Have you always been into crafting? When would you say you really began your creative journey?
Yes! From a very young age I learnt how to make beaded bracelets which I sold to neighbors on my street. I always remember being crafty. I always made birthday cards, did coloring and kids crafts. I did an Art GCSE and then a Photography A level. Shortly after that I worked with someone who taught me cross stitch. I did cross stitch on and off for 9 years and really started my journey to embroidery in December 2018.
How did you begin embroidery? Did you take classes, or have you been self taught?
I’m completely self taught. I started noticing embroidery pop up in my Instagram feed in 2018. I took a few months to get my head into it before I started in December. I started off doing pet portraits and eased myself in slowly. With each portrait my skill got better and better. Since then I have continued to learn by doing new pieces and pushing myself harder each time as well as learning with YouTube videos.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from other artists! It was @emillieferris and @stitchingsabbatical's posts that actually inspired me to start embroidery. I am on Instagram a few hours a day looking at other artists work and finding inspiration from artists all over the world.
What is your process for creating a new design?
It will normally start with an idea in my head that then works it’s way on to Procreate. I will draw until I’m happy with the piece. Sometimes I will color the piece in on Procreate so I can see what colors I might need to use. One of the best purchases I’ve made is my iPad and Apple Pencil!
Do you listen to anything while working? (Podcasts, music, tv shows, etc)
Yes I always have something on in the background that I don’t completely need to focus on to understand. At the moment I’m watching Sons of Anarchy again from the beginning!
What is your favorite part of embroidery?
I genuinely think my favorite part is the final stitch. So much effort, skill and creativity goes in to creating embroidery. When you pop that last stitch in, that’s the point where you see it complete and come to life. It’s a sense of achievement and sometimes relief that it’s finished and you can move on to something else! I only like to work on one piece at a time so it’s always nice to finish a piece so I can start a new one.
What is your favorite thing to embroider? (people, plants, animals, abstract, etc)
It’s a complete mixture to be honest! I really enjoy embroidering flowers and pet portraits. There are normally large sections to needle paint. I really enjoy blending colors and creating depth which makes the piece look 3D.
What has been the biggest impact, or made the biggest impact on you creatively?
I would say that my own determination and perfectionism has a huge impact on my creativity. With every single piece I can always find something I don’t like about it. Instead of making this a problem I use it to fuel my determination to succeed. I’ll make sure I adapt my skills or go back to YouTube videos to keep learning. It helps me make sure that the next time it’s better. I won’t stop until something is perfect (in my eyes)!
Who are some artists you admire and are inspired by? (name as many as you want)
As mentioned before, @emillieferris and @stitchingsabbatical are artists I hugely admire. They have crafted their skill over years of work and hundreds of pieces of art and I hope one day I can be as good as they are.
Do you have hobbies besides embroidery?
Embroidery takes up all my spare time when I’m not working! I like to see friends, go out and spend time with my fiancé. At the moment I am not working because of Covid-19 so I’m able to spend all my time on embroidery which has been lovely. It’s as if someone has said “what if you had a few months to kick start your embroidery business that you never would have had before?” So I am taking it as a positive opportunity to expand my hobby.
Is embroidery purely for self expression, or do you sell your work? (if you do sell, where can we find you?)
My embroidery work is for sale! I exclusively sell on Etsy and my shop is called Boss Stitch London. I sell commissioned pet portraits which are intricate needle paintings and take anywhere from 30-50 hours to complete with a single strand of thread. I also sell a simpler style of pet portraits which highlight the key features of the pet in line work. I’ve recently started selling PDF patterns. You can download an embroidery tutorial and stitch along at home with a design I’ve created and stitched. It has a step by step guide on how to do needle painting. I’m also exploring other opportunities to sell some of my art work too.
What are some of your favorite small businesses (crafting or otherwise)? Here are some of my favorite small businesses below: @scenicstitches - Stunning embroidery pieces and a wonderful lady! @blended.bybridget - Amazing hand weaving and embroidery by a strong mama! @trishburrembroidery - the absolute Queen of needle painting @fiance_knowles - embroidery with a difference-vibrant colours! @helioblue.design - stunning small needle work, nature inspired @_vesna_krasna - beautiful nature inspired needle painting, gorgeous butterflies! I could go on forever ️
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