Nichole Vogelsinger, better known online as Wild Boho, stands out as an exceptionally talented embroidery artist, specializing in creating texture and depth in her multimedia embroidery projects. Elevating hand embroidery to extraordinary levels. With two published books under her belt, and one more on the horizon, this embroidery wizard knows what she’s talking about when it comes to hand work. Delve deeper into her journey from embroidery enthusiast to published author and glean invaluable insights in this extra special Off The Spool interview!

It All Started With a Stitch

There is one stand out reason that sewers and crafters decide to pick up hand work projects. Whether it be hand embroidery, piecing, or big stitch quilting there is one thing all these techniques have in common. They are extremely mobile. Perfect for sewers who want to take their work with them on the go. This is exactly what enticed Nichole into trying out hand embroidery for the first time. As a busy mom, being tied down to a sewing machine just wasn’t a realistic option, as she had to be able to keep an eye on her kids and put down her work easily when needed. She had to find a creative outlet that could seamlessly integrate into her dynamic lifestyle. Very quickly she realized how easy it was to pick up her hoop and bring it with her from place to place, so she could keep up with her kids as she stitched!

Beyond convenience, hand embroidery provided Nichole with a canvas for uninhibited creativity, as it allowed her to avoid using patterns. After trying, and not particularly enjoying, cross stitch she realized she enjoyed more freeform techniques where she didn’t have to follow a pattern. Combining different fabrics and adding improvised hand stitching allowed her to relax and let her creativity flow as she worked. As her work progressed, she started to include more and more multimedia elements - such as buttons, beads, trims, sequins, and even clay. Experimenting with different materials enabled her to add more dimension to her pieces to create eye-catching 3D effects. This has since become a signature of her work which she calls “freestyle embroidery”. This distinctive style is what caught the eye of Nichole’s publisher from Lucky Spool, who partnered with her to create and release her series of books! Boho Embroidery: The Pattern Collection, Boho Embroidery: Modern Projects From Traditional Stitches, and coming soon Needles Out!

Designs Full of Dimension

Central to Nichole's “freestyle embroidery” technique is the meticulous layering of fabrics, threads, and embellishments. She starts by choosing the fabric for her project, focusing mainly on colour and texture. Layering together different types of fabric helps her to create a unique base to work on top of. From there she moves on to choosing the thread. Nichole prefers to work with thick, bold threads which can be built up to add extra dimension! Her favourite thread to use is our Perlé cotton, Eleganza™, in 8wt, 5wt, or 3wt. Eleganza™ is perfect for adding hand stitching that really pops off the fabric to give a 3D look. When attaching beads and sequins Nichole often uses Fruitti™, our 12 weight variegated cotton thread. She highlighted how the thread you use for beading needs to be considered as you can often see parts of it in your final product. Using a variegated thread that matches your project adds a fun detail to the design. Fruitti™ is also extremely strong so can be used to add many beads at a time without breaking. After gathering her threads, she decides on what other multimedia elements she wants to add whether that be beads, buttons, sequins, or custom-made clay pieces which she has started to experiment with lately. In recent projects she had been focused on experimenting with different ways to add more dimension into her work. She does this by using a variety of materials and stitches that help the design to pop off the fabric. WonderFil® pre-cut wool circles can be seen in many of her designs, being stacked on top of one another to add that depth.

Once she has collected all her materials she begins stitching. Sometimes with a plan, and sometimes improvising as she goes. Nichole explained that once she begins stitching, she loses herself in the work. “It’s so stress relieving and relaxing”. And you don’t have to concentrate too hard on what you’re doing, which is an added bonus of not using patterns. Much of her inspiration comes from exploring nature! “My husband is a gardener, and we have lots of gardens around where we live in Philadelphia it’s the garden capitol of the US”. She loves spending time walking through gardens, looking at flowers to discover new colours and texture she wants to replicate. Her works tend to be abstract recreations of things she sees outside and in these gardens.

Embroidery Tips & Tricks

Hand embroidery is one of the most accessible craft for beginners, as you need very little to get started! Just some needles, thread, and a hoop! But what should you know before diving headfirst into the craft? We asked Nichole what tips she would share with people looking to get into hand embroidery. Her number one recommendation is to use high quality tools, specifically needles and threads. “Get good needles and have a variety of needles for different things. Chenille, tapestry needles, milliners. And get good threads. You can tell the difference. Low quality threads tangle and are hard to use”. Good tools make it easier to learn, as they aren’t adding issues as you work. “Use tools that are enjoyable to work with”, so that you enjoy the work you’re doing. Check out the links below to see what tools Nichole recommends!

Additionally, Nichole highlighted how important it is to start small. “I think sometimes beginners feel like where do I even start, then people will get a little fearful”. In the classes she teaches she aims to focus on one technique at a time, teaching simple stitches that are easy to use throughout a whole project. At the beginning of her embroidery journey, she used to stitch entire hoops with one stitch to master them before learning the next one. And still ended up with stunning projects that she was proud to show off. It isn’t necessary to become an expert right away. It’s okay to start small and give yourself time to learn and practice. As an easy beginner project Nichole recommended finding a patterned fabric you’re fond of, hoop it, and just stitch over the top of the design. Using one or two versatile stitches.

“Don’t be afraid to experiment with stitches, get a practice hoop with a patterned fabric you like to look of and just start putting stitches on it, start with one stitch it doesn’t need to be complicated, you can do a whole piece with one or two stitches, start with something simple, add one stitch on each project”

Where To Find Wild Boho

If you want to learn more from Nichole be sure to check out her social media accounts. She is active on Instagram and YouTube where she publishes her work along with detailed tutorials on hand embroidery! Or find her published books on amazon which offer more insight into unique “freestyle embroidery” style. Both are linked below. And keep an eye out for her new book Needles Out coming this summer!