Belly Dancers by Andrée Tracey!
Belly Dancers by Andrée Tracey
I can't take credit for everything around here. Even though I do 90% of the patterns in the catalog (because, hey- that's the fun part), I also like to get someone else's work in the mix. This past year, I started enlisting the talents of Andrée Tracey. She's now created two sheets of patterns for me (and you): Beefcake Beach and the new Belly Dancers!
Andrée also works in collage and paints. Her work has a fun, retro sensibility. Cute, but not cutesy. I'm a total sucker for the in-progress sketches on her blog:
LOVE. You can see more of her work on Andrée Tracey's Illustration Blog!
Hold it. Not so fast. You want to know...
x - x - x - x
...how do I choose who I work with? (That sounded imperious.) I know you are wondering, based on the many emails to my inbox with links to artwork, résumés and requests to become Sublime Stitching patterns. Since I can't truly consider them all, here's how the pattern catalog works:
1. Patterns by me. This is how Sublime Stitching started. Ten years ago, embroidery patterns in motifs other than teddy bears and bunnies did not exist. So, I started making them! (Someone had to do it). I still create the majority of the patterns in the catalog myself.
2. Artist Series. This was a dream of mine: to take the work of well-known artists I loved (from indie comics, illustration, lowbrow...) and transform it into embroidery patterns for stitchers. Give stitchers something truly awesome and inspired to work with, and mix art and craft in new ways. So, I meekly asked some of my favorites like Kurt Halsey, Tara McPherson, Molly Crabapple, Jim Woodring, Ryan Berkley, Mitch O'Connell, Emily Martin and others if they would let me transform their artwork into embroidery patterns. They said yes! Who will be next?
3. Patterns by illustrators. This is where I play art director. I look for professional illustrators who have a strong personal style, but are also versatile. So far, two illustrators have created sheets for Sublime Stitching: Alicia Traveria, who created Sexy Librarians, Zombies & Monsters (and others) and now Andrée Tracey! One day, perhaps I will have my very own team of illustrators.
A girl can dream, can't she?
