I know I said that 5/5 would be published every two weeks… but I have a lot of links to share! And, ya’ll have told me how much you enjoy 5/5. So, let’s make it twice as nice and share two weeks in a row. Keep on scrolling for five creatively inspiring things and five ways for you to DIY.
ICYMI, this spotlight embroidery was the most clicked link in the last 5/5 email.
✨ 5 creatively inspiring things
1️⃣ At first glance, this bird nest looks real. But it’s not—the nest is fiber art by Megan Zaniewski. All of the twigs are handmade by her, and it’s incredible how lifelike they appear. Want to learn from Megan? Get her book, Stumpwork Embroidery and Thread Painting [affiliate link].
2️⃣ One person’s trash is another’s treasure. Case in point: the work of William KW uses thrifted objects, trash, and thread to create abstract compositions. Here are some of his latest works.
3️⃣ Imagine happening upon these embroideries in the forest! Diana Yevtukh stitches bunches of florals and embeds the designs within tree cavities. They are subtle and something you’d only find if you’re a careful observer.
4️⃣ Ava Roth mended a worm-eaten tomato plant leaf. How do you mend a leaf? If you’re Ava, it’s with beeswax, gold leaf, and metallic thread; they're all materials she uses in her larger collaborative pieces with bees.
5️⃣ Oh, what a difference color makes! Jess A Venegas stitched a skull portrait and divided it in half: one side is warm colors and the opposite side is cool. It completely shifts the mood. Which side do you like better?
🪡 5 ways to DIY
1️⃣ Turn your fabric scraps into art with this soon-to-be-released appliqué tutorial by Rebekah Johnston. You’ll make a botanical-inspired appliqué square that can be used in patchwork projects, mini-quilts, or placemats.
2️⃣ The great thing about crafting your plants is that they’ll never wilt. Crochet this giant yucca and place it in any planter to look right at home. [affiliate link]
3️⃣ Mending is magic. If you need some darning inspiration, here’s how Collingwood-Norris mended a ribbed sweater collar that had a stain and had become threadbare. The result is a desaturated woven rainbow.
4️⃣ My friend Melissa (of MCreativeJ) and I run Camp Craftaway, an adults-only day camp where you can try a variety of craft workshops over one fun, super-charged creative weekend. It’s happening from Friday, August 2 to Sunday, August 4 in Seattle, WA. Tickets are now on sale, and we just announced our workshops. Join us!
5️⃣ Speaking of Melissa, she has a new advanced embroidery kit perfect for insect lovers. Her Bug Collector kit will show you how to create a vibrant beetle and a three-dimensional butterfly that pops from the hoop.
Talk to you next week,
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Sara Barnes
Embroidery illustrator and writer
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