Artist Spotlight: Katie Miller
- Embroydica
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
What first drew you to embroidery, and when did it become something you felt deeply connected to rather than simply interested in?
I have always had a love and interest in anything crafty and needlework is no exception. I think back to the wooden lacing toys that taught me the basics of stitching, the cross-stitch and latch-hook kits I enjoyed, and the many small projects I made as a child—from doll clothes to iPod cases to stuffed felt animals. In high school I had a special interest in fashion and textiles and in college I incorporated needlework into art projects. Stitching has always been there, quietly in the background teaching me rules, but it wasn’t until I found embroidery that I learned how to break them!
When I saw an embroidered necklace for the first time in 2019 I felt an immediate fascination. (Shout out to @ThursdayLoveCraft) Her necklaces were charming and precious and the idea of making something so small and sweet captivated me. Inspired, I made my own tiny creations, developing a style rooted in my personal values and artistic direction.
Since then, embroidery has been a constant and deep force in my life. It feels liberating and expressive: a bit like painting but with no dry-time or mess. It is colorful and tactile, patient and therapeutic, and can create an infinite array of beautiful things. Over the years, my practice has taught me so much and my love and respect for the craft continues to grow.
Your work often uses repurposed fabric and inherited tools. How do these materials shape the way you approach making?
I love being resourceful and using what’s already around me. It feels responsible and meaningful to give new purpose to materials that have crossed my path.
Most of my miniature embroideries are stitched onto repurposed fabric, specifically woven linen or cotton found at thrift stores in the form of old shirts, dresses, or tablecloths. I try to be respectful of what I choose to cut up, but with miniature work, a little fabric goes a long way. Giving fabric new life keeps it out the landfill and allows its story to continue in small, unexpected, and beautiful ways.
Many of my tools and materials have also come to me serendipitously from teachers, garage-sales, friends, sisters, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. Some have been used for generations—it’s an honor to be a part of a living tradition with such deep and sacred roots. Combining new and repurposed materials thoughtfully makes my work all the more meaningful to me.
Why did you choose to focus on miniature embroidery, and what do you feel that scale allows you to express?
Making tiny, cute things is my favorite! The small scale makes the work feel personal and easy to pour love and creativity and vision into.
Miniature embroidery is a little thing that can bring a lot of joy: It is small, undemanding, and easy to overlook... but for these reasons it seems to exponentially reward curiosity and attention given to it. It is funny to witness people’s surprise when they realize what they’re looking at is hand-stitched embroidery! I like that miniature embroidery is a quiet gift for those who can pause, appreciate details, and allow the little things in life to capture their imagination.
There is also a humility in small, quiet things, which is beautiful and needed in a noisy, angry world. And because small projects don’t take as long to complete, they require focus without endless patience, which keeps the process fun and light, and motivates me to return again and again.
Can you walk us through your process, from the initial idea to a finished piece?
Most of the time I am slowly working on necklace batches. I start by choosing a fabric from my repurposed fabric stash. Once on the hoop, I will stitch a couple small floral designs usually in the evening with a good stitching lamp and embroidery stand while I wind down with a show or audiobook. Each design that I stitch is similar but unique due to the improvising nature that I put them together with. Built with a collection of traditional stitches, I start with one element and then slowly work around the piece choosing colors and shapes as I go. They are each a little puzzle that requires artful decisions to create harmony and balance. There is visual weight, color theory, composition, and texture to consider for each motif. After much practice, these concepts have become almost second nature and something that I feel and follow to a well-rounded, cohesive design.
Once I have a few hoops completed, I will cut out each design and attach it to a base insert using my messy, but personally preferred, glue method. The covered insert is then set into its “bezel” or “pendant tray” with a heavy-duty glue. The finished pieces are like tiny worlds you can get lost in and it’s so satisfying to see them all together. I love the variety and knowing that they are all one-of-a-kind adds to the delight whenever one is chosen!
You describe each piece as beginning a new story when it finds its wearer. How do you think about that transition from maker to owner?
I think this is such a sacred part of making! I am trained and work professionally as a graphic designer and the graphic designer in me loves to make “art” with a purpose and destination: you! My desire to create is fueled by the inherent gift of making and the gift of giving away. When one of my pieces is chosen it ties everything, the past and the future, together into a “present” for the both of us. The story that carried a cast-off item to become a lovely embroidered necklace, will continue on as a teeny tiny detail in someone else’s bigger and more beautiful story.
What inspired you to create Tiny Embroidery Kits, and how does teaching differ from making personal work?
My Tiny Embroidery Kits grew out of both public interest and a need to pivot. As my embroideries gained attention on Instagram, questions about my process increased and pieces began selling more quickly than I could comfortably keep up with.
I care deeply about the slowness and integrity of hand embroidery, and I wanted to honor those values without burning out or diminishing the specialness of my stitched work. So I set out to create something that would complement my originals while offering meaningful value to others.
After extensive research and development, I’m proud to offer a thoughtful, accessible embroidery experience in the form of a tiny kit. Every element—from design to pattern to finished project—has been created with both beginners and seasoned stitchers in mind. Teaching something I truly love feels like a gift, and I hope each person who picks up a kit feels confident, empowered, and inspired to continue their stitching journey!
How has running Dandelion Doiley influenced your relationship with embroidery as a creative practice?
“Dandelion Doiley” was a theme and idea that I explored during college. It’s deeply connected with my personal values and perspectives, and it felt appropriate to use as a brand for the new small work that I was pouring myself into. I found the focus of a brand extremely helpful as I began to carve out what I wanted my handmade business, practice, and work to be.
But because the work and the brand are so closely intertwined it’s very hard to separate them. In some ways I would like to be able to let go of that brand identity and see where embroidery would take me without its guidance. But Dandelion Doiley is a big motivator for me to create—and I am proud that I have grown it into something where miniature embroidery practice, wisdom, and inspiration can all be found.
What challenges or shifts have shaped your work most over the past few years?
Things have felt a little crazy for the entirety of Dandelion Doiley! It started a few months before a worldwide lockdown, has ridden the waves of the Instagram algorithm and its photo to video evolution, and it’s seen the rise of new technologies and exists among real and fake embroidery on Etsy due to Ai. These developments have all shifted my business, approach, or attitude, but for the most part, my work has stayed the same.
I love that about embroidery—sure there is innovation to be found and endless ideas to play with and explore, but the work is the work. Ready whenever I am, I can find so much calm and therapy in the quietness of an embroidery project. It brings peace, reflection, and revelation as you allow yourself to pour into the repetitive in-and-out of the work and make something beautiful one stitch at a time. It has been here for generations and will be there for anyone who chooses to thread their needle and start stitching.
Looking ahead, what directions or ideas are you most excited to explore next?
I rarely make set plans, but I do have interests and aspirations that I like to follow when it feels right. Last year I started a Youtube channel, which has been fun and rewarding to share and find community through. I hope that I can continue to grow it and make it into a helpful resource and cozy place to visit from time to time. As a graphic designer I have always thought it would be neat to use embroidery as a graphic or story-telling element. It would be a dream to get to embroider a book cover or create illustrations for one somehow. It also might be nice to compile some of my tips and tricks into a book eventually! Apart from these bigger ideas, I would really like to add more designs and patterns to my Tiny Embroidery Kits; continue to make batches of necklaces, maybe revisiting some other settings like earrings, bookmarks, and brooches; and develop a website outside of Etsy!
