Orts: Threads of Creativity
Orts is newsletter collecting small snippets of creativity: embroiderers, textile artists, illustrators, DIY projects, and how we can make time for our creative endeavors. Published on Fridays.
Needlepoint purses and 'King of the Hill' crochet
Sharing threads of creativity 🧵 Written by Sara Barnes Hi again! Welcome to this week's 5/5 link pack: 5 creatively inspiring projects (and/or people) and 5 ways for you to DIY. If you like link recommendation newsletters (I'm guessing you do since you're reading this!), I've got a suggestion for you: The High Low. It's a free weekly newsletter with curated culture for the chronically online. Each edition features links to highbrow content (think art exhibition openings) alongside lowbrow...
Pipe cleaner vases and rogue mosaics
Sharing threads of creativity 🧵 Written by Sara Barnes Hello! Welcome to this week's 5/5 link pack: 5 creatively inspiring projects (and/or people) and 5 ways for you to DIY. 🗣️ Tell me! Do you feed crows? This summer, I've started feeding the crows who hang around my house. At first, it was a way to entertain my cat, Otis, but now I'm obsessed with them. If you feed crows, reply to this email and tell me your tips and tricks. 👉 ICYMI: This puffy lampshade was the most clicked link in the...
Puffy lampshades and knitted notebooks
Sharing threads of creativity 🧵 Written by Sara Barnes Hi, hello! I hope your summer is going well so far. If you're new to Orts, this week is my 5/5 link pack: 5 creatively inspiring projects (and/or people) and 5 ways for you to DIY. 🗣️ Tell me! What's inspiring your creativity? What projects are you working on? Reply to this email and let me know! (And scroll down for mine.) 👉 ICYMI: This pair of "paint splattered" embroidered jeans was the most clicked link in the last 5/5. Tessa Perlow ✨...
A million embroidery stitches and historical cookie decorating
Sharing threads of creativity 🧵 Written by Sara Barnes In typical Sara fashion, my April 12th email, in which I said "see ya in a couple of weeks," was not two weeks. Dear reader, it's been nearly two months. We skipped from the middle of spring to (practically) the first official day of summer. (FWIW, my summer started when this season of Love Island USA aired on June 3.) If you've subscribed to Orts within the last couple of months (hello!), this week is my 5/5 link pack: 5 creatively...
Love letter bloomers and a flower vase vest
Sharing threads of creativity 🧵 Written by Sara Barnes I don’t have much to say this week, so I’ll keep this intro brief. If you’re new to this newsletter (hello!), this week is my 5/5 link pack: 5 creatively inspiring projects (and/or people) and 5 ways for you to DIY. PS: I've got a couple of trips planned over the next two weeks, so I'm taking a break from the newsletter until May 3. Next week, I'll be in Kansas City, MO, and the following week, I'll be in Ventura, CA, for Craftcation. If...
Trompe l’oeil lace and beaded potted plants 🪴
Sharing threads of creativity 🧵 Written by Sara Barnes I have hydrangeas planted in front of my home. I really like them, but in the years my husband and I have owned the home I feel like they aren't... reaching their full potential. This is definitely our fault, but this year I am serious about their growth. I write all that to say that I have some news you might be able to use. I am trying to figure out what fertilizer I'll need, but that depends on the PH balance of the soil. Well, I don't...
How to protect your skin from scratchy threads 🧵
Sharing threads of creativity 🧵 Written by Sara Barnes Whenever I talk about stitching on clothes, one question inevitably comes up: doesn't the embroidery feel scratchy on your skin? It can, but don't let that discourage you from embroidering your clothes! There's a material you can use to ensure that doesn't happen. It's Sulky brand Tender Touch. (It's one of my DOs for upcycling your clothing with embroidery.) What is Tender Touch? Tender Touch is a lightweight stabilizer meant to protect...
Stitching passports and a duck fanny pack 🦆
Sharing threads of creativity 🧵 Written by Sara Barnes I tend to alternate periods where I'm consuming a lot of television and when I'm listening to podcasts and audiobooks. I'm in the podcasts-and-audiobooks cycle and have three recommendations (that no one asked for). I just finished Sea of Lies. It's a true crime podcast series that looks back at a case where a man was found dead in the ocean by two fisherman back in the '90s. It's wild! Noble is another true crime podcast examining what...
5 embroidery supplies to help simplify your stitching
Sharing threads of creativity 🧵 Written by Sara Barnes Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the things I own. I've mentioned before that I'm having a low-buy year, which means taking stock of everything I use and how it's serving me. This includes embroidery and crafting supplies. Some things, while great, aren't must-haves for me. But others are; they make my embroidery a little easier. Without further ado, here's my list of five supplies that I use regularly. What's on your list? I'd love...
A Craft Atlas and a secondhand fabric stores map 🗺️
Sharing threads of creativity 🧵 Written by Sara Barnes The way I write my 5/5 newsletters is that I collect links whenever I see something interesting. I save them on Instagram, add them to my project on Notion... the point is that I don't have a central place where all the links live. So when I start writing, sometimes a theme inadvertently emerges. That's what happened this week! I'm sharing many 3D embroideries—including a new book coming out. Scroll down to see them. 👉 ICYMI: This secret...
Orts is newsletter collecting small snippets of creativity: embroiderers, textile artists, illustrators, DIY projects, and how we can make time for our creative endeavors. Published on Fridays.