The New Crafters

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Stitch Artist

Who I am: Corinne McHie, 38, of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Where you'll find me: Selling custom-made embroidery patterns and finished projects at SeptemberHouse, my Etsy shop, or visiting my favorite local fabric and crafts stores, Treadle Yard Goods and Crafty Planet.

Back to my roots: I worked in art education and as a graphic designer but now I stay home with my two sons. I used to worry that I couldn't make a living as an artist, but the truth is, if creativity is in your heart, you'll always go back to it.

Heavens to Etsy: The community on the site is so friendly. When I learned that the sellers were regular people just like me, I thought, "I can do this." Even though we've never met in person, I consider many of them my good friends.

Why embroidery is great for "me" time: My boys, now 4 and 8, don't nap as they used to, so I don't have long stretches to work anymore. I can put down a project and easily pick it back up later -- perfect for a busy mom like me.

Biggest inspiration: Vintage children's book illustrations.

What's old is new: I use my computer and a drawing tablet to digitize my designs. Someone who stitched a sampler in 1890 could never have even dreamed of using such equipment, yet the results are pretty much the same.

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