I've been itching to try some new textile pursuits lately. I didn't get around to any knitting this winter and my sewing machine sees more dust than action. I love paper and tape and crafting pretty mail and daily drawing but it's feeling a bit rote at the moment.
But you know what is tempting me? Embroidery!
There's so much interesting stitchery going on in the embroidery world. Textile art. Adorable patterns. And how fabulous is that embroidery sampler above? Designed by Karen Barbé, a Chilean textile designer, who's also behind this sampler. Wouldn't you love to attend one of her embroidery workshops? But since my schedule doesn't seem to include a crafty adventure to Santiago (and the last time I was there, Chile and I didn't leave on the best of terms!), luckily there is so much wonderful stitchy inspiration to be found online...
Inspiration like Cate Anevski's Ice Cream Face patterns. Be still my adorable ice cream loving heart! You can buy this pattern in her Etsy shop.
Or Liz Payne's vibrant art featuring bold painted colour and modern stitches. I follow Liz on Instagram and her progress photos are always inspiring.
More work from Karen - this time needle weaving! Needle Weaving! I know, I was pretty excited about it too. And look at those little tongues of colour. So fun!
And I'm quite enamoured with the idea of stitching on top of printed fabric. This flower spotted over on Radish Blossoms is gorgeous!
So, where to start? I signed myself up for Carina's Mini Embellishment Club - a weekly mini embroidery pattern to stitch. It's a fairly small investment - both time and money-wise - and I think it's a great starting point. Carina literally wrote the book on stitching flowers after all. Learn a few new skills, polish up some old ones while discovering if this is something I love doing as much as I love admiring!
What crafts or materials are inspiring you lately?
