In the April issue of Bustle & Sew Magazine we were delighted to feature the very talented Sarah from Hoffelt & Hooper Co. Sarah is a newbie stitcher and began stitching just over a year ago from her home in Seattle – she picked up an embroidery kit and got the bug! She stitches every day and has quickly built up her business, making lots of floral designs as well as one of a kind personalised hoops and pet portraits.
We asked Sarah what the best thing is about owning her own business. She told us…
“The joy it provides me to be my own boss and express myself creativity. The corporate world was never a good fit for me. I always felt put in a box or like my ideas weren’t worth sharing. My mental health suffered a lot within the office environment, but I’ve been doing really well working from home with my two pups. It gives me the flexibility to be there for my family when they need me. It all around makes me a happier more fulfilled person.”
All of Sarah’s hoops are absolutely gorgeous but we especially love her pet portraits so of course we had to ask her to tell us how she makes them!
“The pet portrait process is quite involved and takes hours to complete one little five inch portrait. First, I need a good quality photo of the pet to work from that displays their facial features. I take that photo and within a design program on my computer I trace the portrait. I draw out fur direction, shadows and highlights in the fur along with facial features. Then I print out my design and trace it onto fabric using a water erasable pen. From there, I select the colors for the fur. I think this is the most difficult part of the process as embroidery floss only comes in so many shades and pets fur is complex with all sorts of colors and highlights. The stitching takes 20 hours or so as I stitch in layers to give the fur depth. It’s a long process, but the end result is so worth it!”
Do go and check out Sarah’s website, Instagram & Etsy shop and be sure to say hello!
You can read the whole interview in the April issue of Bustle & Sew Magazine. Find out more HERE.
Love!