Posts by Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
Gift Guide
October 20, 2023

35 Creative Small Gifts That Will Make a Big Impact This Holiday Season

As the holidays draw near, there’s usually a major focus on big-ticket gift times. But what about the smaller products that you need to buy? They make the perfect gift for stocking stuffers, secret Santas, or office gifts for that special cubicle buddy. These purchases don’t have to be extravagant or expensive; they just need to show that you put some thought into picking them out to make for a great gift.

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Crafts
October 3, 2023

37 Halloween Pumpkin Carving Ideas to Creatively Celebrate the Spookiest Time of Year

The Halloween season is upon us, and that means pumpkin carving is right around the corner. Now is the time to decide on your yearly jack-‘o-lantern design. There's always the classic motif of triangle eyes, a nose, and crooked teeth; but throughout the years, artists have shown us the amazing possibilities that can be achieved with a big imagination, the right tools, and a few handy tricks for how to handle the insides.

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History
September 8, 2023

Salvaged ‘Survivors’ Staircase’ Is a Symbol of Salvation for Those Who Fled 9/11 Attacks

A set of stairs known as the Survivors’ Staircase are part of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City. The granite and concrete staircase didn’t originate in the museum, though. Originally an outdoor set of stairs, they were vital to the evacuation of people fleeing from the attacks on the World Trade Center towers in 2001. The Survivors’ Staircase was connected to the northern edge of World Trade Center’s Austin J.

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Embroidery
August 14, 2023

Embroidery Artists Are Using a Needle and Thread to “Paint” Gorgeous Stitched Art

The art of hand embroidery has many techniques for stitching designs onto fabric. Just like approaches you’d find in drawing, there are a variety of ways to create images in thread that range from stylized to lifelike. For those that want to incorporate realistic imagery or the feeling of movement into their stitching, thread painting is the technique to use.   What is the thread painting craft?

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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.