Meet Nicole La Cour, Winner of the Easter Photo Contest

We saw some really great entries into this year's Hatch Embroidery Easter Photo Contest. However, there was one that really stood out above all, Nicole La Cour's "Bunny Bag". It is a stunning design that demonstrated a high level of technical skills and was also presented just beautifully.

I was curious to find out more about the person behind the lovely embroidery, so I chatted to Nicole about how she started machine embroidery and her small business Tattered Stitch Embroideries.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself?

I am the owner of Tattered Stitch Embroideries. I live in beautiful, sunny Arizona with my husband (and business partner) Jacques. We have one sweet, lovable Springer Spaniel, Daisy, and one persnickety cat, Dusty.

While I have only recently been introduced to the world of embroidery, (about 2 years ago) I have been an illustrator for as long as I can remember. It is my passion really. I owned a stamp company for 12+ years and after I sold the company I decided that I missed sharing my art. I love sharing my illustrations with others, and knowing that they get enjoyment out of them as well. It always makes me happy to know that my creations make others smile.

How did Tattered Stitch start?

Tattered Stitch was started with a lot of thought and prayer. We have recently started fostering two children, and I knew that I wanted to stay at home once we did so. So, thinking about what I could do to work from home, my mother suggested that I start up an embroidery company, and I am glad that I followed her suggestion. There is something so magical about watching a pattern that you have created and digitized stitch out on a machine. The first time I saw a pattern of mine do that, I was hooked. I had no idea how the pattern was going to translate from computer to embroidery machine, but it did and I was amazed. 
 

What inspires you when you create your designs?

I am inspired by so many sources. I love vintage and I love soft simple illustrations. I also love watercolor washes and I love getting that look in embroidery patterns. I love whimsical little kittens, you will find many of them in my line of designs. I am inspired by the children in my life. I now look for ideas that I think would be cute on a child’s t-shirt or bib.

What made you choose Hatch Embroidery?

When I first started to digitize, I had purchased another software package. It was so not user friendly. After about a week of trying to work with that particular software, I was so frustrated that I went in search of another program to use. It was suggested to me that I try Hatch Embroidery Digitizer. After doing a little bit of research and trying the free 30 day trial, I knew that it would be a great software for me. I found it to be incredibly user friendly. The resources through the Hatch Embroidery board are amazing. I found that there were many videos and tutorials to learn from. I am just thrilled with Hatch Embroidery and how easy it is to use. 

What are you favorite tools or features in Hatch Embroidery?

#1 by far is the branching tool. It makes it so easy to get the effect of red work. I get lost in a design when I try to do red work manually. So it makes it sooo easy. 

My second favorite feature is using the Gradient Fill and the Florentine effects together. I love the watercolor look that you can achieve with these features together. It feels like you are painting with stitches when the machine is hard at work. Just love it. These features combined really have allowed me to think about how I would do an image if I were to paint instead of digitize. I can put an outline around it, and it really does feel like watercolor.