Nichole Vogelsinger has never met a fabric she didn’t want to stitch, bead, or layer with color and texture. What started as a few cross stitches with her mom has grown into Wildboho—a vibrant world of embroidery, mixed media, and joyful creativity. Her love of fibers, fearless use of color, and willingness to experiment make every piece a celebration of making.
Tell us more about how you first got into stitching and fiber arts.
Like a lot of people in the arts, I dabbled in all sorts of making when I was young.
My first introduction to stitching came from my mom, who taught me cross-stitch. To be honest, I wasn’t very good at it! Looking back, it makes sense…patterns and I have never really gotten along. Even now, I prefer creating without them. I still have the cross-stitch bookmark I managed to finish back then, and honestly, I’d do it all again, struggles and all, because it taught me that you can make plenty of mistakes and still end up with something you’re proud of.
From those early stitches in elementary school, I moved on to jewelry making, macramé, and latch hook in high school. Later, while working a not-so-creative office job, I’d spend my evenings making collaged metal jewelry pieces to keep that creative spark alive.
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When I became a mom, I realized I needed my creative projects to be more flexible. They had to be portable. I loved fabric but didn’t want to use a sewing machine. I needed to flex my creativity…and that’s when wildboho began.
When did wildboho begin?
In 2012, I started looking at fabric differently…not just as something to sew with a machine, but as material that could be collaged together and brought to life with hand stitching.
Around that same time, Instagram was just starting to become the place for artists to share their work and creative process. I didn’t want to overwhelm my friends with endless photos of what I was making, so I created wildboho on Instagram, where I could happily flood strangers’ feeds instead!
Looking back, I really credit Instagram for giving me that early boost. It was such a vibrant space for creative people then, and it helped me find a place in the embroidery world, which was still just beginning to grow online.
My designs have changed so much since those early days of wildboho. They are now bursting with color and texture, so many beads and sequins. I just love to play with fibers and take my work in different directions.
Was there a special project that made you say, “This is me!”?
My first projects were very simple. You can actually scroll thousands of posts back on my Instagram and see them all! The very first series I worked on was a little fox motif (from fabric by Andie Hanna for Robert Kaufman) that I appliquéd onto rough wool fabric.
The stitches were basic: entirely back stitch. The design was straightforward: just that dapper little fox. At the time, embroidery hoop art wasn’t popular at all, so every time I posted, I’d get comments asking, “What’s this for?” or “What do you do with it?”
But I kept going, making dozens of those fox hoops on textured wool backgrounds, often cut from old suit coats. That was the moment I realized how much I loved working with fiber and how stitching could transform even the simplest idea into something special.
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
So much of my inspiration comes from the natural world…flowers, gardens, bees… But I’m equally inspired by music and art. Honestly, I feel like inspiration can be everywhere if you stay open to it.
When I do hit a creative block, my favorite reset is to spend time in an art museum or wander through a garden. Just being in those spaces, soaking it all in, gives my mind room to wander until new ideas start to swirl around and take shape.
What role does color and pattern play when you start a new piece?
I am all about color! Almost every piece I make begins with a color palette, and from there everything else falls into place and begins to take shape.
I love the process of building a palette: starting with the fabric, then layering in threads and fibers, and finally finishing with beads and other dimensional details. Color is always the foundation that guides the rest of the work.
Describe your creative space.
My studio is at home, and recently I’ve been able to expand it just a little bit. We live in a very old house with tiny rooms and no storage, so I’ve gotten pretty good at making the most of every inch of space!
I work at a large table with plenty of overhead lighting…good light is absolutely essential for what I do. A comfortable chair is just as important! I also rely on lots of open shelving and I’ve learned that clear storage is what keeps me the most organized.
How do you organize all of your threads, beads, fabrics and more? Any tips?
Over the years I’ve experimented with all kinds of organization, and I’ve finally figured out what works best for me: clear acrylic storage. I need to see my supplies – if I can’t see them, I forget they exist! Plus, I just love being surrounded by the textures and colors of threads, vials of sequins and strands of beads.
I organize some things by color and others by type. For example, I keep my Eleganza spools of thread on the wall, arranged by size, while my other threads live in clear bins sorted by color.
My best tip is to organize in a way that helps you actually use what you have. Keeping things accessible makes it so much easier to pull the right bead, thread, or fabric when you need it. While I like to say I work in “organized chaos,” it’s a system that works for me…and I encourage others to find their own version of organized chaos too!
Tell us more about layering your stitches, beads and more to create your designs.
When I’m creating, I also think in terms of layers. Every piece starts with a base layer of fabric and then I’ll add flat details like fill stitches or sequins. From there, I build up dimension with textured stitches and beads. Working in layers not only helps me stay organized in the process, but it also gives the final piece more depth and richness.
Whether I am working with a printed fabric or a solid fabric, all of my projects start the same way: by choosing the fabric. I especially love working with botanical prints and often treat them the way someone might use an embroidery pattern. The fabric design becomes the pattern and then I will add my stitches and other design elements to that fabric. If I’m starting with a solid fabric, then I know I’m either dreaming up a new design or I’m building a color palette piece.
Once the fabric decision has been made, I move on to threads. I always pull more supplies than I could possibly use because I like to give myself options (even if most of them get put back in their bins, unused!) From there, I pick beads, sequins and any other fibers I think might work their way into the fabric. Having everything spread out in front of me is part of the fun of beginning a new project!
What do you do when something doesn’t feel quite right?
I think it’s so important to take progress photos while working on a piece. I’ll take a picture on my phone and then look at it there, on the phone. Seeing the project on the screen gives me a completely different perspective. Suddenly, the spot that feels off or needs a little extra attention (usually!) jumps right out at me. There’s just something about viewing your work in a photo that helps you catch those details you might overlook when you’re up close with the needle and thread.
But if I’m still struggling with a piece, I’ll set it aside for a few days and just look at it from a distance. I have a piano downstairs in our house in an area that I pass through multiple times, every day. I will set a piece on the piano and just look at it throughout the day to determine what bothers me about the piece. That also helps…giving myself time to mull over the piece.
And if all else fails and something just bothers me so much that I don’t even feel like working on the piece anymore, then I stop. I’ll rip out the beads, cut out the threads and I’ll either start from scratch or I will scrap it and start something new! That is a drastic measure that I only occasionally employ!
Do you have a tip that can help make someone’s embroidery pop?
If you are someone who embroiders with just thread, then I suggest adding in something new. You don’t need to go overboard with lots of layers or lots of dimension. Just add one thing. If you’ve never stitched with beads, maybe add some beads. That will be an unexpected twist for your work and will absolutely be the pop you need to take it to the next level.
If you already stitch with beads, try a new fiber, maybe even needle felting. Again, that will be the pop you need to take it to your next level. Everyone will have their own comfort zone that they stay in and so just by adding a new element every now and then, it will keep you growing and will keep your work fresh and exciting.
Where would you suggest beginners start? Do you have a recommended project?
I’m currently running a “Needles Out Embroidery Challenge” on my YouTube channel. www.youtube.com/@Wildboho
For that challenge, I’m encouraging viewers to choose a piece of fabric that they love. Maybe something that has been sitting in a stash, waiting to be used. Or maybe it gives you the excuse you need to buy a fabric that you love but weren’t sure how to use it! With that fabric, we are working our way through all of the stitches from my newest book. I’m also working the stitches and beads on a piece of fabric and demonstrating how to use each stitch in a way that works for the fabric design.
This is an excellent way for beginners to get started because it is a fun and not overwhelming challenge! Begin any time and view the series of videos at your own pace. I’m releasing one every week or so (see how relaxed the challenge is?!)
Jumping into embroidery with a patterned fabric is what I always recommend to beginning (and not-so-beginning) stitchers!
Can you ever put too many beads or sequins on a project? Can you go overboard?
My heart wants to answer this by saying “absolutely not! Add all of the beads! And all of the sequins! Just keep going…the sky is the limit!” But that’s not completely true and my fingers would answer differently!
You can go overboard and it can be challenging to know when a project is officially finished. This is where taking pictures can again be so helpful. When I think I am done with a piece, I take a picture and look at it to see if anything stands out as needing more.
You want your eye to flow through a piece and not focus on any one thing in particular. So if I am able to look at the picture I’ve taken and let my eyes drift over the whole piece without stopping at any one spot, then I know I am done.
Are you the kind of person who works on one project at a time from start to finish? Or do you work on multiple projects at the same time?
I’m absolutely the kind of person who always has a stack of projects going and usually more than I can count!
And it’s not just embroidery; I’ve got crochet, needlepoint, and plenty of other experiments in the mix too.
On top of that, I create monthly online classes for John Bead Company and Michaels craft stores, which means I’m constantly juggling multiple stitching projects along with recording and editing videos.
Then there are the videos I produce for my own YouTube channel, plus planning for the in-person classes I teach. And every now and then, I even sneak in a project that’s just for me…purely for the joy of making!
Tell us more about your book Needles Out. What can readers expect?
I feel that of my three books in the Boho Embroidery series, Needles Out! is the book that has the most of me in it. As far as content, Needles Out! takes you into the mixed-media world of embroidery. So the techniques include embroidery with needle felting, fabric painting, applique and beadwork.
This book is really all about adding texture and dimension to your embroidery and the textured front and back cover of the book give a glimpse of everything that is contained within.
I also have a very personal connection to this book because I was able to be involved in the entire process of the creation of the book. Besides writing it and creating all of the projects in the book, I had the special opportunity to be very involved in the photography and design elements of the book.
My editor rented a gorgeously restored Victorian house in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania and flew in the photographers from the UK while he traveled from California. We spent a very busy few days as a group taking all of the photographs in the house and around the town with all of the projects. It was a delight to be able to have such a big part in that process, which I wasn’t able to have with my first two books. This book really was a labor of love that I am so crazy proud of and I really think that is evident when you crack open the cover!
How do you balance designing, executing the work, teaching and your personal life?
This is a great question and hopefully someone out there will have balanced advice for me on how to juggle it all!
I’m kidding….kind of. My family puts up with a lot and I put up with a lot from them too! We are all in creative endeavors. My husband is a teacher and is also an author. My sons both play instruments (trumpet and drums) and are also into art (one is into photography and one is into oil painting) and so our very old house (remember, the one that doesn’t have much storage?!) is home to all of those creative endeavors. At any given time in the dining room, there is a stack of papers being graded, an oil painting in progress in one corner and trumpet practice in the other corner!
That being said, my work life and personal life are very intertwined. Because my studio is in my house, I can flow from work, where I’m filming an embroidery video, to household chores and then back to an embroidery project. It mostly works most of the time!
Where can people see your work?
I still use Instagram (@wildboho) as the main spot where I share what I am creating.
I am also on Facebook (@wildboho) and have created a group for anyone stitch along with the Needles Out YouTube challenge (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2266170423831864)
I have free and virtual classes with John Bead (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk1qnFqfoQ5rSUJFg3_9pRftUeurqzryh&si=Kyqh4LjcAnGsdaam)
As well as free classes for Michaels (the latest https://www.michaels.com/class/vod/desert-jewels-embroidery-with-beads-1119193911 )
I also teach in person at various retreats, quilt shops and QuiltCon.
You can also read my substack https://substack.com/@wildboho or my website! www.wildboho.com
Phew, that’s a lot!
I’m so grateful to everyone who has followed along with my embroidery journey…whether you’re here simply because you love color, enjoy watching the process unfold, or just find inspiration in the stitches.
Thank you as well to those who have purchased my book, borrowed it from the library or shared it with friends. Your support means so much to me.
Every bit of encouragement, from a kind word to a recommendation, helps keep me creating and sharing and I can’t thank you enough!
Interview posted October 2025
Browse through more hand embroidery projects and inspiration on Create Whimsy.