NEW SERIES // Introducing: Introducing & Felix Embroidery

Introducing: Introducing

I want to begin this post by introducing a new series here on my blog. It has taken me a long time to come up with the details behind it but I've always known that I wanted this blog to be more than just about me and what I wear; I knew that I had to include other people somehow.  Community is such an amazing thing and I don't know where I'd be if I weren't surrounded by such an amazing and inspiring group of people.

This new project is going to be called 'Introducing' and I'm going to be highlighting different artists and fashionable people in and around various communities throughout Ottawa. I've met these people through many different avenues; some are longtime friends, some are friends of friends and some I've met through Instragram (or other forms of social media). I decided to title the series 'Introducing' for a number of different reasons. The first being that I like the simplicity of the name and the second is because I wanted to keep this series as personal as possible. I want it to feel like we're just sitting down, drinking coffee and I'm introducing you to a friend.

The only 'rule' that I have for this series is that I won't be featuring bloggers. While I love, support and respect bloggers, I feel as though I can continue to support them in different ways.

I have a number of amazing people lined up for this series and it's going to be a weekly instalment here on my blog. I'm learning so much from the people that I'm photographing and interviewing and I can't wait to introduce them to you. 

I hope you're as excited as I am about this series.

I'm going to be opening this series today with a local artist whose work truly speaks to me.

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Introducing: Felix Embroidery 

Catherine is the creative mind behind Felix Embroidery and it was love at first sight when I saw her creations on Instagram.

Catherine is the type of person that, even when you've only known her a handful of months or weeks or even hours, you feel like you've known forever. She has very strong and quirky quality to her that definitely shines through her work.

Feminist art is my absolute favourite kind of art and I adore how inclusive and body positive her pieces are. I currently own two Felix Embroidery designs (one that says 'feminist' with a floral background and another that says 'love wins' with a rainbow detail under it) and I can't wait to get my hands on more. Felix Embroidery sells many different kinds of embroidered pieces from wall art to jewellery and I knew she would be the perfect person to kick off this new series. If you aren't already familiar with Felix Embroidery take a second to prepare for your new found love affair.

I asked her a couple of questions and here's what she had to say:

What does the name 'Felix' mean and when did you start your business?

I started selling my work in April 2016, just after my son was born. “Felix” is what I wanted to name a daughter if I had one; so, in a way, this project is my other (far less important) baby. It means “happy” and “lucky,” plus it sounds a little quirky.

What inspires you to create your pieces and when did you find your love for embroidery? I started embroidery as a child with a small cross-stitch my parents gave me after they went away for a trip. I continued to cross-stitch through high school, and still do sometimes, but over time my interests turned to other embroidery techniques.

I love the tactility of fibre arts, and am excited to undertake large, intensely creative projects in the future. Now I do a lot of small florals/botanicals, which I love aesthetically, and overtly feminist pieces.

Embroidery and textile work has a long association with femininity and “women’s work” – there are obviously exceptions, but this gendering is widespread both in space and time. For me, and I believe many other woman-identifying embroidery artisans, our work manipulates and subverts this gendering by not being ‘nice.’ By being political and conscious.
Embroidery is also good for my mental health – stitching is a meditative act for me.

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If you're interested in seeing more of Felix Embroidery (which I mean, why wouldn't you be?) check out the brand's Instagram (@felixembroidery), Facebook and the official Etsy Store.

I snapped the pictures below at 613Flea. If you're interested in seeing some her work in person you can also find Felix Embroidery at the Magical Girl Market on July 21st and the Etsy Made in Canada Market on September 23rd to the 24th.