Meet Tarra! The artist behind Pip & Roo Needleworks. You may remember a few weeks ago when I shared her running fox canvas on the blog.
1. Tell us about yourself Tarra. Where is home for you?
I grew up in Purchase New York and made many trips up to my families ski house at Stratton, Vermont. After marrying my husband Willie, we lived in North Stamford, CT for 3 years and then decided Vermont was calling and have been up here since 1992.
2. What was your first experience with needlepoint and who taught you to stitch?
I remember my eldest sister Kimet gave me a stitched horse head pillow when I was ten years old and that was the beginning of my needlepoint career. I did small projects throughout my youth and then decided to get back into it after marrying. I visited my local shop, the Village Ewe in Cos Cob CT. and picked up a black and yellow lab belt design to stitch for my husband that resembled our two labs at the time…little did we know we would be owning and breeding a Labrador and jack Russell facility along with a barn full of horses for the next 20 years!
3 What lead you to start designing your own canvases? What is your process like?
After having a few canvas painted for some chair pads I was stitching for our dinning room I decided to try one of my own. Unlike many stitch painters I do not use any paint! : I draw my design on a white canvas and then stitch it with the fiber colors, no paint is used! To some it seems tedious but I have a hard time seeing the design as painted and therefore must stitch the design myself. (Freestyle)
4 Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration from dogs and animals around me and iconic pieces that I feel will translate well to needlepoint.
5 Do you have a favorite canvas in your line?
Tough question!! My oh for Fox, my jack Russell, my Corgi, the Santa Clammer to name a few!
You can shop Tarra’s canvases on her website and on Needlepoint.Com here.
