Our tête-à-tête this month is with Joanna Somers of @plumdesign_.  Joanna is married, has 4 young children and lives in Ohio.  She is extremely diverse in her talents.  She is the needlepoint designer behind The Plum Stitchery, she recently started Plum Design where she "slap-paints" onto pages of old books, she has a coterie of needlepoint designers that she manages and she does collaborations with many famous artists.  Some time ago, I slid into her DMs and am now constantly picking her brain on a whole range of topics.  I am very proud to call her a friend and am thrilled she is doing this tête-à-tête.  

1.  Can you tell us a bit about your needlepoint background, how and when did you learn to needlepoint, and when did you start painting your own canvases? 

The lovely ladies at Wool & Willow taught me to stitch in 2014; my mother-in-law brought me to the shop right after she stitched her first project thinking I would enjoy it, too.  I remember bringing home my first project and putting on a shelf, afraid to ruin it, but within a few days I couldn’t put it down.  Before that, I was a hand-quilter, and I’m sorry to say I’ve not quilted more than an hour since I started needlepointing.

Within a few months of that first project, I had the chance to work at Wool & Willow two days a week and I jumped at it; it was the first job I’d ever had that I never once dreaded going to work.  One day, I thought I might try designing my own canvas and Anne, who owns Wool & Willow, gave great advice for painting: use thin acrylic paint and the smallest, cheapest brush.  It took many, many attempts to find the best approach, and I made a lot of canvases that ended up in the trash, but I was as hooked by painting as I was by stitching. 

Over the next few years, I designed off and on as our family grew and when my third child was 6 months old, I picked up the brush again and re-launched The Plum Stitchery.  That was the summer of 2017 and since then I’ve met and befriended an amazing community of stitchers, designers, shop owners, and finishers. 

  2. I am in love with some of your collaborations with well-known artists. Can you tell us how you came to get involved with them and how do you decidewhich pieces to convert to needlepoint canvas? 

Thank you!  Collaborating with artists of other mediums is the most unexpected part of running this company and it is an understatement to say how thrilled I am to work with each one.  Every stitcher has his or her own style; every artist willing to share their work with the needlepoint community just makes it that much easier for each of us to stitch something we love.

Making connections with various artists usually happens through Instagram.  Sometimes, I see a piece of artwork and know it would be stunning in needlepoint, or that there’s nothing else like it available to stitch.  It’s a little scary to slide into someone’s DMs and chirp about needlepoint but I’m fortunate to have met generous and kind artists who let me adapt their work.  Some artists know exactly which pieces of their collection they want me to adapt while others let me make suggestions.  Either way, it’s been an experience to recreate these various works of art on canvas; in a way, it feels like I’m walking in someone else’s shoes when I paint their designs.

@danamahnke_indigohomeshop

@cestriley

 

@willaheart

 

@drawbertson

3. Recently, you started painting the most exquisite pieces of art on torn out pages of old classic books. What led you to this and did you think it would be such a success? Do you have a favorite one you’ve painted?

Thank you so much!  My oldest loves to create artwork and this summer requested “painting nights” where she would get to stay up later than her siblings and we sit together and paint (I usually am very mean about sharing my art supplies).  On one of these nights, I saw a used copy of Vanity Fair on the bookshelf and thought it would be fun to paint on its pages.  That particular novel has great chapter titles that informed whatever illustrations I could add, and soon I was pulling more and more books off the shelf. 

 There isn’t a favorite painting in the bunch, but I’m always excited when I’m able to get something on the page that looks how I imagined it could look.  The response has been lovely, and I’m immensely honored when someone commissions a custom piece, though my workload has made it almost impossible to take on these projects.

 

4. Can you tell us what’s in your stash and what are you stitching at the moment? Also, do you have a favorite needlepoint piece you’ve designed? 

My eyes are bigger than my needles and I have more canvases in my stash than I could stitch in my lifetime, but that’s okay!  There are so many gorgeous designs, both new and vintage, and it’s good to have options when it comes to stitching; sometimes I’m in the mood for small or simple or detailed or fancy stitches and it’s nice to have a rotation of projects to match my mood.  My current project is a Kirk & Bradley twelvetide stocking; I can’t put it down.

@kirkandbradley

 

5.  You seem to certainly have your plate full, you’re married, have 4 young children, you design needlepoint and paint, you collaborate, you manage other designers, how do you possibly do it all?

Many times, I feel like I can’t do it all.  Running a creative business is always a balancing act between logistics and creativity; especially this year with the amazing boom our industry seems to be in the midst of, a lot of my time goes to managing orders and inventory, shipping, trunk shows, maintaining the Web site, and marketing and less to designing new canvases.  As it always does, it will balance out again and I’ll find more time to design again. 

 In the day to day, in terms of working while being a stay-at-home mom, I have a standing desk in our sunroom and I jump into work throughout the day whenever possible; that has been the most challenging lesson to learn since starting this business: sometimes I need to work in two-minute increments.  After the kids go to bed is when I get to really focus on work; I make a pot of coffee and work as late as I can. 

 

6.  Since the pandemic at the beginning of this year, we have seen a spate of needlepoint designers. If you were starting out anew, what would you tell yourself?

This is the first company I’ve run and doing so has been one of the scariest and most fulfilling things I’ve done.  I’m very much still new to this and still learning every day how I can do things better, but I would tell myself to breathe more and not stress about growing pains. 

Thank you Joanna for such a fun and informative tête-à-tête.

Our tête-à-tête this month is with Alli Eagan, better known to her many followers as @francophiledallas.  Alli is an avid (and lifelong) needlepointer who lives in Dallas with her husband, Matt, and two children.  She is a Francophile at heart who loves all things French and studied Art History and French at the University of Virginia (B.A.) and at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (M.A.).  When she is not needlepointing, she loves French cooking, a chilled glass of champagne, gardening, bike rides and walks with her family, and watching British mysteries.  

Alli is the inspiration for hundreds of stitchers that, at the moment are currently decorating their own Holiday needlepoint garland.  It is impossible to look at Instagram and not appreciate the influence Alli has at this holiday time.  She has posted a "Garland 101 Tutorial" on her Instagram stories for an inside look as to how to get started with your own garland.  She also created a "Parade of Homes" to showcase all of your holiday needlepoint.  Be sure to tag @francophiledallas and #NeedlepointHomeTour2020 for a chance to be featured in her stories and highlighted on her home page.  

 

1. For some of our readers who don’t follow you, could you please tell us a bit about your needlepoint background, how and when did you learn to needlepoint?

I grew up surrounded by needlepoint! I am grateful to my mother and grandmother who taught me how to needlepoint young and to truly appreciate the time and hard work it takes to create a piece of needlework.  They are two woman who have stitched large-scale works (framed pieces, piano bench, pillows, stockings) that I would see out year-round. Inspiration was all abound!

My earliest needlepoint memory is sitting on the floor of Mary Jane’s Needlepoint in Nichols Hills Plaza (Oklahoma City) and picking out children’s needlepoint canvases with my twin sister.  I believe we were about six years old and always found ourselves busy as my mom and grandmother pulled threads. My children now see me doing the same thing, and I have already started to teach them!

At Christmas, we were surrounded by needlepoint, and it became one of the ways I learned how to decorate for Christmas.  Pillows, ornaments, framed pieces, and more!  I can remember our first family trip to New York in 1989, and my mom was stitching a Statue of Liberty ornament, hand-stitching the date and personalizing it. I am still stitching travel rounds on family trips almost 30 years later.  I learned from the best!  My mom always stitched her needlepoint in carpool as well, and I have her “carpool” series of Christmas pillows that I treasure every Christmas.  

At UVA, I nurtured my love of needlepoint at Threads, the local needlepoint shop, and began my love of collecting canvases and stitching pieces of my own. I have fond memories in the Chi Omega house of typing my undergraduate thesis and then stitching away on a bee belt (for Napoleon!).

Below is a collection of Alli's many New Orleans ornaments from Needle Arts in Metairie, Louisiana.

2..Please give us a bit of the history behind your incredible Christmas garland.  Was there something that inspired you? 

As my needlepoint ornament collection grew, I started to think of ways to really feature the needlepoint.  I have such a large collection of regular Christmas ornaments that I knew they would compete for attention on my big Christmas tree. We don’t have a mantle or a staircase in our home, so it was time to get creative!  The mirror seemed like the perfect place to experiment with a garland. My children count the days til they can see the garland again and have started to help me decorate it.  They now have memories tied to a lot of the ornaments so it has really become a true, family tradition.

Before the collection was too big, I had used twig trees that were beautiful – but alas, I outgrew them in favor for something with more impact. This will be the fourth Christmas for the garland, and I am always thinking of ways to build upon it.  I am delighted to have started a “Needlepoint Home Tour” on my Instagram where I am featuring holiday needlepoint (ornaments, stockings, pillows, and all displays) from coast to coast.  Be sure to tag me, @francophiledallas, to be featured!  As this has been such a “virtual” year, it seemed a great chance to start a fun virtual home tour of needlepoint far and wide.

3.  What are you stitching at the moment?  Do you tend to stitch multiple canvases at the same time or are you a one canvas at a time girl?

I am stitching three of the darling Studio Midwest vehicles from Chapel Hill Needlepoint: the ice cream truck, the New Orleans streetcar, and the red caboose.  I am personalizing each one with lettering and little touches for each of my children. I love the look of the Studio Midwest three-dimensional ornaments and adore all their toppers as well.

For my works in progress, I live by “the more, the better!”  I tend to always have 4-5 to sometimes 10 ornaments going at once.  I love to stitch a little bit on several ornaments, and then, I have many ornaments finished all at once.  I think it also keeps me energized in each project as I love the variety of having several pieces going at a time. 

4.  Can you please share with us some of the goodies you have in your stash?     Is there a central theme to your canvases?

I have a secret armoire (shh!) filled with needlepoint!  I have my threads and all supplies organized there as well.  It’s where many hopes and dreams live, too!  I tend to stay so busy working on ornaments and small pieces that represent our current and recent family memories that I leave the bigger pieces for “one day.” 

 In my stash, I have Meredith Collection and Studio Midwest purses, the 12 days of New Orleans (from Needle Arts), four Alexa stockings, brick covers, pillows, and even a vintage Strictly Christmas tree skirt from an estate sale – thank you, mom!  I have many, many ornaments as well that are all divided by theme and I love to go “shopping” in my own stash when I need inspiration or a new project.  

My big themes are children/first Christmas/hobbies, New Orleans (my husband’s hometown!), travel rounds and France. I truly think of my stash as a collection – a curated collection that represents my family, our hobbies, our joys, our favorite foods, travels and more.  I know that my stash –which continues to grow—will always keep me busy and inspired!

 

5.  Is there anything special on your wish list that you would like to stitch one day? 

I dream about doing a large-scale project like a tree skirt, rug or a framed piece –many of the pieces my mom and grandmother have stitched.  They each stitched a 2 ft by 3 ft piece of a large triptych for our church, and it is moving to think about creating an heirloom for many to enjoy. Very inspiring!  At my wedding, my mom, grandmother, and I all took a photo by these pieces and the kneeler my grandmother stitched.  These threads are all woven into our family history. I treasure my grandmother’s needlepoint that is all throughout her house and have many of her crewelwork pieces in my own home.

My wish list is also full of Thanksgiving and Fall, many of Kathy Schenkel’s darling pilgrims and leaves.  I surely love Christmas but I would love to have some fall pieces in my collection!

Next up is my darling Silver Stitch “Press for Champagne,” my new motto and New Year’s ornament for 2021.  I also can’t wait to start my Audrey Wu strawberry jam and my Ann Kaye Studio skier Santa. All perfect for some cozy, winter stitching. 

Merci mille fois for the opportunity to go talk tête-à-tête about all things needlepoint!

Alli, Merci beaucoup for such a fun and informative tête-à-tête.