iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 04/04/2025

We’re SO excited for Camp Craftaway! You can try so many fun #crafts over one weekend. You’ll definitely pick up a new hobby (or two or three). #Seattle

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 03/04/2025

Moles are so cute! I embroidered this one for week 30 of my 52 Weeks to Ms. Frizzle project, where I’m stitching a new animal on the same upcycled dress for every week of a year. #embroidery #craftsy

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Reposted by Sara Barnes

Caitscapes @caitscapes.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Finished waterfall embroidery that I’d like to live inside of. #embroidery #art #artist

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 01/04/2025

Trompe l’oeil lace and beaded potted plants: two links I shared in my weekly fiber-focused newsletter, Orts! Here are 5 creatively inspiring things and 5 ways for you to DIY: orts.kit.com/posts/trompe... (Photo by Lora Avedian, another link I shared!)

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 24/03/2025

I love miniatures, and I'm obsessed with these impossibly tiny, hand-woven baskets by Suzie Grieve, aka Foraged Fibres! www.brwnpaperbag.com/foraged-fibr...

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 17/03/2025

I’ve been working on this bat hat for a while. It started by dyeing an off-white hat with indigo. Now, I’m enhancing it with #embroidery! #craftsky

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 15/03/2025

If you like hand embroidery, fiber art, and making things, check out Orts, my weekly newsletter where I share links to it all! Here's what I published today: orts.kit.com/posts/stitch...

orts.kit.com

Stitching passports and a duck fanny pack 🦆

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 05/03/2025

We had fake spring in Seattle last week, and it made me wish it was here already! I picked out some springy hand embroidery patterns if you want a jumpstart on the season: www.brwnpaperbag.com/spring-craft...

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 27/02/2025

Aw! The red panda patch is from my DIY embroidery kit. Emily did an amazing job on it!

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 25/02/2025

Crafters and craft-curious people in #Seattle and beyond: @mcreativej.com and I run Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults! Come meet people and make cool stuff this summer, August 1 - 3: www.campcraftaway.fun #craftsky #crafts #logoff

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 22/02/2025

I finished embroidering an elephant shrew on my dress! Next up is a mole with a worm in its mouth #craftsky #upcycling #embroidery

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 20/02/2025

Iyo Okumi’s embroideries remind me of pen drawings. Each stitched line is like a hatch mark! www.brwnpaperbag.com/iyo-okumi-li...

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 10/02/2025

Caroline Harrius' vases are only complete once they're embroidered. Such incredible details: www.brwnpaperbag.com/caroline-har...

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 07/02/2025

What are some early 2000s video game soundtracks that you love? I find it's easier to focus when I listen to The Sims original video game soundtrack when I work #videogames #y2k #soundtracks

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 06/02/2025

This crochet frog purse pattern might be the push I need to finally learn crochet: www.alexandriamasse.com/patterns/fro... (PS I featured this link in my newsletter, Orts, last week! orts.kit.com/posts/melty-...)

alexandriamasse.com

Frog Purse (free) — Alexandria Masse

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 06/02/2025

I’ve been stitching wild animals on the same upcycled dress for over 2 years. I’m on 29/52 animal species: an elephant shrew. The #embroidery is about halfway done. Not sure what animal I’ll stitch next. Any suggestions? #crafts #craftsky #upcycle #wildanimals

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Reposted by Sara Barnes

emily 🪩🍒 @enchantedplanet.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

work in progress!! 🐛 due to the overwhelming demand from my previous post of this piece, I will be auctioning it off on ebay! it should be happening in the next day or two. my username is shopenchantedplanet. i’ll let you know on bluesky as well when it’s going up! will be a buy it now option too!

Work in progress hand embroidered decor of the very hungry caterpillar with fruits and ‘eat the rich’ written on it

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 28/01/2025

Working on my 52 Weeks to Ms. Frizzle project, where I’m stitching a new wild animal on the same upcycled dress for every week of a year. This is week 29, the elephant shrew! #embroidery #upcycle #wildanimals

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 27/01/2025

I received a copy of Christi Johnson’s new #embroidery book, The Art of Embroidery Design. It’s great! If you’re yearning for a way to express yourself through embroidery—even if you say “I can’t draw,” Christi is here to guide you through it: orts.kit.com/posts/how-th...

orts.kit.com

How 'The Art of Embroidery Design' will help you hone your creative voice

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 21/01/2025

I’m upcycling this hat! I bought it off Poshmark and dyed with indigo. Now, I’m finishing up a bat embroidery 🦇 #embroidery #upcycle #crafts #bats

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Reposted by Sara Barnes

Colossal @thisiscolossal.com · 20/01/2025

Relatable. Work by Jean Jullien

a giant figurative sculpture lays on its back on the grass with headphones and wide eyes

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Reposted by Sara Barnes

Jess Kemper | Field Guide Embroidery @fieldguideembroid.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

Looking for other artists and makers that find their inspiration through nature and wildlife! Let’s be friends! Embroidery here 🙋‍♀️ let’s see yours!

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 19/01/2025

I published Orts, my weekly newsletter! It’s my 5/5 format featuring 5 creatively inspiring projects, 5 ways got you to DIY: orts.kit.com/posts/what-t... #embroidery #fiberart #textileart

orts.kit.com

What to do "when your brain goes on strike"

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 17/01/2025

WIP time! I’m almost done embroidering this custom pet portrait. I’m using my digital drawing as a guide where to put my thread color and stitches #embroidery #crafts

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 13/01/2025

I've been thinking a lot about algorithms lately, questioning whether I like a trend or have seen it so much that I have no choice but to like it. It made me think about four artistic influences introduced to me before the modern-day algorithms took over our lives! orts.kit.com/posts/who-ar...

orts.kit.com

Who are the artists inspiring you?

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 09/01/2025

Bernie Kaminiski immortalizes everyday objects as paper mache sculptures. This is a junk drawer! See more: www.brwnpaperbag.com/bernie-kamin...

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 04/01/2025

I used to say one of my favorite things was clicking around on the internet. I like gathering links! In this week's Orts, I share my 5/5 - five links of inspiring art (or artists) and five ways for you to DIY

orts.kit.com

Furby parts as recycled art

It's 5/5 - 5 inspiring art/artists and 5 ways for you to DIY!

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 01/01/2025

I wrote in my blog for the first time in months! I always pick a word of the year—this year is consistent—which was partially inspired by my inconsistency in writing!!! But here's why I'm back, for real this time www.brwnpaperbag.com/2025-reflect...

brwnpaperbag.com

Picking a 2025 Word While Sounding Like an Aging Millennial

Join me as I share my word of the year for 2025 and sound a little like "old man yells at cloud."

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Reposted by Sara Barnes

Craft Industry Alliance @craftindustryalliance.org · 20/12/2024

Interested in the crafts industry? Check out our Starter Pack full of awesome crafty Bluesky accounts: go.bsky.app/Mipq9vB

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 27/11/2024

This was a very satisfying image to make: a smattering of my custom pup pet portrait patches #embroidery #petportraits #crafts

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 24/11/2024

How do you store your embroidery floss? I ranked 5 ways I’ve stored it, from least to most effective (for me). orts.kit.com/posts/rankin... My not-so scientific rankings are in my newsletter called Orts, which shares threads of creativity 🧵

orts.kit.com

Ranking the 5 ways I've stored thread

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Sara Barnes @brwnpaperbag.com · 24/11/2024

I started embroidering on this upcycled dress at the beginning of 2023. It's called 52 Weeks to Ms. Frizzle, and I'm stitching a new wild animal on the dress for every week of a year. Here are some of my favorite animals so far! #embroidery #upcycle

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