Hallo en welkom to another international addition of Exploring Etsy! I never get tired of being able to explore amazing talent from around the globe at the touch of a button. One of the most uplifting things about putting together this column every month is seeing how unifying the love of needlecraft is, crossing all borders and language barriers we all come together in celebration of this wonderful craft. So let’s all marvel at the latest maker I get to feature, the talented Karin Emsbroek, whose shop ‘Stitched Creatures’ is wondrous.
As a child Karin grew up surrounded by the woodlands in the Netherlands. The forest was her backyard and playground: the trees to climb, the brook for peddling with her boat and the cornfields to play hide and seek. She always enjoyed being outside, even if the rain was pouring down on her. Twenty years later and she still enjoys nature just as much, although she won’t climb trees anymore (unless to rescue her cat). Her love for nature and animals is reflected in her work as an illustrator and textile designer. In 2009 she graduated from the art academy in Utrecht (HKU) as an illustrator, and since then she’s been creating this wonderful world full of stitched creatures.
What is your earliest stitching memory?
My mother used to sew a lot and worked a lot with fabrics, I remember she had a little sewing room in our old house. In my memory it looked like a princess-tower, with windows all around it, and it was filled with little drawers with buttons, beads and other accessories. It was as if I entered someone’s treasure chamber, fantastic!
What fires your imagination?
I’m still dreaming of my own studio, somewhere in the center of a lovely old city in The Netherlands… I would create a fantastic world full of stitched creatures for everyone to visit, and enough space for me to work in.. that would be awesome! Maybe in the near future…
Karin’s powerful and unique style really makes her stitched creatures shine, each one chock full of character. It’s always so exciting when an artist’s voice is so bold. To see more of her beautiful work please do pop along to her Etsy shop!
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Jessica Taylor aka Loadofolbobbins is a Textile Artist and Illustrator based by the sea in Portsmouth. At her happiest with a needle and thread, with a passion for genealogy she often explores old photographs in her Textile art. With her fingers in many creative pies she loves to experiment with new techniques, creating illustrated and stitched goodies for her new Etsy shop.
