When I lived in Brooklyn, I used to spend a great deal of time at the Union Square Anthro. It's a really beautiful space, and beside the enormous front doors I always noticed a little grove of stitchy velvet mushrooms. The velvet was a rusty, vintage scarlet, and they always made me very happy. I always longed to make a few of my own.
Yesterday (quite randomly, as these things often are) I decided it was time. I got up and dyed some silk velvet a few different shades of red, and got two beautiful colors (a rusty burgundy, and a warm true-red). Later on, I made a few paper templates, and stitched wool dots on happily in the late afternoon sun:
I don't do very much hand-sewing, and am always soothed when I do.
I stuffed them firmly with puffs of poly-fil and weighted the bottom halves of the stems with rice, and they are going to be very sweet company, whether they end up in my studio or bedroom.
I think this afternoon of mushroom-making was also brought on by seeing Tamar Mogendorff's amazing work in real life when we were visiting Philly. Her little creatures and twigs are just wonderful (and the wee mushroom people are my favorites, with their bead-y eyes and thready roots).
Happy Sunday!
Comments (50)
Simply Lovely and plush--I want to sit on a great big one just like that!!!
Cherry Tree Lane · May 27, 2008 at 04:36 PM
Hand stitching is so nice sometimes. I love the shroomies! I love your work!
Erica · May 27, 2008 at 10:33 AM
The Mogendorff work is fantastic.
What a world!
Thanks for the introduction.
katie · May 27, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Those are so darn cute, I might have to try something like! Seems like lately I've been sewing things together like this and I never thought about using an embroidery loop to do it, I don't know why. Its a great idea!
-Kayla
Kayla · May 27, 2008 at 05:26 AM
Hellooo lovely Emily...
how cute are those little dinky mushrooms! I'm so inspired. Wish I had spent yesterday sewing instead of trying to set up the wireless internet, which didn't work! Totally frustrated.
Gx
Gamze · May 27, 2008 at 05:19 AM
that's a great anthrostore - i could just get lost in there (and broke!). And your mushrooms are totally cute (but i cannot resist a good polkadot anyway :)!
karlita · May 27, 2008 at 01:39 AM
I ADORE mushrooms and yours are gorgeous! I am a long-time admirer of your work, though I have just now found your blog (I am just now getting into the blogging thing...)
Your paintings are so sweet and lovely, and now I can see that your girls look like you!
Beautiful work. :)
Leanne
Leanne · May 27, 2008 at 12:10 AM
Love your blog...Love your work !!
Patti
Patti Koosed · May 26, 2008 at 09:25 PM
Love your blog...Love your work !!
Patti
Patti Koosed · May 26, 2008 at 07:23 PM
Im pretty sure these are magic mushrooms! ;)
Yvonne Crotty · May 26, 2008 at 06:40 PM
...sweet, soft, fuzzy little toadstools.
I just wanna rub their little tops ;)
Could you get any more creative? I think YES!
They are lovely!
<3~michelle.friend
miss.michelle · May 26, 2008 at 06:30 PM
Aaaw, lovely :0)
I might do a bit of sewing tomorrow. You're right, it IS soothing :0)
Erica-Jane
xoxo
p.s. - I think your sleepy sams should hook up with my snoozy suzies!
xx
Erica-Jane · May 26, 2008 at 05:00 PM
Those are so sweet! And thanks for sharing the link to Tamar's site. I had never heard of her before. Her work is amazing! I especially love the peacocks....
Robin · May 26, 2008 at 03:13 PM
Dear Emily,
your latest painting is unique!
and these mushrooms are the cutest!
;)
xox
Francesca · May 26, 2008 at 01:30 PM
I love these little shrooms. I am just having a moral delimma with anthro or at least the company,right now, and i do love that store. I wrote about it on my blog and i need opinions of what to do.
sheva · May 26, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Those are neat! You are so super!
Kelly harker · May 26, 2008 at 11:53 AM
those are so sweet. I have only frequented the Anthro in SoHo. I 'll have to check out the other space. It is an addiction, browsing that store... :)
lauren · May 26, 2008 at 09:53 AM
Beautiful toadstools ! I don't know if you read french but the photos are already worth the buy and so inspiring: I'm pretty sure you would enjoy Léa Stansal's books, "la trousse à couture" is a philosophical fairy tale with gorgeous creations), http://www.amazon.fr/trousse-couture-philosophique-confectionner-soi-m%C3%AAme/dp/2700604342
"Le monde de Léa" (more into patchwork projects) is also amazing.
Caroline · May 26, 2008 at 09:36 AM
I love the red colors of your velvety mushrooms! Very nice indeed!
How lovely they shall look in your home!
Mogendorff's creations are amazing! I love her mushroom peeps, and her birdy houses :) They are so fun, I wish they would just spring to life!
Have a sweet Monday!
♥Lisa
Lisa · May 26, 2008 at 07:35 AM
Your mushrooms are lovely ! I hope I will give myself some time to try to do one...
Have you heard about an Etsy shop named baba studio ? I think you would love it, as they make purses, totes and other bags with gorgeous pictures of Alice... And I am pretty sure you would appreciate their other themes, such as fairytales, bohemian gothic, Art Nouveau, or... cakes !
It may suit you very well ! ;o )
Lilith · May 26, 2008 at 07:22 AM
Oh my word. My living room needs a grove of its own. I want to shrink down to a little me and take a nap on one. :)
Shannon Benavidez · May 26, 2008 at 03:12 AM
Hi Ms. Martin,
I adore your mushrooms! I recently found these really neat clusters of vintage mushrooms (they're made out of a sorta weird foam-ish stuff) and have been trying to figure out something cute to do with them. I still don't know what, but now I wanna make some like yours! What kind of dye did you use? Anyways, I hope you have a happy memorial day!
Love,
Madeline
Madeline · May 26, 2008 at 12:23 AM
What exquisite mushies! Clever you! I absolutely love these, and have been going through a mushroom obsession of late. These are really inspiring, and the red you've used is so rich.
Docwitch · May 25, 2008 at 11:47 PM
Those are lovely! I went through a crochet mushroom (and gnome) phase last summer. Yours are so sweet and fun.
sparkle j · May 25, 2008 at 11:32 PM
They are adorable! They would make happy friends with the moss that I make :)
Summer · May 25, 2008 at 10:25 PM
Wow, those are really neat! Wish I had the talet to just decide to do that and then do it that well! ...I can see little brown toad stools sprouting up in the corners of my house - how cute would that be! Until that cat got to them at least....
Why Mom Drinks Rum · May 25, 2008 at 09:29 PM
Lovely indeed, the color red and the velvet make them look so lush in a lushy mushroom kinda way.
So cute :)
LadyYing · May 25, 2008 at 07:54 PM
what luscious shades of red you created! gorgeous!!
jill · May 25, 2008 at 07:42 PM
good golly ms.emily! good golly!
kim* · May 25, 2008 at 07:38 PM
Just want to say how much I love following all of your adventures on your blog - it's so inspiring!!! And those mushrooms/toadstools are just sweet. :)
AmandaBeth · May 25, 2008 at 07:02 PM
Adorable as usual.
puglyfeet · May 25, 2008 at 06:44 PM
Those are gorgeous!! And I would have never thought of weighting the stems like that to get them to stand up! Wow!
muralimanohar · May 25, 2008 at 06:34 PM
The mushrooms are beyond adorable! You should consider selling a few in your shop; I would love to snag a set!
Christy · May 25, 2008 at 05:48 PM
hey they're great toadstools - my friend is organising a toadstool swap at the moment over at lucykatecrafts.blogspot.com - and that is *exactly* what i had in mind!!!
p.s what brand of dye do you use?
vInTaGe VioLeT · May 25, 2008 at 05:29 PM
That shade of velvet is so lush! Very cute mushrooms!
susand · May 25, 2008 at 05:22 PM
they look gorgeous! What a lovely thing to do in your "down time".
net · May 25, 2008 at 04:59 PM
Your mushrooms are so sweet! Nice to take time to do something 'just for fun'! What a concept!
Kelley Hart · May 25, 2008 at 04:21 PM
carry them around in your pocket! have you seen the latest Milk magazine?
Hillary · May 25, 2008 at 04:01 PM
Those are adorable! I just love the shade of red you managed to get.
Barbara · May 25, 2008 at 04:00 PM
These mushrooms came out beautifully! I'm sure they will look wonderful anywhere you decide to put them.
Brandy · May 25, 2008 at 03:30 PM
Hi Miss Emily!! Happy Sunday! Looove Tamar's work, all of it!
I am so mushroom obsessed. I loooove yours!! Little treasures! Have you seen the amazing Osborne & Little Mushrooms?? Stitched out of their exquisite over the top fabric??
I will conjur up an ad somewhere... They are magical!!! xx
A Fanciful Twist · May 25, 2008 at 01:44 PM
I meant "cute," not "cut." Oops!
enc · May 25, 2008 at 01:25 PM
Brilliant! I love these! You could do some really cute tableau photography with them, I bet. Cut things to sell, too.
enc · May 25, 2008 at 01:24 PM
The mushrooms are really sweet. And Tamar's work is great --I love the stuffed plant starters with the roots growing. Inspired!
Rosalie · May 25, 2008 at 01:09 PM
How sweet! I love these.
kelly · May 25, 2008 at 01:05 PM
Those mushrooms really make me want to touch them so I can feel the velvet (if that isn't a bit of a weird things to say!) :) So pretty!
alice · May 25, 2008 at 01:04 PM
Beautiful. Very simple.
Sleepy Sundays are nice.
Rebecca · May 25, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Very pretty fungi! I have some scraps of silk velvet that I was recently given y a customer and am saving them for something special too,
J
x
Jane · May 25, 2008 at 12:28 PM
The mushrooms are really sweet. And thanks for the artist link - I love her birdhouses and "cages"!
Prudence · May 25, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Those are darling! Happy Sunday!
cedar · May 25, 2008 at 12:11 PM