Wearable Needlework

Embroidered and stitched accessories and clothing have been around for a long time, but it seems like the trend of using embroidery, cross-stitch and needlepoint to stitch things like buttons, earrings, headbands, barrettes, bags, and more has been coming back. After a recent search on Etsy, I came across a few shops owned by crafters who really caught my eye. The theme was wearable needlework!

The Pin Pals, run by artists Samantha Purdy and Sara Guindon, whose blog you can see here , have a really fun Etsy store. I definitely lost track of time looking at all of their goodies and also perusing their Flickr page, where you can see other projects they've done and also some craft shows they have participated in! One of my favorite products that they sell and show are these great barrettes. They've really found a way to use relatively simple designs and create something really sweet and wearable. I know I would love to wear these! Another great way to incorporate their buttons is shown to the left. The acorn buttons really add a really pretty accent to the dress.

Another crafter I came across is Claudia Dominguez, who runs the store Deep Indigo on Etsy. You can also browse her Flickr page to see other crafts that she has done. I really love these rosebud earrings. They are so dainty, and I love the combination of the delicate embroidered flower and the herringbone fabric. One of the other products she sells in her shop are these charming zippers. They are embroidered around the edge, so that when you sew them, you will be able to see the embroidered details, which would really add a special touch to whatever project you were sewing.

Something probably everyone has seen are embroidered blouses like this one, also from Etsy at the store Purple Deer Vintage. It isn't hard to find embroidered shirts, but if you are confident and ambitious, you could definitely embroider your own shirt. There are many different patterns and motifs in books and online. We definitely have a good selection here at the shop of books with different embroidery templates which you could use as a starter to creating your own.

As a testament to how needlepoint and needlework is becoming more popular, this Baguette Needlepoint Kit can be found on Neiman Marcus' website. It is a Fendi bag that includes the thread, three design cards, needles, and thimbles. Needlepoint purses and clutches are definitely a popular item here at the shop, and this just goes to show that they aren't exclusive to needlepoint shops!