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There are endless creative possibilities with embroidery—it's not just a needle and thread. Floor Giebels, aka Full Metal Needle, is one artist who goes beyond the traditions of the craft by incorporating photography into her hoop art. Her pieces feature figures with their backs turned towards the camera, looking out at picturesque landscapes. Areas including the ocean, grassy fields, and forests remain as printed images while the characters are enhanced with stitching.

A key element of Giebels’ stitching is her subjects’ hair. This is where she uses the fuzziness of the thread to her advantage. Giebels employs the thread painting technique to convey the shadows and highlights on a braided coif or long loose hairstyle. Placing certain hues side-by-side creates a realistic effect that complements the photography it’s stitched on. The results are a unique form of mixed media art.

If you’d like to learn to stitch like Giebels, now is your opportunity on My Modern Met Academy, our e-learning platform with online courses in a variety of creative subjects. Her class is called Intermediate Embroidery: Getting Creative with Printed Fabrics. You’ll take your embroidery to new heights using printed fabric while learning how to embroider hair and clothing.

“I created this course to show students in an easy step-by-step way how they can combine embroidery with printed fabric,” she says of her class. “I love helping other embroidery artists strengthen their skills and learn new things. I really enjoy working with printed fabrics and wanted to share some of my tips and tricks.”

Floor Giebels: Website | Instagram | Etsy

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3D Embroidery Imagines Women With Fashions That Effortlessly Flow From the Hoop

11 Must-Have Embroidery Supplies to Buy If You’re Going to Start Stitching

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