Jessica Anderson has been a maker her entire life. She always has a project in the works. Her favorite part of the process? Designing and trying new techniques.
Why textiles? Why embroidery? How did you get started? How did you get into what you do creatively?
My mom taught me how to sew and cross stitch when I was young, so I’ve always been interested in textiles and embroidery. She is an excellent seamstress and liked to make me and my sisters matching Easter and Christmas dresses.
When I found myself bored as a stay-at-home mom, I realized crafts helped me stay sane. I started my craft blog in 2010 as a way to share what I was making. I post all kinds of crafts there, but my favorite things are embroidery and sewing.
What do you do differently? What is your signature that makes your work stand out as yours?
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
I like to think that I make embroidery a little more approachable for everyone. With a craft that has been around for so long, sometimes there are people who feel the need to be the “embroidery police” and tell you how you should and shouldn’t be doing it. All that does is make a beginner feel overwhelmed.
I say, jump right in and start creating things! You can figure out how to do it the “right” way later, or just be happy with what you made by following your own rules. My work is usually simple but fun with cute colors and motifs.
What do you do to develop your skills? How do you get better at what you do?
I watch videos and read books to learn new things because I’m still learning myself.
I love picking up old craft books at thrift stores because the techniques haven’t changed much, and old books are just neat. Plus, added bonus, I get to walk around the thrift store to find other treasures!
What is the most important takeaway you want readers to gain from your new book 30-Day Challenge: Embroidery?
I’d like them to feel like it’s okay to just start stitching fun designs without much experience. You only need to know a few stitches to make something really beautiful, and hopefully they have a good time learning.
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
I love nature and flowers, which is probably apparent in most of my designs. I like to search and scroll through images of flower bouquets, watercolor paintings, and even sometimes tattoos to be inspired by their colors and motifs.
When it comes to creating, are you more of a planner or an improviser?
I am a planner for sure. I hate when projects don’t turn out the way I envisioned, so I make sure to plan as much as possible before starting one.
How do you manage your creative time? Do you schedule start and stop times? Or work only when inspired?
I try to schedule time, but I’m horrible at sticking to my own schedules. I mostly just work when inspired so I don’t get burnt out. It makes for a pretty sporadic posting schedule on my blog and YouTube channel, but that’s what works best for me.
Are you a “finisher”? How many UFOs do you think you have?
I am a major finisher. In fact, once started, I often get so obsessed with finishing things that I ignore everything else until the project is done. If my house is a mess, and my kids are eating cereal for dinner, you know I’m creating something good.
Describe your creative space.
My creative space is organized chaos. I share it with my kids, so there are always a million little projects sitting around that everyone is working on. It’s also where the piano is, so my kids come in while I’m working to practice their music. The walls are covered in my embroidery creations and other artwork, so it’s just a happy place to be.
Do you use a sketchbook or journal? How does that help your work develop?
I used to use a sketchbook until I got an ipad to draw on. The ipad makes it easier to draw and share my patterns digitally, and I find it pretty enjoyable to use. I also have random lists of ideas or quotes I like on my phone so I can refer back to them when I need inspiration.
How often do you start a new project? Do you work actively on more than one project at a time?
I’m constantly working on something just to keep my hands busy, and usually one thing at a time. They aren’t always things that I share on my blog or social media, but I go crazy if I don’t have something to do.
Can you tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works? How does a new work come about?
My work usually starts out as a sketch I drew, a quote I find, or both.
The embroidery with the tree, for example, is one of the first things I ever sketched. I didn’t use it until years later, when I found a quote that I loved from Winnie the Pooh. The quote really resonated with me at the time since my kids were home a lot more because of Covid. If one good thing came out of that for us, it was that my kids got to be at home and play so much. They had so much time to just be kids, have fun, and make memories. I created the pattern and embroidered it during that time, and it’s one of my favorites to look at.
Which part of the design process is your favorite? Which part is a challenge for you?
My favorite part is the design phase. It’s so fun and easy to dream up new designs and draw them.
The most challenging part is getting everything ready to share online. Editing photos or videos, writing up a blog post, putting final touches on a digital pattern, etc. Those things are boring! I just want to make pretty things all day, not do actual work!
How has your work changed over time?
I think I started out making things that I was really inspired to create, so they were more magical and whimsical.
At some point it turned into just churning out things for the sake of having something to post. Now I think I’m back to only creating and sharing things that really inspire me, and that definitely feels better.
I’m trying out different techniques and stitches, which makes things more fun and interesting for me. I think my readers/subscribers appreciate it too, even if they have to wait a little bit longer for new content.
What traits, if any, do you think that creative people have as compared to people who are not creative?
For me it’s just the joy of coming up with a new idea and having the determination to follow through with its creation. I don’t have any special skills that I was born with or anything like that. I love designing and trying new things. Once I have an idea that I’m excited about, it takes a lot to stop me from executing it.
Where can people see your work?
I post most everything I make on my blog, cutesycrafts.com. I also post tutorials on my YouTube channel @CutesyCrafts and I pop in every now and then to share things I’m doing on my Instagram @cutesy_crafts. And, of course, my new book 30-Day Challenge: Embroidery that you can preorder on Amazon now. It has 30 new projects to teach 30 stitches plus 2 challenge projects at the end. They are all so cute and fun!
Interview posted December 2023
Browse through more hand embroidery projects and inspiration on Create Whimsy.