Halloween is mere weeks away, and it’s time to get spooky. Although it still feels like the summer in Baltimore, the skeleton embroideries of Tinycup Needleworks are getting me into the spirit of the season. Britt Hutchinson is the woman behind these exquisite works that have a lot of personality; despite being just bones, Britt stitches in flowers, snakes, fabulous fashions, and even bees among their unchanging expressions.
Although the skeleton is often looked at as macabre, it’s also something that we all recognize as a part of us. “I am heavily inspired by human emotion and conflict (the concepts of war, violence, mental illness, pain, love, etc.),” she explains to Creators. “I think that by executing difficult subjects in a manner that is traditionally and stereotypically perceived as ‘elegant,’ it somehow makes a more difficult subject matter a little easier to confront and identify with.”
On a technical level, Britt’s work is gorgeous. The tiny tone-on-tone stitches come alive with her impeccable technique and decorative stitches. This, however, is the most challenging part of her work. “I’m a pretty patient woman, but sometimes I stand up after a 10-hour day and see nothing but a partially built skeleton on canvas and want to cry, or drink, or both. Granted, it may be pristinely executed, but when you’re only one person staring down a full project load, it can be a little disheartening.” But it’s not without its rewards. “I get off on the precise nature of it though. All of that challenge makes for one hell of a high when you finally complete something.”
Britt’s work is available through her online shop. You can see her work in progress through her Instagram.
Britt Hutchison, aka Tinycup Needleworks, stitches exquisite skeleton embroideries adorned by the land of the living.
