A little doe-c-doe!

Many of you in the embroidery world know doe-c-doe. She is the queen of vintage patterns and is an absolute sweetheart for putting them up on flickr to stitch and share. She is amazingly talented and I don't care what she says, she is the ultimate cool kid!

Tell me a little bit about yourself
I’m originally from a small town in western NY but now live in the mid-west, am not married but have been with the same wonderful guy for 20 years & work as a graphic designer. Basically I’m pretty much an introverted homebody who is addicted to thrifting. On a daily basis I swear too much, am socially awkward, drive like a maniac & act like a complete dork. It’s taken me 40 years but I’ve pretty much come to terms with the fact that I will never be one of the cool kids.

You are the queen of vintage patterns, where do you find them (and thank you for sharing them!)
You’re welcome! I started out buying a couple lots of cut, loose transfers on ebay, but the prices were just so high that I stopped looking on there. Then I got connected with a woman locally who collected vintage sewing items & she sold me a portion of her collection. I’ve added since then just from thrift stores, estate sales & flea markets. I really enjoy sharing them with everyone & love to see how people use them!

Speaking of vintage, you seem to have a love for thrifting and antiquing. What's your favorite find?
I do LOVE to thrift! My favorite find has got to be the signed Charles Harper rooster print I found at an estate sale late last year. I still get all giddy when I think about it!

Who/What inspires you?
So many people & things inspire me, it’s hard to be specific…blogs, flickr & vintage things are pretty high on the list.


Do you have a website/blog?
I have a blog called doe-c-doe but no, I do not square dance.

Any advice for the masses?
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Sometimes I see the amazing things people are making and get very self-conscious about what I make and wonder why I even bother! But I think any kind of creative activity feeds a person’s soul & that is more important than what anyone else thinks of the final product. So make what you like, what gets you excited or makes you happy - don’t focus on what the reaction of others may be.

Describe the perfect day
Bonus: Breakfast at a diner, thrifting, more thrifting, a carnival for lunch & photos, thrifting, more thrifitng, homemade pizza made by my guy for dinner, hot fudge brownie sundaes or his flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce for dessert, a funny movie, and finally off to a bed made with freshly washed sheets that were dried outside so they smell like fresh cut grass & sunshine.


If you want to check out some vintage patterns you can at Hoop Love. Also be sure to check out doe-c-doe's blog. Thank you so much for the interview. Your work is amazing and I so want to come thrift with you!