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.

March 5, 2020

Mexican Tattooist “Stitches” Colorful Floral Tattoos Inspired by Her Culture

The embroidery tattoo trend has people from across the world rocking faux stitches on their skin. Tattooist Fernanda Álvarez is putting her spin on it with floral-inspired designs that mimic a few styles of embroidery. Some of her inked blossoms resemble the satin stitch used on patches while other designs feature cross-stitching and elements of thread painting. Each is done with meticulous attention to detail just like the craft it's modeled after.

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March 2, 2020

Legendary 1,000-Year-Old Katana Still Looks as Flawless as When It Was First Constructed

Make your way to the Tokyo National Museum and you’ll see a beautifully constructed katana that still looks flawless despite being 1,000 years old. Known as the Mikazuki Munechika, this special sword was crafted by the legendary Sanjo Munechika. He was considered one of Japan’s most skilled swordsmiths in the Heian period (794 to 1185 CE).

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