Nature, Needlepoint, and a Dash of Wonder

Skye hails from the misty, green paradise that is the Pacific Northwest—think towering pines, ocean breezes, and perhaps a bit of beachcombing along the Puget Sound. A girl after my own feathered heart! She spends her days creating art that blends the beauty of the natural world with a playful curiosity, and lucky for us, some of her most delightful creations have flown (get it?) straight into our needlepoint kits!

One of her most charming works, "Home Is Where My Boots Are," is an ode to both rugged Western boots and spring's most glorious blooms. Picture this: A pair of cowboy boots—not on feet, but sprouting flowers! Talk about walking on sunshine, or should I say, rooted in style. As Skye puts it, “Yeehaw! I love a good unconventional vase for displaying spring’s bounty.” Don't we all? I mean, if I had hands (wing problem, you know), I'd be filling every pair of boots with daisies and tulips.

Then there’s her "Momentary Flight" series, which captures the pure joy of a dog catching a frisbee mid-air. Skye's fascination with those furry frisbee fanatics is evident in every swoop and arc of the artwork. She muses, “There’s a beauty in that singular moment of antigravity, knowing that all else but the dog and frisbee must be falling away.” Ah, to fly without wings—what a dream! (And here I am, a bird who hasn’t quite figured out how to stitch yet!)

Skye’s journey as an artist began with fine art painting and printmaking at Bard College, and later she pursued an MFA in graphic design from the Maryland Institute College of Art. After stints at Nike and Connecting Threads, she spread her creative wings and launched her own studio in 2020. These days, when she's not working on her delightful designs, you might find her in her garden or combing the beaches of the Pacific Northwest—probably searching for treasures that will spark her next creation.

What I adore most about Skye's work is how she marries the rugged with the delicate, the familiar with the magical. Through her art, she reminds us to slow down, look around, and notice the small wonders in life, whether it’s a pair of weathered boots or the wag of a dog’s tail mid-leap. She brings a breath of fresh air into our homes and our stitching kits, inspiring us to explore the wild side of needlepoint!