Embroidery and Redwork artistry
I sat down with Tisha Dolton, also known as Aprilsongstress, about her art of choice, embroidery. She does redwork, portraits, and recently did Doctors from Doctor Who.
Why did you make the Doctor Who series?
“I was searching for Doctor Who embroidery patterns because a bunch of my friends love the show. I came across this great site called Fandom In Stitches that focuses on creating embroidery & quilt patterns for a variety of fandoms like Harry Potter, Disney, etc. It’s like fanfiction for crafters. They were in the middle of a Doctor Who stitch-a-long (#DWSAL) & I decided to join the fun.”
How do you create the pictures for your embroidery?
“Well, for my embroidered portraits, I start with a photocopy of a photograph. I generally blow them up to 8×10 so the image fits on a regular sheet of paper. Next I take a pencil & trace an outline of the face, hair, etc. Then I use a fine tip Sharpie to solidify the lines I want, creating the embroidery pattern. Then I use that to transfer the pattern onto fabric & embroider away.” She talks about the process on her blog.
What was your favorite piece you’ve made?
“My favorite pieces are the embroidered portraits I do of my daughter. She takes great selfies. She’s so funny, sarcastic, smart, creative & beautiful. She inspires me every day.”
Tell me about using children’s drawings with embroidery.
“I was fascinated by my daughter’s drawings. We dubbed them ‘Fiona’s Famous Monsters’. I basically traced them & tried to match the color she used. I’ve embroidered drawings done by my niece, & nephews, & friend’s kids. They make truly unique keepsake gifts for family & friends.”
Such amazing art and creativity! Visit her Etsy site.
