When Mel Horton began playing around with embroidery a few years ago, she had no idea her new hobby would lead to her own business creating sell-out embroidery kits for fans around the world! Curiously Stitched was born.
Starting as an Etsy store featuring her own embroidery designs, kits, and patterns, Mel quickly garnered an international following. And when COVID hit, Mel’s sales continued to boom, with a recent release selling out in two hours.
“I called it Curiously Stitched because I started the business that way: I was curious about stitching and learning more and exploring what I could create. My Nan taught me how to sew with a machine when I was a kid and I have been stitching ever since, but I wanted to make this passion into more than just a hobby. I fell in love with the possibilities it created.”
One of the joys of a Personal Branding Photography Session is that we get to delve into the details of what you do, and why you do it. This allows the rich storytelling of your brand to be present in every image we create together.
In addition to the Etsy store, Curiously Stitched also has its own online shop and a loyal Instagram following. Mel often shares sneak peeks of her latest releases, snippets of her design process, and product samples. I wanted to illuminate her business’ warm, personal touches in our content creation, so we took product shots, work processes, and headshots to build on Mel’s personal connection with her audience.
“My designs are inspired by our amazing range of Australian wildlife. I am fascinated by all the colours and patterns their feathers and fur create. I love using different stitches, beads, sequins, and fabrics to create different textures.”
I was really curious (pardon the pun) about Mel’s creative process and wanted to document this for our shoot. Beginning with reference books and photographs, Mel sketches her initial ideas onto her iPad. From here, she refines the design, transfers it onto fabric and experiments with textural details, colours and stitches. Then she assembles kits with everything her customers need – including vibrant threads, sequins, beads, hoops, needles, fabric and instructions – to complete their design at home.
I became particularly intrigued by a large glass bottle filled with embroidery threads. Mel explained that each time she creates a design prototype, she places the thread remnants into the bottle, serving as a time capsule of her creations.
Fusing Mel’s love of nature into our session, we shot in a few locations, including The Studio Workshop, a character filled creative space in Clovelly, and a local nature reserve my family calls “The Magic Forest”. It was so cool to see passersby on their morning walk light up when they saw Mel’s creations!
Mel shared this about our time together:
“I absolutely love the photos Emma took! She nailed the look and feel of my brand, the photos just come alive. I had so much fun on this shoot, and Emma made me feel so comfortable having my photo taken. Thank you for a wonderful experience.”
Enjoy this journey into the beauty, creativity and passion of Curiously Stitched.
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