Karin Fast is an embroidery and surface pattern designer currently living in The Netherlands. She draws inspiration from the five countries she has lived in. Karin loves to integrate woven stitches and patterned textures into her interior embroidery designs.
Describe Your Style in Three Words?
Texture, color, pattern.
How Long Have You Been Stitching For?
Since I was five.
What’s Your Favorite Stitch?
I love the woven stitch, but recently discovered bottensöm and love the texture of that as well.
How Did You Learn to Stitch?
My mother gave me a piece of fabric with a drawing on it that I outlined with a running stitch.
What Are Your Embroidery Essentials?
A hoop, sharp needle and blunt needle for weaving, small sharp scissors, and lots of colors of thread to experiment with.
What Inspires You?
I love using flowers from my garden, or memories of some of the many places I’ve lived. I often create calm relaxing interior scenes full of texture and pattern, sort of like an ideal place to get away from the world.
What’s Your Favorite Piece of Work?
I’ve started experimenting with combining watercolor and stitching with wool directly onto paper using intricate textural stitches. Those are some of my favorite!
What Difference Has Stitching Made To Your Life?
I love the design process, especially when I take a memory of a place and work it into a pattern, it grounds me and helps me slow down to process feelings about places that mean a lot to me.
