Hello again! I’ve been gone for the last couple of weeks, some of which was spent in Minneapolis producing ICON12 The Illustration Conference.
I was the Board President for this conference, and after two years of work, it all came together! It was a deeply satisfying—and fun experience—but I am glad to be back and focused on Orts and my embroidery.
So, without further ado, let's get to 5/5: five creatively inspiring things and five ways to DIY.
Craft your own cat tarot
✨ 5 creatively inspiring things
1️⃣ I love Chappell Roan. If you do too, check out this impossibly tiny recreation of her album cover, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. It was done using friendship bracelet stitches.
2️⃣ It’s a brat summer, of course, but it’s also a bass summer! Knotted Neon crocheted a Billy the Bass purse that's complete with a three-dimensional fish mounted on a crocheted plaque.
3️⃣ I enjoy a subset of embroidery that I call cartooning in thread. Animated cartoons are often so exacting; embroidery can be, but it’s a challenge. Artist Peter Frederiksen creates cartoon-aesthetic embroideries that are seemingly snapshots of animated scenes; you can feel as though they’re a moment frozen in time. This one is impressive in its unusual format and by being an image you can practically hear.
4️⃣ Here’s a series I’m watching: artist Josh Gluckstein is making a cardboard coral reef. Part seven in his process video series shows him using the material to create a hawksbill sea turtle and affixing it to this eight-foot-tall sculpture.
5️⃣ I used to paint a lot, and I was always attracted to the evidence of hand in a painting. And by that, I mean how you can see brush strokes and imperfections within the piece itself. One reason I love Julia Carol’s embroidery is that it gives me this same feeling—as if I am looking at a painting. I realize this sounds a bit silly; hand embroidery is all about the hand! But Julia’s distinctive way of angling her stitch lines reminds me of a painter making careful but deliberate brush strokes. Just look at the vase!
Thank you for reading Orts. If you enjoy my 5/5 format, consider a paid subscription! As a paid subscriber, you’ll receive this email each week plus quarterly subscriber-only exclusives like a tutorial, pattern, special interview, or something else. (Think of it like Orts Labs.) You'll also receive access to my full archive and paid subscriber-only posts.
🪡 5 ways to DIY
1️⃣ Stitch a deck cat tarot cards with patterns by Emma of Indoor Cat Studio. Which one will you stitch first?
2️⃣ I have too many tote bags! I always appreciate DIYs that help you upcycle what you already have. Here’s a great idea for beaded embroidery on a tote bag with side-stitched handles. I like how the lemon peeks out of the stitching, and the beading adds a bit of fun and fancy.
3️⃣ This crochet bag pattern is perfect for the summer! The strawberry crossbody bag is for anyone who considers themselves an intermediate-level crocheter. It has a cinch that’s completed (and covered by) a strawberry top. Get the PDF pattern from Booke’s Imaginings.
4️⃣ Needle felt the forest floor with this new kit from Amy Reader. It contains everything you need to create a collection of Chicken of the Woods-inspired mushrooms. (Learn more about her forest artwork in an interview we did earlier this year!)
5️⃣ Produce a “Poppet Pouch” with this PDF sewing pattern. It features three square sizes that fit neatly inside one another. In terms of skill level, you’ll need some sewing experience involving curves and applying binding around the curves.
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Talk to you next week,
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Sara Barnes
Embroidery illustrator and writer
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