Michelle Staub ⋆ StitchingSabbatical

Hi! My name is Michelle Staub and I'm a self-taught embroidery artist that has been creating custom hand-stitched pet portraits since 2014. I am based out of Cincinnati, Ohio where I craft gorgeous keepsakes using only needle and thread.

My biggest inspiration is the love that people share with their pets. It’s so rewarding to create a personalized piece of artwork to commemorate a pet and celebrate its life. I am unbelievably grateful to make such meaningful and personal art for people.

The technique I use to embroider is called thread painting, or needle painting, which came naturally to me after studying oil painting in college. The stitches you create are so similar to brush strokes and although you can't mix thread colors like you can paint, you can still create beautiful gradients and capture tiny details. I've been enamored with embroidery ever since my first cat portrait where I realized how perfect thread was as a medium to replicate the likeness of fur. Since then, I've spent thousands of hours learning and refining my technique and I can't wait to share what I've learned with you!

You can find more of my work on Instagram @StitchingSabbatical and at StitchingSabbatical.com