Modern Embroidery

Since another World Embroidery Day is just around the corner, I updated this 2018 post and added more information about the embroidery artists and what they’ve been up to lately. Also, since it is World Embroidery Day, I listed what countries they are from and/or living in.
—S

In honor of the upcoming World Embroidery Day (July 30), here are 18 modern embroidery art pieces and patterns!

travel embroidery by Le Kadre — Via My Modern Met.

1. Travel memories.

Charles Henry and Elin Petronella ~~(a.k.a. “Le Kadre”)~~ embroider scenes from places they travel.

Artists: Charles Henry and Elin Petronella

Countries: France and Sweden

Currently…

Still together, but no longer going by Le Kadre, the artistic couple’s new website is simply charlesandelin.com.
They’ve also created the Charles and Elin Academy, where they offer online courses in modern hand embroidery.

Little leaf embroidery — By Brannon Addison via Brown Paper Bag.

2. Intricate blooms.

Brannon Addison of Happy Cactus Designs does spontaneous freehand embroidery of tiny flowers, leaves, and ferns. Doesn’t this piece just look so joyful?! (h/t Brown Paper Bag)

Artist: Brannon Addison

Country: USA

Currently…

Happy Cactus Designs is her line of framed, one-of-a-kind pieces that she has embroidered by hand.
High quality photos of some of her work become the front of cheerful, blank greeting cards.

3. Geometric heart.

Busy Being Jennifer explains how to sew your own “geo style” embroidery art, like the heart she made.

Artist: Jennifer Jayne

Country: Canada

Currently…

Jennifer continues to write about DIY and craft projects, food, health, and a variety of other topics.
She recently posted about what to see during a romantic weekend in Verona, Italy!

Solar system embroidery — By Alice Mitev.

4. Solar system on a string.

Alice of Cut and Rum created this fanciful piece that shows the planets on cat’s cradle strings. She teaches hand embroidery classes on Skillshare.

Artist: Alice Mitev

Countries: from Brazil, living in Germany

Currently… Her Instagram bio includes a link to get 2 free months of Skillshare Premium!

5. Artist trading cards.

iHanna made these sunny embroidered artist trading cards on fabric with painted backgrounds.

Artist: Hanna Andersson

Country: Sweden

Currently…

Hanna created her first short film! It’s called “Winter.”
Other media she has been exploring recently include watercolor, collage, and art journalling.
She continues to share her latest projects on her site, Studio iHanna.

Coffee photo with embroidery. Original listing was at https://www.etsy.com/listing/578242120/you-had-me-at-coffee-coffee-lover-latte — By Emily Lewin Bose.

6. Coffee

Emily Lewin, whose travel photography we featured in a previous post, uses embroidery to embellish her photos with subjects ranging from landscapes to latte art.

Artist: Emily Lewin Bose

Country: USA

Currently…

She got married! Search “Emily Bose” to find her on social media.
While she’s no longer selling on Etsy, you can find links to her book, past podcast episodes, and other projects at EmilyLewin.com.

fable applique - chicken — By MICAO via Brown Paper Bag.

7. Fabled.

Another find via Brown Paper Bag were these fanciful embroidered interpretations of Aesop’s Fables by Mika Hirasa (also known as MICAO).

Artist: Mika Hirasa / MICAO

Country: Japan

Currently…

You can see MICAO’s latest projects on Behance.
She has started writing and illustrating children’s books!
The first book she published, Boring Sunday, uses embroidery in an inventive way that is also key to the story.

8. Stitched paintings.

Marna Lunt used stitches like brushstrokes to create her detailed, one-of-a-kind works.

Artist: Marna Lunt

Country: U.K. (northeast England)

Currently…

Marna Lunt’s focus now is oil painting, often inspired by the North Yorkshire moors where she grew up.
She no longer does embroidery or makes textile art.

Embroidered map. Original image source: http://www.bryningart.co.uk/photo_14379993.html — By Mary Bryning.

9. Embroidered maps.

Mary Bryning makes embroidered maps of places, primarily near her home in northwestern England.

Artist: Mary Bryning

Country: U.K. (Wirral Peninsula)

Currently… She continues creating fiber art maps and nature-inspired pieces.

10. Pineapples.

These pineapples were stitched by Yumiko Higuchi, with help from her cat, Bona. To see more of Bona on Instagram, check out hashtag #樋口ボナ or #BonaHiguchi.

Artist: Yumiko Higuchi

Country: Japan (Tokyo)

Currently…

Yumiko Higuchi’s latest book is Embroidery in Everyday Life. (It’s in Japanese with an English translation is in progress.)
Several of her other books have been translated into English, as well as some into Korean, French, and German.

ASL I love you pattern — By Jess Coppom.

11. I love you.

Make + Do Crew offers this embroidery pattern of the ASL sign for “I love you” free to subscribers of their email list.

Artist: Jess Coppom

Country: USA (Colorado)

Currently…

The Make + Do Crew is made up of Jess Coppom, along with her mother and sisters.
Although this is an embroidery design, their focus is on creating crochet patterns that are easy to follow and make cozy items.

12. Donutotoros!

Phoenix artist IggyStarpup whipped up a dozen donut-shaped Totoros!

Artist: IggyStarpup / Courtney Doom

Country: USA (Arizona)

Currently…

Courtney Doom recently created a new Animal Crossing Collection.
She carries more of her embroidery art, stickers, and pins in her Etsy shop.

Stitched mountain postcard. Original listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/254842341/mountain-scene-postcard-embroidered — By Alicia Hubbell.

13. Mountain scene postcard.

GrannyAbell upcycles paper grocery bags into postcards with designs embroidered onto them. There’s white cardstock on the back, so your writing will show up clearly!

Artist: Alicia Hubbell (F.K.A. Granny Abell)

Country: USA (from Navajo Nation, living in Illinois)

Currently… Now Alicia Hubbell sells her embroidery, paper, and bead art as Loveabell Studio.

14. Fox.

Helen Richman of The Bluebird Embroidery Company creates original embroidery of lovely, realistic-looking forest animals.

Artist: Helen Richman

Country: U.K. (Somerset, England)

Currently…

In addition to her original embroidered artwork, she sells embroidery kits, greeting cards and prints of her original designs.
She also takes commissions for pet portraits and other subjects.

15. Winged heart.

Constanza created this puffy heart with couched embroidery, ribbon, fibers – and two days’ work.

Artist: Constanza Berger Silva

Countries: Chile / USA / England

Currently… Constanza Berger sells her art, as well as vintage and antique items in her Etsy shop, Peregrine Blue.

16. Swallow galaxy.

There’s a magical quality to this swallow with a tail of stars trailing behind it by Juno Embroidery.

Artist: juno (ユノ)

Country: Japan

Currently…

Earlier this summer, her embroidery art was on display at Hyakuchomori, a children’s book and toy store in Shizuoka, Japan.
She created the poster art for ArtMACHI creators’ conference for 2024, Year of the Dragon.

17. Tiny feather necklaces.

These cute little embroidery hoops by Jenny Vantland might get lost on your wall, but they’re a great size for necklaces!

Artist: Jenny Vantland

Country: USA (coastal Georgia)

Currently…

Jenny Vantland’s personal Instagram (where these necklaces were featured) is now private.
You can follow Goldie, her new brand of embroidered caps celebrating the Golden Isles of Georgia.
To purchase one, DM her via @goldie.merch on Instagram.
In person, you can find her merch at Viola’s Market on St. Simons Island or Makers in Brunswick, Georgia.

we're all human. Original source link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/622540221/were-all-human-pdf-embroidery-pattern-by — By Sarah K. Benning.

18. We’re all human.

Sarah K. Benning designed this pattern with a simple and powerful message. ~~It’s available for purchase, and~~ all proceeds go to RAICES Texas.

Artist: Sarah K. Benning

Country: USA (Maryland)

Currently…

…Donations

This pattern is not online anymore.
You can still donate directly to RAICES to support their work advocating for immigrants and refugees.

…Sarah K. Benning

Sarah K. Benning is taking a break from Etsy and no longer creates or sells DIY embroidery patterns.
You can find her stunning embroidery artwork on her site and at Apartment 528.
She’s the subject of an entire book! Embroidered Life: The Art of Sarah K. Benning by Sara Barnes.

…Sara Barnes

Besides authoring Embroidered Life, Sara Barnes writes about great illustration (which often includes embroidery) on her site, Brown Paper Bag.
Her site is where I learned about two of the artists I featured above, Brannon Addison (#2) and MICAO (#7). (So we’ve kind of come full circle!)

Updated July 2024.
Originally posted July 2018.

Etsy links shops have been converted to affiliate links. Etsy purchases you make after clicking them earns a small commission that helps this site without costing you anything extra!

November 8, 2017September 3, 2024

DIY Día de los Muertos

Large tissue paper flower arch at Dia de los Muertos celebration in Mesa

Decorating sugar skulls at CraftHack this time last year prompted me to learn more about Día de los Muertos and the handmade elements of this tradition.

All Souls altar at MSA Annex — Community altar in Tucson.

“Day of the Dead, or Día de los muertos, is a time for commemorating the dead, celebrating with family— both living and dead—and appreciating the cycle of life and death.”

– National Museum of the American Indian

When you lose someone you love, they don’t stop being part of your life. They remain in your heart and your memories. There’s something beautiful about recognizing and honoring this presence.

Día de los muertos ofrenda — A Day of the Dead Altar via Elba Valverde.

La Ofrenda / Altar

One way to do this is by making a small altar (ofrenda) for the October 31 – November 2 celebration.

“Making a Day of the Dead Altar is about memories and traditions and the most important part is that you enjoy the process … add [your] own special touches … add the four elements, water, wind, earth and fire in some way, the picture of your beloved one, food, flowers and candles.”

–Elba Valverde

pumpkin shell ofrendas — Pumpkin shell ofrendas via Kathy Cano-Murillo, the Crafty Chica.

These altars can take many forms. Crafty Chica Kathy Cano-Murillo has even created ofrendas inside foam pumpkins!

sugar skull quilts by Amy Loh-Kupser / i-stitch.com — Sugar skull quilts by Amy Loh-Kupser / i-stitch.com that I spotted at The Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival.

Calaveras / Skulls

“The calavera is an important symbol in Mexican culture, representing ancestors and the celebration of the continuity of life through generations.”

–Kathy Cano-Murillo

Decorating Sugar Skulls

Colorfully decorated sugar skulls are probably the most iconic element in Day of the Dead celebrations. You can purchase blank sugar skulls that are ready for you to personalize. Or you can use a mold to make your own from sugar, white chocolate, or (if you’re not going to eat them) plaster of Paris!

plaster dia de los muertos decorations by the crafty chica — Plaster of Paris Sugar Skulls via Kathy Cano-Murillo.

When we did them at CraftHack, our friend Shanlyn led the demonstration. She brought in plain white sugar skulls she had made at home and showed us how to decorate them with frosting, sprinkles, and sanding sugar.

Sugar skull project at CraftHack — Shanlyn’s sugar skull demo at CraftHack.

I covered mine in slightly sparkly black sugar to give it a different look. Then I added flower sprinkles on top to give it a Frida Kahlo-esque headpiece. It didn’t come out perfectly, but it I had fun trying it out!

Sugar Skulls in Other Craft Projects

The sugar skull motif pops up all over the place – especially this time of year! A few crafty examples…

Sugar skull embroidery by Happy Sew Lucky. — Via Berene Campbell.

Embroidery – Berene Campbell (Happy Sew Lucky) created this cute pattern that features a sugar skull with scissors behind it, like a crafters’ pirate flag!

Sugar Skull printable via Live Colorful — Via Elba Valverde.

Cupcake toppers – This design is one of the free printables Elba Valverde offers on her site, Live Colorful!

Skull necklace by Vesna Taneva-Miller — Project and photo by Vesna Taneva-Miller.

Necklace – After Vesna Taneva-Miller visited Mexico City, she was inspired to create this Día de los Muertos necklace from a necklace chain, beads, and sari silk.

Tip: If you don’t have a skull bead on hand, you can make your own with polymer clay!

Skull coloring page — Original image by Emily Mathews, modified by Artsashina for Super Coloring. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Coloring pages to print off or color online.

Terra cotta pots decorated like sugar skulls! — Calavera planters via Creative Kismet.

Day of the Dead Planters – Regina Lord painted terra cotta pots to look like sugar skulls and then planted succulents in them. The tutorial is at Creative Kismet.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Berene (@happysewlucky)

Quilt – Berene Campbell also made this awesome Sugar Skull Quilt using a variety of appliqué techniques!

Papel Picado / Punched Paper

“Delicately decorated tissue paper represents wind and the fragility of life.”

– Karen Castillo Farfán

Colorful papel picado banners 3 ways…

1. Folded tissue paper method.
Tip: Sketch your own design or use a printable template.

Papel picado by Live Colorful — Via Elba Valverde.

2. Elba Valverde’s Papel picado shortcut with simple shapes and regular paper.

Mini papel picado by Tikkido — Via Nikki Wills.

3. Miniature papel picado. Nikki Wills of Tikkido used a paper craft punch for the bottom edge – it looks like this lace border punch by Martha Stewart. But I bet an eyelet or daisy punch would look great, as well!

Marigolds — A vase of marigolds via Tom of View from Another Angle.

Flowers

“The ofrenda (the altar), traditionally includes the yellow marigolds (cempasuchitl) the sweet scent that leads the departed home toward their altar…”

– Vianney Rodriguez

flower crown — Photo by Fiona Galbraith.

1. Marigold Crown (archived) by Nicole Valentine Nelius. This one on Etsy has a similar vibe.

Paper flowers via Made Everyday — Via Dana Willard.

2. Paper (napkin) flowers – Using paper napkins in place of tissue paper will help the flowers hold their shape. It would be fun to experiment with different color combinations and textures! (I added some cute ones to this Party collection.)

Mini tissue paper flowers by Tikkido — Via Nikki Wills.

3. Mini Tissue Paper Flowers – A similar process on a much smaller scale! For these, you actually use a scalloped circle paper punch to create the “petal” shapes in the layers of tissue paper.

4. Marigold Margarita – Vianney Rodriguez made her own marigold-infused tequila with organic dried petals. Then she added citrus juice, cointreau, and salt around the rim.

What traditions are meaningful to you as you remember your loved ones?

– Día de los Muertos Resource List –

Instructions for sugar skulls
Ofrendas e-book of recipes and crafts
Crafty Chica Día de los Muertos project list
Live Colorful fall projects
Mexican Day of the Dead folk art
Watch for Día de los Muertos events on the Happenings List! Subscribe to get it delivered to your inbox!
Día de los Muertos decorations and craft supplies I like on Etsy.

Updated November 2023.
Originally posted October 2017.

Links to Etsy shops have been converted to affiliate links. Etsy purchases you make after clicking them earns a small commission that helps this site without costing you anything extra!

February 20, 2017February 12, 2019

Local Art Loves

A couple weeks ago, I invited everyone to share art from where you live. Since then, we’ve seen #localartloves from the east coast to the west coast!

San Francisco, CA

Matt McKinley of McKinley Art Solutions shared work from Justin Hoover’s ‘Martial Spirit’ exhibition, currently at the Chinese Culture Center in San Francisco.

New Hampshire

Traci York shared some of her nature photography from the chilly Northeast.

Cottonwood, AZ

The northern office of Local First Arizona shared shirts hand printed by Christy Fisher, who makes clothing from reclaimed fabric, as well as jewelry from recycled glass and vintage silver.

Phoenix-area, AZ

Courtney Doom (a.k.a. IggyStarpup) in Phoenix shared some of her pop-culture inspired embroidery hoop art.

Phillip stopped to take a photo of this Tempe mural.

I shared the work of several artists on Instagram including a mural by Oliverio Balcells and collaborative paintings by teenagers at Durango Detention Center.

November 12, 2015November 12, 2015

Art Hidden in the Hills

It’s almost time for the annual Hidden in the Hills Studio Tour (HITH) in Cave Creek!

Last year, I went with Phillip and our friend Ling. I had about 13 studios on my to-visit list, but we really took our time, so we only made it to 5 of them.

The Tour

Over 40 working artists open up their studio spaces (often in their homes) two weekends in November to showcase and sell their work.

Most participating artists invite others to join them at their spaces, so there might be 7 artists at one studio (3 or 4 is more likely) with art for sale and sometimes prints of their work. In fact, I learned about the tour when I was doing graphic design for one of the artists, Robin Ray, and getting her work printed on greeting cards, aprons, calendars, etc.

At the last HITH tour, it seemed like there was a lot more art at different price points than in the past. There are the large statement pieces which – rightfully – cost a good chunk of change, but many artists are also doing smaller works to fit smaller budgets or living spaces.

There was live music at a few of the locations. We heard banjo players at one and a Native American flautist at another.

Many artists do demonstrations or work on pieces during HITH. They may show how they shape ceramics or be daubing oil paint on a canvas when you walk by.

We’ve gone in the past, so we had some favorites to revisit, as well as new artists to check out.

The Art and Artists

It was great chatting with the artists. I worry sometimes when I’m talking to artists that I’ll insult them by not understanding their work the way they intended. The ones we talked to on the tour were really happy to hear what our impressions were, answer questions, and talk about their techniques.

Here are some highlights, along with the studio number where the artist will be exhibiting at this year’s HITH tour.

Robin Ray (studio #9), who first told me about the tour, has more time now that she retired from teaching. In addition to her ceramics and painting, she is now making mixed media works inspired by Mexican shrines. We stopped by her place near the end of the day, and it felt like a party with friends sitting around an outdoor table, laughing, snacking, and pouring wine.

Also exhibiting at her studio was Ken Ryan (#9), who makes sculptures from metal and fabulous gnarly wood, as well as custom rustic furniture.

Nicolette Maguire Bonnstetter (#27) does collage-style paintings of items from her childhood on custom-milled wooden bowls.

Eddie Sparr (not exhibiting at HITH 2015) explores the relationship between mechanic structures and organic ones. You can find him at Big Red Robot Gallery or at Hibachibot, the Korean BBQ food truck he and his wife recently opened. They’ll be serving breakfast burritos 7:30-10a and lunch 11a-3p at Big Red Robot on 11/21, so you can fuel up on the way to the tour.

The atmosphere at BH Bowman Studios felt calm yet vibrant, perhaps reflecting the quiet intensity of Barbara Bowman’s own abstract work in acrylics. There were candles lit, sculpture artists along the front walkway, glass mosaics on the back patio, musicians in the living room, and a mix of media throughout the house.

In a side room with a covered pool table, Julia Patterson (#29) exhibited a wall of pastel landscapes I could look at all day.

Christoph Heede (#30) constructed a kiln that’s big enough to walk in and also does raku ceramics, which he finishes in open flames.

Betsy Halford (#27) uses unusual found objects, like electrical components, to make jewelry and mixed media pieces.

One artist (I think it was Sandy Pendleton at #29) attaches bells from a village in India to her glasswork.

Something I hadn’t seen before was 3D printed sculpture. It was cool to see artists like Kevin Caron (#29) experimenting with new technology.

Judy Bruce (#42) had a series on nerds and a series of mixed media works about her mother, remaining beautiful as she fought cancer.

Really, everyone was great with the exception of one artist (not pictured/named in this post) who was unnecessarily harsh after Ling took a photo and then creepily kept watching us the rest of the time we were at that studio.

No one else the rest of the day had a problem with photos. Of course, if someone doesn’t want photos taken of their work, I’m happy to respect that. I just think they should ask politely.

So….back to people who are awesome.

At Desert Rat Forge (#43), metal artists Paul Diefenderfer (“Dief”) and Gordon Paul Mischke (“Gordy”) work in their outdoor spaces on large metal sculptures. Paul demonstrated how he heats and shapes metal. Gordy, one of our original HITH favorites, updated us on some of his long-term projects.

Several other artists also exhibited work at the site. One was Josh States, who makes really nice knives and other metal and mixed media pieces. He also told us about the Camp Verde Pecan and Wine Festival, which would be fun to check out sometime.

The Grotto

We ate lunch at Grotto Cafe, which has lovely outdoor seating, coffee, panini, salads, and gazpacho.

– More info –

If you’re in the Phoenix area, check out the 2015 Hidden in the Hills tour November 20-22 and 27-29.

Program
Full map – Clicking the numbers will take you to artist info. Clicking below the map allows you to register and create your own personalized tour map with the studios you want to visit.
Our 2014 tour map – In case you need additional suggestions to get started.

Photos:

I couldn’t track down the artist for this piece.
Selfie with Ling. Think she snapped this one – mine were terrible.

The Tour

Robin Ray (studio #9)
Booths and artwork of (l to r) Betsy Halford, Christiane Barbato, Nicolette Maguire Bonnstetter.

The Art and Artists

Artwork of Judy Bruce (#42)
Artwork of Robin Ray (#9)
Artwork of Robin Ray (#9)
Ken Ryan (#9)
Eddie Sparr (Hibachibot)
Julia Patterson (#29) and her artwork
Christoph Heede (#30)
Betsy Halford (#27)
Kevin Caron (#29)
Artwork of Judy Bruce (#42)
Studio of Judy Bruce (#42)
Artwork of Christoph Heede (#30) on his home/studio wall.
Artwork of Paul Diefenderfer (#43)
Desert Rat Forge (#43)
Paul Diefenderfer (#43)
Gordon Paul Mischke (#43)
Artwork of Gordon Paul Mischke (#43)
Artwork of Josh States / Dos Gatos Designs (#43)

The Grotto + More Info

Grotto Cafe
Cave Creek sunset

October 22, 2015October 22, 2015

Leaf Love: 7 Fall Craft Ideas

Whether or not the leaves change where you live, you’ll fall for these projects!

Embellish Leaves

Try applying paint or glitter directly to leaves. You can use leaves that are green or autumnal, real or silk, dried or pressed – you can even print your own!

1. Gold-Painted Leaves: Gold paint against richly-colored fall leaves is just gorgeous! A single painted leaf or small grouping of them in a simple frame would be lovely.

2. Hojas Pintadas / Drawn-on Leaves and Wreath: You could also go with an earthier palette and use ultra fine tip sharpies or paint pens where you wanted more detail. Once you have a stack of patterned leaves, you can gather them into a fall wreath.

3. DIY Falling Leaves Garland: All you need is some glue and glitter to make your leaves sparkle! Then hang them from a ribbon to create a garland, sprinkle them across a table, or display them in a glass jar. If you wanted to use real leaves instead of silk ones in your garland, you might want to skip punching a hole in favor of tying the ribbon around the leaf stems or attaching with clothespins or hot glue.

Leaves for Embellishing

Use real leaves (any color) to stamp, shape, or decorate.

4. Stamped Leaf Mandala Journal Page: Use leaves as stamps for your journal pages to remind you of the local flora. Stamped leaves in different colors can form the basis of a pattern like this mandala.

5. Leaf-Imprinted Clay Necklace: Press a small leaf into clay to make a one-of-kind pendant.

6. Sand-Cast Birdbath in a Leaf Shape: This is the most involved project on the list, but the step-by-step instructions make it look totally doable. A large leaf becomes the form for a concrete birdbath. You could also skip the pedestal-making steps and create an oversized leaf-shaped bowl, which would be a fantastic base for a fall centerpiece.

7. Foliage Pumpkins: Decopauge ferns or fall foliage on white pumpkins for an alternative to the traditional orange jack-o-latern. (original project, left photo)

—
Photos via respective sites.