

As some may know, I live just outside and work and attend school in the city of Boston which is on the road to recovering from the recent Boston Marathon bombings. It felt odd to be blogging about projects or my etsy shop during that time, but I can say I was glad to have something to keep my hands busy as we sat in the house during the lockdown. Hand work seriously is great therapy!

The entire week was one of uncertainty, but I have been really touched by all that our neighbors, strangers and friends alike, are doing to pull together and support one another in the face of such evil. I hate the way it has come about of course, but I'm so grateful for the slim silver lining I have found—being able to witness the way everyone has come together so unequivocally to support each other and the victims of this tragic event. Though I adore the landscape, climate, and history, our move from DC to this area a bit over three years ago left me struggling to adjust to the more private and straight-edged New England culture. Because of that, it has been meaningful to me in many ways to see these ostensible acts of neighborliness in the face of such tragic and awful events. It's here, it just lives below the surface, just waiting to bubble to the top....you may just have to look for it in different ways than you would in the midwest or south of the mason dixon line.

Long-winded story short I guess, that is just part of why I want to pass along the opportunity to contribute blocks (or material if you don't sew!) to the Boston Modern Quilt Guild to support their effort in donating quilts to those affected by the bombings. The deadline to submit is May 24th and you can find all the details here on their blog. I'm personally not a member since I have a crazy student/work schedule, but I definitely plan on sending in some blocks and hope you will too so we can keep passing along some of that much needed neighborliness to those in need!

The Needlecraft Style Directory

I'm pleased as punch to share with you this peek at Sarah Whittle's new book The Needlecraft Style Directory. Sarah is a UK embroidery artist, founder of the Hand Embroidery Network, and the lady behind ArtyThreads. This is her first book and I have to admit I'm especially pleased because some of my very own work is featured in it! I've been waiting and waiting for it to be released here in the states to get a look at it and was floored to see my photos and stitch work featured on several different glossy pages—such an honor, thank you Sarah!

The layout is clean and lovely and provides a thorough and practical overview of almost anything you can do with a needle and thread (or floss or crewel or felt). The first half is split up into sections, each one providing a stylistic and historical introduction to a different type of needlecraft with examples of what kind of results can be produced with that technique—each photo from some of the best contemporary practitioners of embroidery today. The second half of the book is an illustrated stitch dictionary that details how to accomplish each technique from basic hand quilting and felting to goldwork, bargello, hardanger, and couching. You name the needlecraft, it's covered here.

O hey, I think I recognize that stitching!

There are a lot of books providing basic embroidery stitch how-tos, but I haven't come across a contemporary compendium quite like this that takes you from freestyle line-based embroidery all the way to lace work, mountmellick, japanese darning, and hedebo techniques (are you drooling yet?!). I love that because I feel like a lot of the beautiful intricacies of different types of handwork have gotten a bit overlooked in our modern craft world where machine short cuts are valued over time well spent on handwork that is longer-lasting, more versatile, and (in my humble opinion) completely gorgeous and irreplaceable.

I always hear about craft books being for beginners and more advanced crafters and I have to say I think it's actually true in this case because it acts as a thorough entry point for beginners but also inspires more experienced stitchers with new ideas and ways of combining different techniques for a wider variety of project possibilities. It's an interesting presentation concept that gives you all the building blocks in one place which you can play with any way you see fit!

(here ends my LeVar Burton impression for today)

Press from Over the Pond!

So purdy, but I may be slightly biased...

I'm pleased as punch to have my hands on the newest volume (July/August 2012) of the UK edition of Brides Magazine from Condé Nast! It's my first time being printed in international press and it still seems a bit surreal, even though I've known about it for months now. They contacted me this past winter and I practically tripped over myself in a mad rush to ship a sample pair off in time to make the deadline!

I adore the page layout and colors, such a cheery bunch of lovely items to be included with! I had no idea what they had in mind so seeing it all come together and holding a printed copy in my own two hands is rather thrilling—plus, I had no idea they'd be on the first page of the article, double score!

 Eeks!

Well, that's enough of me tooting my own horn for one day, but I just had to share the news with you while it was hot off the press! I'll be returning from vacation soon with new posts and will be opening the shop back up with some new items next week!

When it Rains, It Pours

An embroidered pair of kid shoes I did recently for a birthday boy with his initials and the logo from his favorite cartoon.

Well, it is raining here. A lot. Usually I am a big fan of moody thunderstorm type days but I was wishing it would let up just for today as I was driving out to the Berkshires to see another museum for my class. It was incredibly beautiful out there as everything is decked out in the finest wardrobe of fall colors but the torrential downpour I was driving through did put somewhat of a damper on me getting any fabulous vistas to share with you. Drats, I've failed ye.

On the up side, not everything pouring in lately is wet and dreary though, thank goodness: perhaps there is something in the water, I'm not sure, but I was asked recently to do an interview for a feature on Little Wed Hen, a very lovely wedding inspiration website! I don't know where it's coming from all of a sudden (this just after my big magazine debut, omgoodness), but it's quite exciting for my little business and I'm flattered to be able to share it with you all! If you remember my own wedding and some of our handmade elements, then you will understand how much I love LWH's refreshing and meaningful approach to all things wedding without all the expectations—what an honor to be included on their site!

The Improper Bostonian

Remember the top-secret box that I sent off a couple weeks ago? Well, I can finally let the cat out of the bag...

Amidst the mad rush before our trip, I completed a pair of my embroidered chucks to be featured in the October 2011 weddings issue of the The Improper Bostonian! It's a regional glossy lifestyle magazine so if you're in the Boston area, you can pick one up for free on newsstands city wide or click on over to see the web feature that went live just before the weekend. My husband kindly raided a newsstand for me yesterday since I wouldn't be getting into the city until later this week and I'm tickled pink to see them in print.

I've got to say I am deeply flattered but also intimidated to know my shoes are on almost every corner in Boston right now. They have about a half million readership and this is my first ever non-blog press so it's difficult to gauge what the response will be. It really does feel like my designs and creations are my children—sending them out into the world and not really knowing how they will be received is a bit scary and exciting all at once.

The request came out of the blue and I was so frantic to get them done prior to the deadline for their photo shoot so that we could go on the trip without worrying about having missed such a big opportunity. It's definitely safe to say I was feeling stretched thin: I wasn't yet done with the chuppah and in the midst of writing my first paper for grad school (I recently found out I got an A on both papers I've written so far!). PHEW is all I can say! I am so glad that parts over with and now you know why I haven't been my usual bloggy self. Soon (I hope) my head will stop spinning as I really can't wait to have a day where I get to be still, enjoy the fall weather, and get some time in the studio.

extra extra! read all about it!

wedding fashion for the fellas

i'm thrilled to announce that i've been featured in an article on besthudsonvalleyweddingever.com! my first real press! the article is all about men's wedding fashions and shows off my embroidered converse shoes as one way to amp up the guy's look for the big day.

it was also nice to see that all of my fiance's outfit choices are mentioned in it from the smart suit and quirky tie to the customized boutineer....good to know we are on the right track! we're just 15 days away from leaving for Scotland (eeks!!!!!) now and we're scrambling to tie up loose ends here and there..fun details though, not too stressful. i'm finally getting really excited though after seeing our marriage visa all shiny and official looking in our passports! i also have my final dress fitting this week, we'll go to target to pick up some travel essentials, and then i can get busy packing our bags. i can't wait to be on that train traveling north through the highlands to our little ceremony site overlooking the sea:


and this my friends, is the bed and breakfast where we'll be staying! will have to watch out in case agatha christie's poirot stops by to solve a murder mystery...


i also can't wait to get back and share boatloads of photos with you! a photographer friend of mine who is very talented will be at our ceremony and then of course there's the rest of the trip to the lake district, yorkshire, and london....it's my first trip abroad so you better believe i'm going to be one slap-happy shutterbug!