Melissa Galbraith is the fiber artist behind MCreativeJ. She was born and raised in the desert of Washington state, where her mother instilled a love of crafting in her at an early age. Melissa enjoys making physical works of art, playing with colors, and creating texture. She draws inspiration from the desert, plants, and pop culture to create vibrant, whimsical, and modern fiber art. Melissa uses hand embroidery, punch needle, and visible mending techniques to create works of art that can be displayed or worn. She loves combining vintage handcrafts with the modern take of bright colors, patterns, and unique designs. 

How did you get into embroidery? 

My mum taught me to embroider when I was elementary school age. I learned on pillowcases that had the designed printed on them and I think my first embroidery had birds and flowers. I can’t say I really liked embroidery when I first learned and looking back I’m in awe of my mother’s patience to teach me. About five years ago I started embroidering again. I work a day job in digital media and often spend most of the day behind a computer, so embroidery is a wonderful way for me to creatively play with colour, texture, and pattern. I had a to re-learn a lot of what my mum taught me about embroidery though. Some of my skills have come from playing around and exploring. I also learned from YouTube videos and fellow embroiderers on Instagram.

Do you have a background in design?

Yes-ish. I received a degree in digital marketing with a minor in fine arts. After graduating college, I worked as a graphic designer for a newspaper where I created print ads. I learned a lot about design and the fact that print design was not really something I wanted to do. From there I’ve used my design skills to transition more to communications and digital marketing for my day job, but because my day job has been creative in more of a digital way, it’s inspired me to get back to more tactile design, like embroidery. Making something with my hands has always been very satisfying for me and the skills I learned as a graphic designer have been helpful in creating patterns, branding, packaging, etc.

Embroidery is a part time job for me right now. It can be hard balancing it with my full time job in digital marketing, especially during the holiday season. I’m thankful that my day job allows me the flexibility to pursue this passion. I’d love to embroider full time some day soon.

What are some of your favourite stitches?

That’s a hard one because it really depends on what I’m making. Lately I’ve been enjoying the reverse chain stitch, because it reminds me of a chunky sweater. I also like French knots and the fishbone stitch.

Are there any stitches you’re keen on learning?

All the ones I haven’t learned yet! Haha. I love learning new stitches and seeing how I can incorporate them into my work. While there are some stitches I use a lot more than others, I love being able to add the perfect touch of detail with the right stitch.

Where do you get your materials and threads from?

I’m a huge fan of finding remnant and vintage fabrics. We have local thrift fabric shop that’s been a treasure trove. I also scour the local fabric store remnant bins. This year I’ve also gotten into dyeing some of my own fabrics, so I’ve played around with natural and indigo dye techniques. It’s really satisfying to create my own textile and pattern. As for thread, I usually use DMC six strand cotton. It’s what most of the craft stores in my area carry and they have good consistency in their colour range.

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

My designs often start as a sketch. I carry a small sketchbook with me and doodle designs throughout the day. From there I’ll mix and match sketches until I decide on one that I want to embroider. Then I pick out fabric and embroidery thread. I always lay my design out flat so I can see the fabric and thread colours together. This helps me see how everything flows together. And after all that, I embroider. I usually pick the stitches I’ll use as I go, visualising how I want a specific piece to look. 

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

A bit of both. Sometimes I have too many ideas and I want to embroider them all at once. Other times when I’m feeling a bit burnt out, finding or settling on a design can be a challenge. When I’m in a creative flow, I’ll often prep a bunch of hoops with designs. Then, when I’m in a bit of a creative slump, I can work on the projects I’ve already prepped while thinking about what I want to create next.

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

I used to have a love/hate relationship with Instagram until I came to the understanding that Instagram is not the end all be all of things. (Silly, I know). I spend less time on Instagram and the time I do spend there, I use to actively engage, which has really helped my mental health. I’ve made some amazing connections and friendships on Instagram, some that live online and some that have translated into meets up and offline friendships. I’ve found the Instagram embroidery community to be extremely supportive and welcoming. I know copying can happen and am thankful I haven’t seen anyone copying any of my work (that I know of). I feel like I have a pretty distinct style, which helps my work stand out and makes it harder to copy. Earlier this year, I branched out into punch needle, which I started combining with some of my embroidery for a texture landscape series. Another artist accused me of copying their work which also used punch needle to create stylised landscape designs. This was a shock and a challenge for me. To be accused of copying is gut wrenching, especially when I had sketches documenting my creative process, but it also made me realise that many artists are using similar themes so there is bound to be overlap in design. Two artists can work in silo and still create similar work. Unfortunately, we’re not all as original as we’d like to believe. Most of my designs revolve around plants and botanicals, (a very trendy theme lately) so it’s really about how each artist interprets these themes to create their own original designs.   

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

I used to be nervous, but not so much any more. Yes, it can be disheartening when a piece I love doesn’t get as many Instagram “likes” as I’d like it to, but I’ve learned that as long as I’m proud of a piece and like it, that’s what matters. Instagram “likes” don’t really translate into sales, which to be honest is my end goal. Plus, with the algorithm, there are so many factors that play into whether a photo is even seen. I don’t make work for the Instagram “likes,” I make work because I love to make it.

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

Yes and no. I’ve found that prettier pictures are more popular on Instagram, so I’ve had to learn to get better at photography and styling my photos, however, I still post the work I love and stick to what I like making. I figure if people like what I create they’ll stick around, and if they don’t they’ll follow someone else, and I’m okay with that.

What do you love about embroidery?

The desert and plants! Even though I live in the Pacific Northwest, I’m a desert girl at heart. I love embroidering warm landscapes full of prickly cacti and plants. 

Follow Melissa here.