feeling stitchy: Winner in the Surprise Rainbow Category!

So we added a surprise category to the Rainbow of Stitches contest (in keeping with our tradition of surprises.) Although we wanted to celebrate monchromatic works, we also felt we had to give the entire rainbow a chance. Our winner, JacqueLynn, singlehandedly dominated the category with her talented abstract creations, and I was in awe of her energy to create. So, let's meet JacqueLynn!

Describe yourself
After YEARs of thinking I have to do my list of jobs first, and art second, I have switched it around - and am so happy.

What inspired your entry?
The first time I saw Takashi Iwasaki's embroidery art on the internet, I was awed! His work inspired me to do abstract embroidery.

Favorite stitch?
I love chain stitch - it fills and curves well - it works in so many places. I like to put different colored French knots in the chain, to look like polka-dots

Who or what inspires you to stitch?
Stitching fills a need I have to use my hands. Although I draw digitally, stitching helps me use my hands in a more physical way than I do when I draw.

How did you get started?
My Mom taught me to embroider when I was 8 or 9. ( and sew and knit, and garden- i.e. pull weeds, and almost crochet - she was a lefty and had a hard time with doing the hand switch thing when showing me to crochet.) Just the other day, I was reading a blog about someone trying to learn to sew - and all I could think of was how lucky that I learned all the tricks, techniques and little secrets from my Mom. THANKS MOM!

Are there any stitchers in the Feeling Stitchy pool that you have noticed?
Oh my gosh, yes. I started looking at the photos from the Feeling Stitchy pool that I have added to "my favorites" and had 7 flickr friends just on the first page of my favorites.

All total, way too many to list. - I find that looking at the art that others have created is so often a jump start to a new project. It's about looking at someone else's art and thinking - "I love that!" What did they do that is so right for their piece, then thinking about it and learning from it. Feeling Stitchy pool and blog is such a great place to see the kind of embroidery art that I can learn from.

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Also in the Rainbow Category...
There were lots of standout creations in our last-minute wildcard Rainbow category, but a few of my favorites were: