Little Stitches
Several years ago, my mother taught me how to embroider little patterns onto kitchen towels. I stitched all kinds of vintage patterns of pots and pans onto tea towels as Christmas gifts, using the tea towels to wrap up banana and pumpkin breads. I fell in love with the old His and Hers series of patterns widely available even after 50 years since their inception. I embroidered everything I could for friends and family. When I couldn't find any patterns of wildflowers or frogs that looked more realistic, I decided to learn how to sketch and stitch images from nature. I was encouraged by a colleague at my job as an ecologist to open an Etsy shop in 2009. I've really enjoyed making special orders and hearing from folks like Joanne who wrote "I've been looking for an embroidered toad for years!" I love antique hand embroidery, I still seek out antique shops and pick it up for my collection. I hope people treasure what I make for them as much as I love finding unique pieces in antique shops and in my mother's attic.
