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.
Social Cause
March 3, 2021

Teen Creates an Online Shop That Secretly Helps Victims of Domestic Violence

The COVID-19 pandemic has had many effects on home life beyond the obvious switch to working from home. One of them is reports of rising domestic violence across the world. As people have been told to stay at home and isolate themselves from one another, it becomes a perfect storm for abusive behavior and intimate partner violence. A Polish high school student named Krystyna Paszko is doing something about this problem.

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Crafts
February 27, 2021

Learn to Love the Loom When You Try the Ancient Art of Weaving

Crafts can be a form of meditation. These process-driven activities often require the same steps repeated over again and encourage you to lose yourself in the act of making. Embroidery, for instance, is centered around poking a threaded needle through the same piece of fabric until your design is complete. Weaving is another craft with similarly calming qualities; it invites you to move a piece of yarn (or other material)

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Illustration
February 25, 2021

Relatable Illustrations Visualize the Happiest and Hardest Parts of Life

Writer and artist Mari Andrew is the friend that dispenses wisdom when you need it the most. Her creative work is vulnerable, a powerful combination of words and images that are infographics for your soul. Andrew's observational art covers topics that are familiar to us all—heartbreak, loss, illness, and just getting through the minutiae of everyday life. Compassion and empathy are at the core of Andrew’s work.

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Paper Art
February 21, 2021

10+ Origami Tutorials You Can Watch and Learn for Free on YouTube

The art of origami has a long place in history and continues to thrive today. For centuries, this creative practice has made its way across the globe as each society has adapted it into its own visual culture. Many contemporary origami artists are pushing the boundaries of paper folding—including a samurai figure that took three months to plan and execute—but don’t let that intimidate you.

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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.