Posts by Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
Design
November 22, 2014

Infographic Visualizes Which Countries are the World's Happiest

Which country is the happiest in the world? To find the answer, you simply need to look at this infographic published by MoveHub.com, a resource for people who want to live abroad. They visualized the data of Happy Planet Index (HPI), which shows to what extent 151 countries across the globe produce long, happy, and sustainable lives for their citizens. The index measures three components: life expectancy, experience well-being, and Ecological Footprint.

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Creative Products
November 15, 2014

Custom-Built BBQ Smoker Looks and Sounds like a Real Train

Steve, a retired iron worker from northern Illinois, is taking backyard barbecuing to the next level, and custom built himself a large smoker over the course of three years. But, this isn't just your average piece of equipment – it's one that looks like an old-fashioned steam engine! Reddit user DrewCIL, Steve's son, originally posted about the video on the site, and people have understandably been very impressed with his dad's handiwork.

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Design
November 7, 2014

Unique Flooring Made with Vintage Leather Belts

If you're looking for something that's more original than wood or carpet flooring, well, Inghua Ting has it. Her company is called Ting, and it reuses vintage and reclaimed leather belts and turns them into a unique home decor treatment. They reside on floors, are fashioned into rugs, and are even featured as interior accents for walls, stairs, and doors. Better yet, using these specially-collected belts means that no two pieces are ever the same.

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DIY
October 30, 2014

Impressive Father and Son BattleTech Costume Imagined Years Before Son Was Born

Years before his son Geraint was born, his father, Ryan, was planning a Halloween costume for just the two of them. The new dad is a BattleTech game enthusiast and created an impressive Sunder mech outfit that he and Geraint can wear at the same. Imgur member and wife PutABowOnIt explained that her husband started sketching out the rough designs for this costume a couple of months before their son arrived.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.