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Catch Melinda on Uncommon Threads, May 11th.
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What do needlework and white-water rafting have in common? If you’re Melinda Barta, author of Hip to Stitch: 20 Contemporary Projects Embellished with Thread, the two go hand in hand.
“I take projects with me on all my outdoor trips—skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, even rafting or canoeing—sealed in small waterproof containers,” says Barta. “Stitching is great because it’s so versatile and portable. You can throw materials into a pack and take them just about anywhere. On extended backpacking trips I might sketch out ideas in a notebook by day, then sit around a campfire and work up the designs.”
A spirited outdoor adventurer, Barta, 26, is part of a dynamic young generation taking traditional needlework to a whole new level. "There’s nothing better than making something uniquely your own with a bit of embellishment.”
Straying from the customary tablecloth and tea cozy patterns, Barta introduces fresh, new designs like stitched guitar pick covers, trendy hair ties, embroidered cocktail party aprons, eye-catching sketches to embellish clothing, and even directions for “mapping” your favorite destination onto fabric. But true to the more customary form of the craft, she offers innovative interpretations of baby bibs, embroidered ribbons, kitchen towels, pillows, and more.
Barta’s pattern styles favor both modern and vintage-themed designs, and she draws her inspiration from nature and wide-open spaces, and from her work with PieceWork magazine, which focuses on historical needlework.
“I’m definitely rooted in the more traditional forms of the craft, but I wanted to give stitching an edgier, more modern feel—something that would make the younger generation sit up and take notice and feel like they could actually accomplish, as well as give them something they’d want to keep around for a long time.”
Besides being a talented embroiderer, Barta is accomplished in photography, beading, weaving, tapestry weaving, screen printing, ikat, stamping, stenciling, batik, dyes, and surface design. She also dabbles in glass blowing, knitting, crocheting, and tatting.
Melinda A. Barta received her BFA in fiber arts with a minor in apparel design from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. She is the Assistant Managing Editor for Beadwork magazine. She was previously the project editor of PieceWork magazine.
Free-Form Gift Tags, Cards, and Notebooks
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VITAL STATISTICS
Homeground:
Fort Collins, CO
Age:
26
INTERESTING FACTS
• Melinda once worked as a blacksmith’s apprentice where she spent her days drilling, cutting, and grinding metal while also learning traditional methods of forging.
• Melinda’s most memorable adventure expeditions have been on the Rio Grande in Big Bend, Texas, on the Rio Chama in New Mexico, and in Alaska. She once worked for the Forest Service in the Arapahoe National Forest, where she gave nature walks at Mt. Goliath (12,220 ft.) and on top of Mt. Evans (14,130 ft.)
• Not only talented but smart, Melinda graduated from Colorado State University with a BFA in fiber arts and valedictorian of Clear Creek Secondary School in Idaho Springs, Colorado, near her hometown of Evergreen.
• As a kid, Melinda first found her calling in crafts at age 8 when she started cross-stitching ornaments and gifts for her family members at the holidays |
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