Emillie Ferris is a very talented embroidery designer based in Warwickshire. She specialises in animal portraits and botanical inspired textiles.

How did you get into embroidery? Are you self-taught or did you train somewhere?

It was whilst I was studying at university that my interest in embroidery become a solid reality. When the word embroidery was brought up before that, images would conjure in my mind of women gathering in households during the medieval and Victorian era, embroidering by windows and fireplaces. it wasn’t something I had seen in reality other than in haute couture or on costumes in movies. I would think to myself; now wouldn’t that be lovely to be connected to such a timeless craft. I had no idea where to start, so with some humble materials: a needle, hoop, thread and an old pillowcase I thought I would just go for it.  I enjoyed the entire journey, and felt such a rush of accomplishment when I saw all those hours together in my tiny 5” creation. I knew I had no time to lose, and was instantly planning all of the new designs I could create, and to this day that feeling is still what spurs me on. So as you can tell, I’m a bit obsessed with embroidery! 

Do you have a background in design?

My passions alongside embroidery include graphic design, photography and illustration and I have always used them for my own enjoyment since i was around 12 years old. I think these factors help me a lot with turning embroidery into a full-time career as I’m able to multitask and market myself whilst genuinely enjoying every single aspect of it. Nothing is a chore for me, apart from doing my taxes haha. 

What are some of your favourite stitches?

Long and short stitch, French knots and split stitch, all the way, every day!

Are there any stitches you’re keen on learning?

I’ve recently been experimenting with the turkey stitch and bullion knots as I love the idea of adding more texture to my embroideries. I hope they become second nature over time like long and short stitch is for me. I’d like to try embellishment with beads and sequins, and I’d like to try using tapestry wool, and a punch needle! I have all of the supplies in my drawers, it’s just the time I need to find to experiment with them. I can’t wait to try them though.

Where do you get your materials and threads from?

All sorts of places! Haberdasheries, eBay, Amazon, charity shops. I mostly use DMC embroidery floss and John James needles.

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

Hmm, I guess my process starts in inspiration. I am constantly allowing myself to take in lots of aesthetically pleasing images: Walks in the countryside, films, TV series, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, books, YouTube, home decor, costumes etc. There is usually always something that I’m feeling passionate about. At the moment, I really connect with and enjoy looking at celestial and witchy imagery, so that is beginning to reflect in my art too, whilst also mixing with my love for flora and fauna. I then create mood boards of what I’m interested in, save collections on Instagram, create boards on Pinterest and they subconsciously fill my brain. I then sketch, or paint, or digitally paint in Photoshop, and then keep refining the piece until I like it. Then it’s a case of creating an outline of the illustration so that is easy to trace onto fabric, then voila! My favourite part…painting with thread to bring the piece to life. 

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

I am very overwhelmed with ideas, and haven’t had much of a creative block as of yet…but I’m sure it will hit me hard one day! The only limit is time really, as embroidery is quite a time-consuming art form. 

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

It was my favourite past time to begin with. I would post photographs of my creations on Instagram purely for fun and encouragement, & from there I started to receive a lot of emails and requests (to my surprise) from people wanting to purchase them! I didn’t plan to turn my passion for embroidery into a business, it was something that progressed naturally through Instagram. It was 2/3 years until I began accepting pet portrait commissions, and now I’ve begun creating tutorials to help others find their passion for embroidery. 

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

I am so grateful every day for Instagram. I saved up for ages for my first iPhone just so that I could use Instagram, haha! Before instagram I was a part of the Flickr and Deviantart community. However, I liked that with Instagram, you could use it as a bit of digital diary, that is really easy to use and track whilst also getting to connect with other creatives that were similar to me. I didn’t really know any people in real life with the exact same interests as me, but through the internet you don’t feel so alone or weird. Hmm, I guess the worry of being copied is in the back of mind, but I try not to worry too much! There is only one me at the end of the day, and I hope others will think the same. Why try to be exactly like someone else when you can be exactly like you. If someone does copy aspects of my work, I often see that as they progress over the years they start to find their own voice. Of course, if someone was to copy my work exactly and then profit from it….that is totally not cool. If you’re not going to sell it, and are simply copying/replicating as you’re experimenting and trying to find an art style you like, then that’s fine, just make sure you credit me and let me know I inspired you! Don’t make money from it.

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

I don’t feel anxious about my followers liking my work, as I trust that because they choose to follow and engage with my work, they like my style and are excited to see what I create. I feel the same about following other artists. If they don’t enjoy my work as much anymore, and their interests have changed from embroidery to photography for example, those things just happen, I can’t change that, I can only control what I do. I do feel nervous posting about more businessy stuff on my Instagram, which is strange because I know that I need to make a living and pay bills, but I don’t always feel comfortable with the whole: swipe up to purchase this! I try to integrate the sales part with my personality and keep it informal as possible as that is more me. Other than that, if I’m feeling nervous I just kind of connect with myself, and think ‘hey Emillie, just chat to everyone like you do with your friends’, hence why some of my Instagram captions can babble on sometimes, haha. 

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

I do notice a pressure, but I try to not take part in aspects that don’t interest me. I like to keep it authentic. I have always been interested in making videos, and they do really well on Instagram in terms on gaining followers and engagement, so if I am going to do it, I’m going to make sure I enjoy it and post a video. However I won’t stress about it and force myself to make a video If I’m not in the mood. I think people can tell when your heart isn’t in something. 

What do you love about embroidery?

Good question! It’s a beautiful timeless, feminine, patient and considerate art form. It can ground you into a moment. It can make you feel relaxed and productive all at the same time. It gives you a feeling of accomplishment when you finish a piece and a huge sense of pride. I love getting to use my hands, but I also don’t have to get messy. I love that I get to listen to audiobooks, listen to music or watch films and TV series at the same and enter a whole other world. It feels like magic! If anyone reading this hasn’t tried embroidery yet I would say to them: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now. 

Follow Emillie here.