Punch Needle Artist: Camille Labarre

A: I have always dabbled in crafts of all kinds, but my journey towards punch needle embroidery started with a portrait I made using a rug hooking technique involving pulling up strips of fabric and leather through burlap using a crochet hook. I then opted for punch needle because it is both faster and allows for more detail. I would love to revisit rug hooking in the future.

A: I enjoy the process of making more than the planning, so I typically don’t give the composition too much thought. As long as I can find a half-decent reference photo, I’m good to go. For instance, the double portrait below is a combination of 4 reference photos and a lot of it was made up as I went along.

A: Get to work! Busy hands free up any block for me. But it’s also important to know when to step back, slow down, and allow yourself to think. I find it useful to have several projects going at once.

A: The process of doing, problem solving, and thinking. Makers are great at introspecting, and that’s because they give themselves the time to be alone with their thoughts. That quality is becoming increasingly rare in our cultural context, but I think it’s a really important part of getting to know yourself.

A: Practical skills are seriously undervalued, but a fundamental part of what makes us human. I find maintaining some degree of self-sufficiency very comforting.