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This Valentine's idea from Brooklyn Bride is both high-tech and handmade, quick-to-read and oh-soooo-slow to make.... Check out the tutorial on how to make your own cross stitch QR code Valentine . Heh. P.S. Brooklyn Bride's February mix-tape makes for some nice background music as you stitch...

If you're in Vancouver tonight , Leanne Prain will be speaking at the central branch of the library 7pm about her book, Hoopla: The Art of Unexpected Embroidery . There will also be a little craft-in at the event, as Leanne will be demonstrating how to do the project from the book that I designed, Photo Feelism . There are more details about tonight's event on Leanne's site , where she's also posted some great examples of Photo Feelism in action at her San Francisco event! So fun. If you can't make tonight, there are a couple more Hoopla vents coming up later, too .

And speaking of embroidery ...  CRAFT just linked to an interesting post about what it's like inside a DMC embroidery floss factory. It's always interesting to see how things are made. And pretty amazing to see so much thread in one place! Read more here .

The Vancouver book launch for Hoopla was really fun. It was great to see such a good turn out, and great to chat to everyone there, including the lovely Leanne Prain (author extraordinaire) and Kirsten Chursinoff (embroidery artist extraordinaire), and one artist who's project is featured in the book who had travelled all the way from New Zealand to be there! I didn't know which photos were going to be included in the book, so it was a fun surprise to open the book and see. The photo of me and my husband got into the book, looking all super cute (even if I do say so myself, heh) with embroidered hearts all around us, as well as my favourite photo of all: my little nephew 'reading' the newspaper, looking very serious and dapper with his embroidered moustache! I'm really excited to see my work in print. In my day job in the publishing industry, I work with books every day, but seeing  your own work  in a book is pretty thrilling. More of this to come in the future, ...

A little last minute.... but tonight is the Vancouver launch for HOOPLA !   Hoopla: The Art of Unexpected Embroidery is a new book from Leanne Prain, who wrote Yarm Bombing . At 400 full-colour pages Hoopla: The Art of Unexpected Embroidery is a spectacular subversive embroidery opus. The book contains interviews, profiles, history, technique and over 28 innovative patterns for readers to create. I am excited about this book because (A) it's a great topic, (B) is bound to be awesome and (C) one of the projects in the book is by me! I can't wait to see a printed copy of the book this evening. Four hundred pages -- it's a beast!

Ursa Minor by Shannon Henry. The stars are 3mm white LEDs and illuminate via a coin cell battery on the back of the embroidery. The design is a prototype for a new series of sewable circuit kits by Polymath Design Lab . [ via ]

I've never seen this technique before and I think it looks pretty cool.... Fourteen Countess embroidered French knots on cloth of the same colour to create a subtle but savvy monogram. Very patient work! But pretty great results. Read more about the project on Fourteen Countess' blog .

Vancouver textile artist Kirsten Chursinoff has a new exhibit opening this week. If you've ever walked along the beach at low tide, and crouched over a small pool to see what's living there, you're going to enjoy this show... Entitled 'Low Tide', this collection is inspired by the amazing creatures living along the shores of British Columbia: anemones , birds , starfish , and more. Low Tide The exhibit celebrates the details of tide pools and treasures of beach combing with the traditional and contemporary techniques of embroidery and quilting. By layering and combining materials such as cotton, silk and wool, the artist uses the natural texture and unique surfaces of thread and cloth to their full potential. The opening reception of 'Low Tide' is on Thursday, June 17, 6-8pm at the Craft Council Gallery Crafthouse at 1386 Cartwright Street on Granville Island, Vancouver. Kirsten's also giving an artist talk on Tuesday, June 22, 7pm (RSVP to kirsten at c...

Do you create unusual embroidery? Leanne Prain, who co-authored the subversive knitting book Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti , is turning her attention from yarn to floss. Her new book, Hoopla: The Art of Unexpected Embroidery , is due out in Fall 2011, and Leanne is looking for needlework designers to contribute projects. Do you design unusual or unexpected pieces of needlepoint? If so, you should design a pattern for Hoopla, The Art of Unexpected Embroidery, to be published by Arsenal Pulp Press in fall 2011. Hoopla: The Art of Unexpected Embroidery rebels against the traditional notions of quaint embroidery with motifs of flowers and songbirds. The book will feature unusual stitch work on a variety of surfaces and textures. With off-beat patterns including subway maps, feminist Girl Guide badges, and metal band letterforms; Hoopla will demonstrate that modern embroidery artists are as sharp as the needles that they work with. If you describe your stitch-work as a...