Friday Instagram Finds No. 80 with Honey and Blueberries

Happy Friday! You're in for a treat today with some itty bitty florals made by Em of @honeyandblueberries. That's a Dala horse in the picture above, made up entirely of little embroidered florals - love! Take a look at some more beautiful pieces created by Em.

No matter how difficult or stressful things might be in my life (the past week has not been one of the greatest, I'll be honest), one of the things that always manages to perk me up or let me forget life for a little while, is my creativity. I've always been a creative person, but only now am I really thinking about what that means to me and what I really get out of it. For creative people, being creative (making, writing, whatever it may be) is as essential as breathing. And in those moments when I am down, it's amazing what a pick me up it can be to reflect on something I've created that I'm truly proud of. This pic is #onefromthecuttingroomfloor of my most recent completed embroidery. 🌸💕🇸🇪🐴

A photo posted by Em (@honeyandblueberries) on Oct 19, 2016 at 12:08am PDT

Finished this dala horse embroidery the other day, finally found the time to take a shot of the finished piece. This one is reserved though (not that I have my shop up and running yet!) 💕#embroidery #embroideryart #embroideryartist #embroideryhoop #embroideryfloss #embroiderersofinstagram #stitchersofinstagram #makersofinstagram #makersgonnamake #makersvillage #makersmovement #craftsposure #creative #dalahorse #dalahäst #scandinavian #scandinaviandesign #scandi #swedish #tinyfloralsanonymous #embroideredflowers #embroideryinstaguild #honeyandblueberries

A photo posted by Em (@honeyandblueberries) on Oct 2, 2016 at 10:39pm PDT

Wore my new embroidery today - mini hoop necklace from @dandelyne 😍💕 #embroideryflowers #tinyflorals #tinyfloralsanonymous #craftsposure #embroidery #embroideryart #embroideryhoop #miniembroideryhoop #miniembroidery #miniflowers #dandelyne #dandelynehoops

A photo posted by Em (@honeyandblueberries) on Aug 25, 2016 at 4:28am PDT

Friday Instagram Finds No. 72 with Thimble Thistle

Starry Night pendant just added. Find it in my shop, link in bio, International shipping available! Thank you @dandelyne for making these fun little hoops! 🌌🌌🌌 . . . #embroidery  #craftposure  #etsy  #thimblethistle #contemporaryembroidery #embroideryinstaguild #hoopart #modernmaker #broderie #makersmovement #bordado #handmadeparade #stitchersofinstagram  #handmadeisbetter  #makeracademy  #dandelyne #blicksweeps #starrynight #vangogh

A photo posted by Jessica Blazek (@thimblethistle) on Sep 17, 2016 at 10:12am PDT

How beautiful is this mini hoop?! Today we feature Jessica of Thimble Thistle on Friday Instagram Finds. Her feed is filled with the most lovely mini hoop necklaces (from @Dandelyne) that are miniature replicas of masterpieces, pets, animals, and other adorable motifs. You can buy her masterpieces in her shop.

Custom Pitbull pendant . . . . #embroidery  #craftposure  #etsy  #thimblethistle #needlework #bordado #contemporaryembroidery #hoopart #modernmaker #feelingstitchyig #makersmovement #handmadeparade #stitchersofinstagram  #handmadeisbetter  #favehandmade #makeracademy #happysojo #dandeleyne #pitbull #pitbullsofig #pibble #dogembroidery

A photo posted by Jessica Blazek (@thimblethistle) on Aug 23, 2016 at 12:20pm PDT

Wolf Howling at Full Moon.  One more day of black and white tomorrow! Find all my creations in my shop through the link in my bio. The pendant hoops can be found @dandelyne . . . . . #embroidery  #craftposure  #thimblethistle #contemporaryembroidery #etsy #hoopart#embroideryinstaguild #modernmaker #broderie #makersmovement #bordado #dandelyne #stitchersofinstagram  #handmadeisbetter  #makeracademy #handmadeparade #blicksweeps #wolf #wolfmoon #moon

A photo posted by Jessica Blazek (@thimblethistle) on Sep 24, 2016 at 10:10am PDT

I have a new pendant to share today! This is 'Two dancers on Stage' by Degas. You can find it in my shop through the link in my bio. . . . . . embroidery  #craftposure  #etsy  #thimblethistle #needlework #bordado #contemporaryembroidery #hoopart #modernmaker #broderie #feelingstitchyig #makersmovement #handmadeparade #stitchersofinstagram  #handmadeisbetter  #makeracademy #happysojo #dandelyne #blicksweeps #degas #dancers #ballet

A photo posted by Jessica Blazek (@thimblethistle) on Sep 10, 2016 at 7:54am PDT

The Silk Mill Thread Review and **GIVEAWAY**

One of the perks of my job as a blogger for Feeling Stitchy is that I sometimes receive products to try out. I was excited to be the recipient of 20 skeins of silk embroidery thread from The Silk Mill in France! The Silk Mill is...

"...a small family run business located in South-West France, specialising in Chinese silk threads, silk needlepoint kits, and vintage needlework tools,"

As a bonus, The Silk Mill has kindly agreed to send out some of their silk thread to one lucky Feeling Stitchy reader! All you have to do to be entered is leave a comment on this post explaining what you'd make with the silk thread if you won.

Yesterday I made a Facebook Live video on the Feeling Stitchy Facebook page that gave a sneak peek of this luxurious silk thread. You can check out that video below.

The first thing I noticed about this silk thread is that it is so soft and shiny! I will admit to totally geeking out and petting the thread before unwrapping it :) The second thing I noticed is that it's wrapped in the skein differently than how I'm used to floss being wrapped. Instead of being able to pull the floss out while keeping the wrapper on, I needed to unwind this thread.

The texture is different than DMC floss, which is what I usually use. The strands separate easily from each other. This meant that I needed to have more control over keeping the thread on my needle, and once I got the hang of it, it was a piece of cake. The thread slips so beautifully through fabric - it was like butter!

 

When I saw the gorgeous greens and bright yellows, I knew right away what I would make. On May 4, 2016, a dear family friend, Conni, passed away from MS. She told us that when we see a white butterfly, it will be her coming back to say hi. I decided to make necklaces for Conni's daughter Kaiti (who is a sister to me), her daughter Elay (who is my niece), and Conni's granddaughter Elsa using a Dandelyne mini hoop. I wanted to stitch some grass, flowers, and a little white butterfly. This silk thread makes this mini embroidered piece pop with color and texture! (Note: The white of the butterfly was stitched with DMC floss because white wasn't included in the packets I received.)

The Silk Mill silk threads get two big thumbs up from me! I'm excited to unwrap the other skeins and create fun projects to embroider. 

Now it's your turn - leave a comment on this post by Sunday, June 12, 9 PM CST letting us know what you would create with The Silk Mill silk threads, and you could be our lucky winner of a prize pack of silk threads, generously provided by The Silk Mill! This giveaway is open to all of our Feeling Stitchy readers.

Here's some more information about The Silk Mill silk threads:

And here is a photo of the gorgeous threads that will go out to the winner - a beautiful selection called "Herbs and Spices."

What would you create with these threads?

Friday Instagram Finds No. 47 with Heart of the Heart Embroidery

Hello Stitchy Friends! I hope you're all having a fabulous day so far, and you have some fun stitchy plans for the weekend.

@heartoftheheartembroidery

Take a look at @heartoftheheartembroidery by Vanessa. I absolutely adore her whale and narwhale mini hoop necklaces! They are quite detailed, and look perfect in Dandelyne mini hoop necklaces. She also used a mini hoop necklace to create a lovely bolo tie, which is very clever! I found Vanessa's Instagram because she used #feelingstitchyig. Take a look at Vanessa's work.

A photo posted by Vanessa Blackier ⚓️ Embroidery (@heartoftheheartembroidery) on Mar 16, 2016 at 1:25pm PDT

A photo posted by Vanessa Blackier ⚓️ Embroidery (@heartoftheheartembroidery) on Mar 10, 2016 at 8:51am PST

A photo posted by Vanessa Blackier ⚓️ Embroidery (@heartoftheheartembroidery) on Feb 17, 2016 at 12:09pm PST

That's it for this week's edition of Friday Instagram Finds! Join in the conversation by commenting below. While you're on Instagram checking out Vanessa's work at @heartoftheheartembroidery make sure you follow Feeling Stitchy! We'd love for you to stop by and say hello. You can find Feeling Stitchy on Instagram at the handle @feelingstitchyish. You can find Amy @randomactsofamy on Instagram.

Want to be featured in Friday Instagram Find? Tag your best stitch-related photos with #feelingstitchyig!

Friday Instagram Finds No. 42 with Little Twig Designs

Happy Friday, stitchers! Do you have a weekend filled with stitching plans? I've created some new patterns, and I'm so excited to get to stitching this weekend!

This week I'd like to introduce you to Jessica of the Instagram account @littletwigdesigns. The first thing you'll notice about her Instagram feed is that it's GORGEOUS! Her pictures are so pretty and beautifully staged. I really appreciate this in an Instagram feed :)

Jessica uses Dandelyne mini hoop necklaces to create embroidered pieces that look like miniature weavings. She uses color and and a variety of stitches to add texture and depth to each piece. I discovered @littletwigdesigns because Jessica used #feelingstitchyig. Take a look at some pictures from her feed!

@littletwigdesigns

A photo posted by Little Twig Designs (@littletwigdesigns) on Feb 17, 2016 at 1:27am PST

A photo posted by Little Twig Designs (@littletwigdesigns) on Feb 12, 2016 at 2:34am PST

A photo posted by Little Twig Designs (@littletwigdesigns) on Feb 18, 2016 at 9:31pm PST

A photo posted by Little Twig Designs (@littletwigdesigns) on Jan 27, 2016 at 10:55am PST

That's it for this week's edition of Friday Instagram Finds! Join in the conversation by commenting below. While you're on Instagram checking out Jessica's work at @littletwigdesigns make sure you follow Feeling Stitchy! We'd love for you to stop by and say hello. You can find Feeling Stitchy on Instagram at the handle @feelingstitchyish. You can find Amy @randomactsofamy on Instagram.

Want to be featured in Friday Instagram Find? Tag your best stitch-related photos with #feelingstitchyig!

Friday Instagram Finds No. 35 with Pixie Craft Handmade

Hello Stitchers! I hope you've had a fabulous week and your January has been awesome so far! Today I am sharing the Instagram account @pixiecrafthandmade with you all. Katy is a hand embroiderer in the United Kingdom, and she creates bright and happy pieces. I love the embroidered quotes she creates because they have such inspiring messages. And her mini hoop necklaces are absolutely adorable! I came across Katy's work because she tagged some of her pictures with #feelingstitchyig. Take a look!

@pixiecrafthandmade

Image by @pixiecrafthandmade

Image by @pixiecrafthandmade

Image by @pixiecrafthandmade

Image by @pixiecrafthandmade

That's it for this week's edition of Friday Instagram Finds! Join in the conversation by commenting below. While you're on Instagram checking out Katy's work at @pixiecrafthandmade make sure you follow Feeling Stitchy! We'd love for you to stop by and say hello. You can find Feeling Stitchy on Instagram at the handle @feelingstitchyish. You can find Amy @randomactsofamy on Instagram.

Want to be featured in Friday Instagram Find? Tag your best stitch-related photos with #feelingstitchyig!

Friday Instagram Finds No. 7

It's Friday - hooray! I don't know about you, but even though I LOVE my day job as a library manager, I do look forward to my weekends off so I can stitch. Since it's Friday, that means it's time for another installment of Friday Instagram Finds!! I have a question for you at the very end, and I'd really appreciate it if you would comment on this post or over on our IG account @feelingstitchyish with your thoughts. This week I'm featuring...

@daisyeyes
Daisy Eyes, aka Aimee, used the #feelingstitchyig to make sure I saw her work. I've been following @daisyeyes on my personal account for quite some time, and I like her style. Did you read a few lines back how I mentioned I'm a librarian? Well, among the pieces that @daisyeyes creates are these very lovely bookmarks that utilize @dandelyne mini hoops as a dangly bit on the end!

A photo posted by aimee d (@daisyeyes) on Jun 1, 2015 at 6:25am PDT

A photo posted by aimee d (@daisyeyes) on May 12, 2015 at 9:47am PDT

Aimee also uses black colored fabric accented with white stitching and buttons - BUTTONS - as stars to create this uniquely beautiful hoop. This is the second verse from the song In Western Lands sung by Samwise Gamgee in Lord of the Rings. Look at those teeny tiny stitches!

A photo posted by aimee d (@daisyeyes) on May 31, 2015 at 10:31am PDT

This custom birth announcement Aimee created is a beautiful piece of art that will always be treasured. That's one of the things I really love about embroidery, if well taken care of, it can last for centuries. What a legacy to leave!

A photo posted by aimee d (@daisyeyes) on Apr 1, 2015 at 2:42pm PDT

I hope you've enjoyed this edition of Friday Instagram Finds (FIF) on Feeling Stitchy, which is now brought to you weekly! Please leave comments below to let me know what you thought. If you'd like to be considered for FIF, or if you find a great embroiderer or stitch-related needle worker who you think I should feature, be sure to tag their pictures with #feelingstitchyig, and I'll take a look!

While you're on Instagram, make sure you follow Feeling Stitchy! We're @feelingstitchyish. We'd love for you to stop by and say hello.

Here's my question to you: Do you like the way the pictures come across? I'm using Instagram's embed feature to insert them into the posts. I noticed that my Feedly blog reader was not showing the pictures, just a caption that said, "This is a picture of____ on Instagram." I had to click the user name and get transferred to IG to see the pictures. The whole point of this post is to see the pictures, and I don't want it to be too much work for you to see them. I could always save the picture and link it to the featured artist's IG account instead of using IG's embed feature.

Friday Instagram Finds, No. 3

Today I'm going to share with you three amazing hand embroidery artists from Down Under...Australia!

@dandelyne
Sonia Lyne of Dandelyne is one of my favorite people in the world, and we've never even met! She is the brains behind the mini embroidery hoops that have made stitchers like me so happy. She's one of the happiest and upbeat people out there, and 100% genuine. She is incredibly generous to the stitching community, and frequently shares the work of others who make art with her mini hoops.

Sonia's mini hoops are so fun and versatile. Here are a whole bunch that she stitched up. She used a variety of mediums and designs inside the hoops, like embroidered designs, pretty fabrics, and felt with stitching.

A photo posted by Sonia Lyne (@dandelyne) on Mar 15, 2015 at 4:54pm PDT

In addition to her mini hoops, Sonia is known for her sweet custom portraits. She blends fabric, felt, and embroidery stitches to create one of a kind keepsakes.

A photo posted by Sonia Lyne (@dandelyne) on Mar 25, 2015 at 6:58pm PDT

You can buy her mini hoop kits to create your own fabulous necklaces, brooches, and she now even has 1" hoops for earrings! Each kit comes with really neat patterns for motifs you can stitch inside the mini hoops.

A photo posted by Sonia Lyne (@dandelyne) on Mar 22, 2015 at 5:15pm PDT

@suosaaribymariafeaton
Maria Featon is the reason I applied to Feeling Stitchy to be a contributor! She saw the blog post, and sent me a message letting me know that she thought I'd be perfect for it. I probably wouldn't have applied, thinking I would never be accepted, if it hadn't been for her. I'm starting to sense a trait amongst Aussies! They must be the nicest people on the planet! Maria's embroidery is bold and beautiful. She uses vintage bedsheets and patterned fabrics to create gorgeous pieces.

This bird (is it a peacock?) is my favorite of all that Maria has done! It's understated, yet has a huge impact. By stitching a small portion of the scene, she's made the bird pop off the fabric.

A photo posted by Maria Featon (@suosaaribymariafeaton) on Apr 1, 2015 at 4:44pm PDT

Here's an example of how she uses vintage bedsheets as the perfect backdrop to the embroidered text.

A photo posted by Maria Featon (@suosaaribymariafeaton) on Mar 17, 2015 at 5:34pm PDT

I just can't get enough of the vintage bedsheets as fabric for embroidery! This picture also has fabric from a vintage nightie.

A photo posted by Maria Featon (@suosaaribymariafeaton) on Feb 28, 2015 at 6:38pm PST

@candykinscrafts
Candy Barnes is another Aussie whose kindness and sincerity comes across in her interactions. She creates the cutest, sweetest, most adorable portraits based on your children's artwork. She has even managed to stitch children's artwork onto mini hoops by Dandelyne!

This adorable scene was drawn by Candy's daughter, then stitched by her onto this mini hoop!

A photo posted by Candy Barnes (@candykinscrafts) on Apr 3, 2015 at 2:14pm PDT

Here's one of Candy's hoops of a child's drawing. She stays true to what the kids draw, and then transfers their visions onto fabric using needle and floss.

A photo posted by Candy Barnes (@candykinscrafts) on Dec 11, 2014 at 1:50pm PST

Here's another custom piece she did based on a child's drawing. In this one, Candy added felt to fully represent the original piece. This is just so sweet, and becomes an heirloom piece that can be kept and handed down for generations to come.

A photo posted by Candy Barnes (@candykinscrafts) on Mar 9, 2015 at 4:26pm PDT

I hope you've enjoyed edition number three of Friday Instagram Finds on Feeling Stitchy! Please leave comments below to let me know what you thought. If you find a great embroiderer or stitch-related needle worker who you think I should feature, be sure to tag one of their pictures with #feelingstitchyig, and I'll take a look!

While you're on Instagram, make sure you follow Feeling Stitchy! We're @feelingstitchyish. We'd love for you to stop by and say hello :)

Friday Instagram Finds, No. 4 will be published Friday, May 1, 2015.