This week, I’ve been enamored with artwork and illustrations where small elements make up a spectacular whole. On Tuesday, I shared the meticulous cut paper work of Margaret Scrinkl, who uses a combination of scissors and an X‑ACTO knife to achieve…
If you’ve ever tried embroidery, you know how methodical the practice is. It teaches patience; you’ve got to take it stitch by stitch, because there’s no great shortcuts when it comes to embroidering by hand. Embracing this fact is Slow…
When I first came upon the embroideries of Lauren Singleton, aka YesStitchYes, my immediate thought was, “They look painterly!” Her style, with elongated leaves and petals, remind me of graceful brush strokes rather than lines poked with a needle. Paired with…
In Philadelphia, there’s an exhibition at the Paradigm Gallery on embroidery and contemporary fabric work that’s a must see. Called Stitched: Part II, it features 16 artists who make use of these techniques in a variety of ways. Their individual imagery…
Bralettes are en vogue, and I am here for it. One of my favorite iterations of this trend is the embroidered bralette, which combines intricate stitching with delicate, sheer fabrics. Emily Parkinson of Birds & Beestings has an illustrative take on…
Danielle Clough goes beyond the embroidery hoop to create colorful stitches in unusual places. Using vintage rackets as her frame, she fills their plastic grids with flowers and succulents. They seemingly float on top of it, but are secured by a…
You can’t understate the importance of color—especially in art. It wields its power in all sorts of ways, from setting the mood to giving us important visual clues. Over the next several weeks, I’ll share a selection of illustration, paper…
Embroiderer Sam Eldridge stitches jungles, gardens, and floral bouquets on thrifted garments. The colorful creations breath new life into these second-hand pieces and give them a fresh feel by transforming them into one of a kind pieces. Her embroidered clothing…
Embroidering on tulle seems like a challenge. It’s more delicate than your traditional cotton—making it less forgiving than other fabrics. But when done well, the effect is mesmerizing. We’ve seen how tulle and flowers can frame the world in beautiful…
Whether you realize it or not, collaboration is inherent in embroidery. To begin, an embroidery artist will create a design and make it into a pattern for others to complete as they wish. Color choices, for instance, can change based on the…