Bianca Escobar, also known as Bee, creates intricate pieces of hand embroidery for her Felt shop Embroider with Bee. Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Bee designs and stitches original works, mainly inspired by nature and promoting positive mental health. She also embroiders custom pieces, and has recently embarked on a new project involving creating patterns and teaching.
What do you make?
I design and stitch original pieces of hand embroidery. These delicate pieces are often for decorating your home, but I also make wearable art, such as badges, patches and embroidering directly onto people’s clothing.
How did you get into your craft?
My mum and my grandma have always been very crafty people, and growing up watching them create hand-made collectible teddy bears and travelling to doll and bear shows with them sparked that curiosity from a very young age. I learnt to knit, stitch and embroider from quite a young age, but embroidery was the one that called to me. I incorporated it into school projects when I could, and gave people embroidered gifts, and then it wasn’t until just before our first lockdown in New Zealand that I seriously got into it, then July 2020, Embroider with Bee was born.
Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
No I don’t! Heading out of high school I was sure I wanted to become a graphic designer, and so moved from my home in Auckland to the University of Canterbury in Ōtautahi. After a year of studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in Graphic Design and a Bachelor of Arts, I decided Fine Arts wasn’t for me, and so I gave up that pathway, and just focused on my Bachelor of Arts. I graduated in 2020 with a BA in Media and Communications. I gave that career path a go whilst working on Embroider with Bee too, but it didn’t feel like the best fit for me, so I said goodbye to office work, and decided to take the leap to doing embroidery full time at the beginning of 2021. Here I am sixteen months later having the best time, and my skills from uni are still super transferable, without the knowledge and passion for graphic design I would really struggle to make my designs and choose colours, and my media and communications background has come in handy for the social media side of things which is so vital in this day and age.
Your favourite materials, tools and processes?
I love stitching on linen, the fabric is quite nice to work with, and the colour ranges are so inspiring. My go-to threads I use are DMC six-strand embroidery floss, although my collection is building, I still have my favourite shades that I’m always reaching for. Last year I bought a handmade embroidery hoop stand from a creator in Australia. It’s made from recycled timber, and is perfect for holding my hoops in place and freeing up a hand, especially for the tricky stitches.
Tell us about some of the techniques involved in producing one of your pieces
I first start by brainstorming a design. This can involve sketching a few different ideas in a journal, or going straight to my iPad. I use Procreate to draw all of my designs, and it has been perfect for me. Once I’ve finalised a black and white design, then it’s onto colours. Sometimes I already have a colour palette in mind before I draw, but other times I spend a long time hunting through my fabrics, picking out threads that match each other well and match the fabric. I prepare the fabric in my hoop style and size of choice, and directly trace from the iPad onto the fabric using a water-soluble or heat-erasable pen. Once the design is sketched onto the fabric, it’s time to start stitching. I usually use one colour at a time until all those elements are done, and then move onto the next colour. Once the embroidery is done, I have to erase my pen lines – whether that be dabbing the hoop with some water or ironing it. Then it’s my least favourite part of the process – backing the hoop. I like to cover up the backs of my hoops with another piece of fabric to make it a bit neater, and I stitch on my logo so it’s recognisable as mine in the outside world. I gather up and stitch the fabric at the back and boom! The hoop is ready to come to a market with me, send to a retailer, or photograph and upload to my Felt store.
Describe your workspace
My workspace is pretty cramped, I have a desk set up in a room that is shared with three other people – my partner Vito, and two of my flatmates, Nick and Nellie. Occasionally my fifth and final flatmate, Izzy, works from home, so joins us in the office at any desk that may be free. You’d think it would be impossible to get any work done with so many people in one space, but in fact we are all dedicated people who know when it’s time to put our heads down and focus! I find it easier to work when other people around me are productive. I love my desk and corner, I think it reflects me perfectly with lots of prints and knick knacks decorating the space, but it is also super functional to me. I have all my fabrics, threads, hoops, tools, books and pens all within arms reach. With my little business expanding all the time, I should probably start considering external studio spaces to set up, but in the meantime, I love being able to walk to work (just down the hallway), and hang out with some of my favourite people.
What inspires you?
I’m probably not very original when I say this, but nature! You’ll see that my go-to subjects are flowers, leaves (and tiny little bees). I’m also inspired by quotes and phrases, I love typography and love incorporating writing into my work, whether it be inspirational or sassy. I also love to emphasise promoting positive mental health in my work, and for the past couple of years I have created a mental health collection during Mental Health Awareness Week and donated a percentage of each sale to the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.
What has been a highlight of your maker journey so far?
Reaching 1 million views on one of my Instagram reels was so surreal and I feel so blessed to have gathered a large audience from that one video. Other things I’m proud of was having some pieces in my first exhibition in October 2021 for Helloiam, a collection of female artists from Ōtautahi , and seeing my works in the first retailer that wanted to sell my pieces, Beehive Collective at Riverside Market.
Your favourite feedback from a customer
One customer bought a piece of mine intending for it to be a family heirloom – it was crazy to think that they loved and appreciated my work so much that they wanted it to be passed down through the generations!
What are you currently listening to?
Mainly musical theatre – outside of work I am highly involved in the University of Canterbury musical theatre club (MUSOC) and I have been performing with them since 2017. Currently, I’m the Secretary on the exec, and am also choreographing a show at the moment, so I’m often trying to come up with dance moves and staging things in my head whilst stitching with my hands – I love multitasking!!
What would your advice be for those starting out in a crafty business?
My advice would be to just rip the bandaid off and start. It’s super easy to just ask yourself a whole bunch of ‘what ifs’, and the best way to learn is by doing. I launched myself into it by complete surprise, because the Arts Centre Market had a student special on stall prices, and it looked like fun. And here I am now because of it! It’s easy enough to do craft as a side-hustle, so you don’t have to throw yourself in completely and quit your day job, feel free to dip your toes in and see where it takes you.
What does it mean to you when someone buys your creations?
The thrill that I feel when someone buys something is so addictive and makes me feel so honoured. I love being able to do markets and witness people’s reactions first hand to my work, and watching people pick out a piece that fits their vibe perfectly, or better yet, pick out something as a gift to a loved one that they are sure they would adore. I love that my work brings so much joy to people, especially when creating custom pieces.
What’s your favourite item in your shop right now?
Very tough question, because I really love all of my work, but I think I am proudest about the embroidery pattern I recently wrote and started distributing. I’m excited to teach people this skill, and a lot of thinking and working went on behind the scenes to make this idea finally come to life.
What’s in store for the rest of 2023?
My upcoming market will be Encraftment Market (whoop whoop!). This year’s focus will be largely on education though. I have just released my first pattern, with many more ideas to follow, and I’m starting to teach workshops as well. I am also eager to start a YouTube channel, so I can vlog my work and my life, and to also film tutorials as well that are accessible to people all around the world. I can’t wait to see where this path may take me, a dream of mine is to be able to travel around New Zealand or the world hosting workshops and helping people fall in love with this craft that has captured my heart entirely.
Special offer for Felt readers!
Bee has kindly offered Felt readers 10% off any of the beautiful products in her Felt shop, when you enter the voucher code BEE10 in the voucher code field at checkout. This offer is valid throughout the month of May 2023. Thank you so much Bee!
Amazing work, very clever. I am wondering where did you get you stand to hold your work from.