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Stitch your way through a board game

Happy Friday! It's that magical time on Friday when I share my 5/5—five creatively inspiring things and five ways for you to DIY. This week, I've got a shimmering fish bag (it's so pretty), an embroidery board game that involves real stitching, and a whole lot of French knots. Let's go!

(Want more 5/5 soon? I'm sending out my paid edition next Wednesday!)

👉 ICYMI: This trio of dog-shaped rugs was the most clicked link in the last 5/5.

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✨ 5 creatively inspiring things

1. Classical art, but make it soft. Artist Sergio Roger creates fabric sculptures and architecture inspired by the Graeco-Roman era. For him, it’s about subverting “iconic elements of art history” by replacing marble with natural fibers. The scale and detail of these pieces are impressive!
2. At first glance, this sculptural embroidery by Victoria Rose Richards could be a photograph. But it’s actually a whole bunch of French knots built on wool. The result looks like a rolling forest on a tranquil landscape.
3. Lindsey of Linden Acres Design Co. is back at it with more book cover embroidery! Watch her progress stitching on Aesop’s Fables and The Wizard of Oz.
4. Jessie Mordine is one of my favorite weaving artists, and I love how she’s turned a weaving into an unconventional vase. She places dried flowers in within her design, nestling them into the threads.
5. Wow! Kathrin Marchenko recently completed this fish-shaped bag with tulle, threads, and beads. Watch how it shimmers and shines. She also has it for sale.​

🪡 5 ways to DIY

1. I like coasters because they're an easy way to add a bit of whimsy to a space. Here are a couple of crochet patterns to try—flowers and fruit.
2. Practice felt appliqué with this beginner-friendly springer spaniel brooch kit! It’s colorful and the florals make it a statement-making addition to a spring outfit.
3. I love long-term projects, so of course I love this quilting idea: Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir recently completed her summer 2023 quilt top that chronicled people she saw, places she visited, and more. It’s inspired by Heidi Parkes’ Quilt as a Diary class.
4. Three words: embroidery board game. A Mending is a solo keepsake game that you complete using embroidery. To “play” the game, you sew a path on a cloth map. It was created by Shing Yin Khor and is sold by Deernicorn Distro, where you can purchase your copy. (h/t Melissa!)
5. I’m currently working on this square-neck top pattern by Friday Pattern Club (altered for longer sleeves), but once I am done I am going to make this super cute and simple open-back smock top by Matchy Matchy Sewing Club.
6. Bonus: A gentle reminder when you’re in the thick of a project.

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Talk to you next week,

Sara Barnes Embroidery illustrator and writer

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