Becca Nicolaides is an illustrator working in pen and thread. She lives in Uxbridge (Greater London) with her husband and two year old son.

How did you get into embroidery?

I’m self taught and spent a lot of my childhood working on the basic cross stitch kits you can get for kids.  I watched my nan sew a lot and she still does now. Embroidery was just a bit of a hobby, always something I flitted back to; I found it calming and relaxing to do. I left my main job in the creative industry after eight years due to a number of reasons – anxiety, stress, burn out. I had nothing more creatively to give. Embroidery calmed my mind and stopped me over thinking, I found I completely switched off whilst I was sewing; a feeling that I hadn’t felt for a very long time. With the support of my family I was able to spend any free hours stitching, it wasn’t long before the creative mojo and confidence came back.

Do you have a background in design?

 I studied Illustration at Kent Institute of Art and Design (now part of UCCA) and graduated with a First. I struggled to find a style for the most part of my course. It wasn’t until I started concentrating on drawing what was actually in front of me, rather than drawing what I thought I saw (a saying of my dads “draw what you see, not what you think you see”)  to try and capture movement, gesture, personality and recognisable shapes that with one look, people can identify or relate to. Going from pen to thread seemed like a natural step, as I love to draw and embroidery has always been such a relaxing thing to do combining them just happened.

What are some of your favourite stitches?

I don’t have any favourite ones, just ones I typically use which seem to be a kind of back stitch mixed with satin stitch! I’m not a professional and I don’t use the correct terminology most of the time when it comes to technique, I just simply draw and paint with thread. I try and use the stitches to emulate my pencil lines so they are never uniform in length, they simply flow with the curve and line of the drawing in order to recreate the image.

Are there any stitches you’re keen on learning?

I’m starting to move into embellishment so I’ve been looking into the ‘correct’ way to work with sequins, beads etc. Which stitches work the best and how the fabric you use can determine how they all sit together.

Where do you get your materials and threads from?

A mixture of small independent sewing shops and eBay occasionally I have to frequent Hobby Craft for bits and pieces when time is short but I find it quite overpriced.

How do you start a new piece of work, what’s your design process?

I use Pinterest for pose references, once I’ve got the angle of face and body I then draw and redraw in my sketchbook until I’m happy. Most of the time a good design comes without trying. I then use my computer to shrink the design down to fit in my hoop and trace it onto fabric using my light box. I either use a blue clover pen or more recently a Frixion pen to transfer the design (I can get finer lines with this).

Are you overwhelmed with designs and ideas or does it take time to find new embroideries to stitch?

I have to be in the mood to draw which is frustrating as I can’t just turn it on and create something. Some days I can’t seem to draw at all (in that case I opt for something non stitching related and come back to it later on! When I’m on a run the designs flow one after the other and I get excited about bringing them to life with thread. 

Do you embroider for fun or is it a full time job?

I’m a full time mum to my little one and embroider when he takes naps (sometimes this doesn’t happen!) and or when he goes to bed. It’s a juggle and is purely dependant on when he naps or goes to bed. That could mean I don’t get to stitch until 8/9pm some nights and they aren’t the most productive evenings. I realise I am extremely lucky to have this set up so I can’t grumble on those failed nap days being mum comes first.  I don’t sew when he’s awake as there’s too many fiddly bits needles and beads (plus sticky toddler fingers).  He’s seen my work though and can recognise it as ‘mummy’s work’ which is nice. He goes to nursery next year so I can dedicate more time and hope to do some exhibitions too.

How do you find using Instagram? Do you ever worry your work will be copied? 

Instagram has been a massive bonus for me as I wouldn’t get my work seen any other way, I certainly wouldn’t get the sales through Etsy alone. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its downfalls, some days engagement can be low and there is the habit of comparing yourself and skill set to others. I have major imposter syndrome and never feel like its good enough or I could do better.  The best part is you get to connect with others – artists, mums, mum makers, stitcher’s etc and you realise you’re not alone. Everyone feels the same way and they too are juggling the everyday things. The Instagram artist community is fab, you feel like there is definitely a good support group out there to push you long when those days aren’t so inspiring. I have had a few incidents of people recreating my work and a kind message to remove or not replicate does work, people will copy I guess but my lines are pretty hard to recreate especially when sewn. 

Do you ever feel nervous or anxious your followers won’t like your work?

Sometimes, you want to please and keep them engaged but using them as a sounding board saves me time, if it doesn’t get the reaction I wanted maybe commercially it’s not right and I’ll keep the sketch for another time.

Do you ever feel pressured to post images that you know will get lots of likes instead of simply posting what you like?

Yep, recently with my new work my followers have shot up to my highest engagement ever- the need to post everyday is unrealistic and I stopped trying to do that a long time ago. But I would still like to put more of my personality into my Instagram, maybe more videos or even me speaking on stories….. again I worry its not what people want, they’ve just followed me for the stitching and don’t want to hear me droning on!

What do you love about embroidery?

The calmness it brings me, I love seeing my work come to life and the many routes I can go down using thread, fabric, embellishment to make this happen… it all really excites me.

Last question, where does the name of your Instagram handle Constance Posey come from?

The name was thought up by a friend I worked with, we spent ages racking our brains to find a name that described my style we finally settled on Constance ( constantly ) Posey ( posing) Constant lines capturing poses.

Follow Becca on Instagram here.