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.
Embroidery
September 26, 2018

Ingenious Hand-Embroidery Uses Cascading Thread to Mimic Flowing Hair

Embroidery artist Sheena Liam thinks outside of the conventional wooden hoop to produce unique portraiture. Over the past year, she has stunned the craft world by creating hair braids with embroidery thread and adding a three-dimensional element to her two-dimensional stitched women. Hair is at the center of Liam’s creative work. Most of her subjects are ladies, sewn in black thread, with long tresses that cascade from the circular canvases.

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Inspiring
September 21, 2018

Internet Is in Love With the “Cat Grandpa” Who Naps With Kitties at His Local Shelter

Animal shelter volunteers come in all forms, but few are like this man named Terry. The retiree gives his time to the Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and they recently shared heartwarming photos of him as he napped with a few kitties on their couches. The adorable shots show the cats enjoying the cozy snuggles and using the volunteer as their own large pillow.

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Drawing Guide
September 15, 2018

Learn How to Draw Thousands of Flowers Using the Same Simple Technique

There are many ways to admire beautiful flowers that go beyond simply setting them in a vase. One way is to celebrate them through works of art. Flowers have a long place in art history, and various blossoms, as well as other botanical elements, have been a popular subject since Ancient Egypt. Since then, they’ve been found in many of the most significant art movements.

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Music
September 12, 2018

Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” Song Is Completely Transformed When Slowed to 33 RPM

It’s not unusual for a classic tune to be reimagined. Most of the time, this is done when another musician performs it as a cover song, but its recreation can be even simpler than that. Many years ago, Dolly Parton’s 1973 hit “Jolene” was slowed down from the original 45 RPM record to just 33 RPM. While not all songs can handle this drastic change in tempo, “Jolene” is transformed in more ways than one.

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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.