Happy Friday! I had a lot of fun putting this week's newsletter together. Scroll down because egg vessels and stitching over stone await. And ICYMI, this glittery throne was the most-clicked link in the last Orts 5/5.
If you're in the Seattle area, come get crafty with me! I'm teaching an embroidery workshop at Make Apothecary in Bothell on September 21 from 1 PM to 3 PM. You can learn to stitch an axolotl patch using three basic embroidery stitches.
Crop art, egg vessels, and stitching on stones
✨ 5 creatively inspiring things
1️⃣ Two textile art pieces with one thing in common: they both feature impossibly tiny people in their compositions. Sandrine Torredemer used fabric, dye, and embroidery to recreate folks enjoying a rocky beach swim. Alejandra Oviedo went a more abstract route and created a large “mini world” featuring a collection of her favorite people, emotions, and treasured moments.
2️⃣ Are you familiar with crop art? It’s a technique that uses plants and seeds to create imagery. It’s incredible; it looks like beading but it’s all seeds! Maureen Sorensen has blown me away with her intricate artwork. This story by Minnesota Public Radio details her journey into crop art, including how she paints quinoa seeds to use in her work.
3️⃣ This summer, Holly Guertin completed a very impressive piece titled The Invitation, which features a pair of needle-felted sheep emerging from a backdrop of felted wool. It has the effect of a relief sculpture. Here’s a peek into the process.
4️⃣ Alice Fox’s series Clutch saw her creating 50 egg-sized vessels that do exactly that: hold an egg. She used various fiber art techniques to produce tiny baskets and protective casings for the eggs. It was done for an exhibition titled Making:50 that celebrated 50 years of the Textile Study Group.
5️⃣ Erick Medel uses a sewing machine as a tool for drawing and painting. The spectacular results, stitched on denim fabric, create a pastel drawing-like feel. They are portraits of an immigrant community inspired by Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood that’s outside his studio.
Thank you for reading Orts. If you enjoy my 5/5 format, you can get this in your inbox every week! It comes with 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 Embroider a tea towel with this kit designed by Lora Avedian. It’s inspired by the flowers she observed in a garden, and the kit includes everything you need to stitch over the pre-printed design. The image you’re adding stitches to has a lovely, Matisse-esque quality.
2️⃣ Watch how Arounna Khounnoraj, aka bookou, stitches over stones she and her family have collected at their beach cottage. Using the whipped spider wheel stitch, she creates a beautiful ribbed design over the top of the smooth surface.
3️⃣ This tutorial will show you how to create clay flower frogs to fit on recycled glass yogurt jars. All it takes is some air-dry clay and waterproof varnish, and you have a handy object for holding cut flowers or propagating plants.
4️⃣ Looking to update a sweater? This quick video shows a super easy transformation using yarn and a blanket stitch. It’s a good reminder that not all upcycles need to be super elaborate to make a big difference in a garment.
5️⃣ Embroider rolling green fields, fields of flowers, mountains, and more when you stitch the Abstract Green Fields pattern by Bloom and Floss. It uses a variety of techniques to create a dazzling array of textures.
Did you see my review of Magickal Cross-Stitch: 25 Witchy Projects to Enchant Your Home? It's a great way to ring in spooky season!
 |
$5.00 / month
Fill your Orts jar
Connect with even more crafty inspiration! Get a paid subscription to Orts and receive subscriber-only emails,... Read more |
Talk to you next week,
|
|
Sara Barnes
Embroidery illustrator and writer
|
