A PEEK INTO MY PROCESS

initial sketch

Sketch of a building with stairs, windows, a circular sun or moon, on a notepad on a cutting mat.

Each piece starts with a rough sketch, either on paper or digitally, to create the initial idea for the composition, build out needed shapes for appliqué, and map out how the pieces will need to be cut, overlapped, and layered.

photo editing

A MacBook Pro displaying Adobe Photoshop with an image of a Victorian house tower being edited.

I often incorporate photographs into my work, which I typically source from photos I’ve personally taken, old family photographs, historical and museum archives, or “found” photographs and ephemera from antique stores. I scan and edit these digitally for color, contrast, and texture, inspired by 19th century tintype development processes.

fabric prep

Various fabric pieces in red, blue, and yellow, spread on a table for a craft project.

Once I have an idea of how the piece will be layered and arranged, I search through my felt and fabric stash for coordinating colors, patterns, and textures. Most of my fabric collection consists of upcycled scraps from past projects and thrift stores. 

Hand cutting out star-shaped designs from fabric with scissors.

 With materials selected, it’s time to cut out my shapes from the fabric for appliqué. Sometimes, I cut freehand for an organic feel. For more intricate shapes or puzzle-pieced designs, I draw paper patterns or create reusable templates first, which I then trace onto the fabric before cutting. At this stage, I also transfer my photographs to fabric to be cut.

For works incorporating transparent “windows” like the one shown, these are planned and cut at this stage, too.

appliqué and embroidery

Appliquéing onto a piece of blue felt.

Next, I fuse, baste, or otherwise temporarily attach the cut-out pieces to my base material or garment. Then it’s over to the sewing machine where I appliqué them on using various stitches and techniques, depending on the look and final use case of the piece. I often incorporate free-motion embroidery, and/or machine-embroidered elements like typography or digitized handwriting.

finishing touches

A fabric wall hanging features a sepia-toned photograph of a Victorian-style house corner with a rounded turretThe wall hanging has a red border with metal grommets at the top corners, and red fabric with white and blue floral patterns at the top left and bottom right.

I add any finishing touches like hand-embroidered details, beadwork, edges and decorative trims, and grommets inspired by traditional felt camp banners to make the piece complete!

Sewing tools and materials on a work surface, including a yellow ruler, a black Sharpie marker, fabric scraps, a glue stick, a blue string, and some tissue paper.
Gray and white cat lying on its side on a carpeted floor, looking at the camera with a relaxed expression.

Finally, I photograph the piece (while procrastinating cleaning up all the scraps and tools that have collected in piles across the studio).