Pet Portraits

Enjoy a beautiful, one-of-a-kind portrait of your pet! Each piece is handmade on cotton-linen fabric with long-staple cotton thread.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big are the portraits?
My standard size for one pet is 6”. For double portraits, I recommend 8”. If you’re looking for a different size, please contact me and I can price it out for you.

How can I order one?
I open my commissions several times a year, usually via my mailing list. If you’re interested in commissioning a piece, please join my mailing list (sign-up below) to be alerted when I’m open again (check your spam folder for the “Welcome” email after you sign up!). If you have any questions about my pieces, please feel free to email me at any time!

How long does each piece take to create?
The exact time depends on the complexity of the piece. A six-inch portrait takes between twenty-five and forty hours of work, not including prep time, preliminary sketches, and finishing. I typically budget two weeks per portrait.

Can I pick the color of the background?
Yes! Most of my pieces have been stitched on cotton-linen fabric from the Robert Kaufman Essex line, which is available in a wide range of colors. You can see the full range here; if you’re interested in another color, please contact me directly.

What kinds of hoops do you use? Can you frame them?
I use high-quality beechwood shops made by ACMS, which also makes beautiful hoop frames in a variety of colors, sizes, and styles! All my pieces are compatible with ACMS hoop frames; just check you’ve got the right size. Of course, frames aren’t necessary, and many people (including me!) hang their work just in the hoop!

How do you make these?
Each piece starts with a consultation with my client, where we talk about the pet and go over pictures. The best pictures are clear, large, and evenly-lit with soft natural light. You can look over my Pet Photography Guide for more tips and information. Once we’ve selected a photo, I use that to make a detailed preliminary sketch, showing how the finished piece will look. After the client approves the sketch, I get to work! I create all my patterns on my iPad Pro using Procreate and an Apple Pencil. I try to keep my patterns as simple as possible, while paying close attention to the shape and location of important details like eyes, noses, and mouths.

To transfer the patterns to the fabric, I use a variety of methods depending on the color of the fabric. For light-colored fabric, I typically use a Pilot Frixion heat erasable pen or a water-soluble marker to trace the pattern onto the fabric, while for darker-colored fabric, I use a white tailor’s pencil. For the lettering underneath the portrait, I use water-soluble transfer paper, which allows me to print directly onto sticky paper that attaches to the fabric. When I’m all done, I just wash the paper away!

When I create the portrait, I go back to front, meaning I first stitch the parts of the pet that are farthest from the viewer (typically the ears) and end with the closest part (which means I almost always finish with the nose!). Because of my background in painting, I build each portrait very similarly to how I’d make a painting: first placing down a background color with two strands of thread and then going on top of that with single strands of thread to add detail and complexity.

How can I learn to do this?
I offer remote and in-person embroidery instruction throughout the year! Please visit my Instruction page to learn more!

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