Freedom of Stitch: Where Art & Craft Meet Stitch™  is ME,  Victoria Crowder Payne and the Fearless Stitcher Design series featuring original mixed media embroidery designs and projects.

I offer online workshops through the Fiber Arts Mixed Media forum, and run local bookings via the Northland JoAnn store (where I develop their mixed media embroidery and metallics & wire work for wearables curriculum).

For workshop info, see Workshops with Victoria in the  sidebars and visit the Schoolhouse tab.

Technically speaking, I prefer working floss and fiber embroidery stitched over watercolor painting on unbleached muslin, though I work in paper and metal too. My aesthetic and style evolved from techniques I used in creating my zine in the 90s, so even though I always stitch over whatever base I begin with, I am firmly rooted in freestyle collage.  I choose mostly nature subjects from my gardens, but with some Freedom of Stitch twist–like when plants fight back!  Ultimately, I think all media should mix and be 3D about it –

If you already know a little about me and you can’t wait to see the goods, visit the gallery  *link *!  Otherwise, there’s another link at the end of my little history…

The Freedom of Stitch concept was developed out of my tradition of advocating freedom of speech, and freedom of expression. I learned from my mother (a quilter, painter, and designer) that artistic expression is the highest value and must be embraced and protected. I also learned that forging one’s own path is crucial–my gramma and aunt both ran successful art businesses, one in ceramics and one machine embroidery.

But I took a different route. I built “respectable” businesses and unhappy with them, sold them off. I got into fashion (because it was as “arty” as I was willing to go) and I worked the runway, rocked the editorial & print world, and even took over & ran my agency for a few years — but left unfulfilled. Finally, frustrated and fed up, I started a zine *link*.  Cynical Soul launched me into a wonderful world of writers, poets, artists, and activists.

I collaged, cut, and pasted with breakneck speed–and it was liberation! I got a sketchbook. I wrote, performed, and produced poetry events.

(Including ‘the Bus Event’ with Anne Winter & Lisa Cordes, designed to “break down barriers between KC artists & the communities where we live” — Each artist gave readings or performances along the KC Metro bus route!)

I started teaching zines and Text as Art at the Kansas City Art Institute and was energized by the creativity and passion I saw. In 1998, I opened my first solo show at The Writer’s Place in KCMO.

“ZINE: The Story of a Four Letter Word” was about fighting zine censorship and giving independent artists their freedom.

I worked like crazy for the Kansas City Free Speech Coalition to give artists an annual forum for networking and zining and helped found the Midwest Underground Media Symposium.
After so many years of traveling the arts, I had finally found my way. There was finally a place for all the WORDS (

But alas, there just wasn’t enough TEXTURE! I was writing, painting, studying, pasting, but where was the CRUNCH? One day in 2005 in the studio, husband casually asked, “why don’t you try stitching? That’s textury, right?”

POW.  Just like that, the art doors blew open. I reproduced all of the samples in our library’s stitch books in two days. I cranked out ideas for new stitches, new designs. It was like all this STITCH was just rushing out of my hands. I was POsessed, OBsessed, driven.  I’d discovered the language I was meant to speak.  But with my mom having passed on in 2002, it was an aunt who illuminated it all, “You’re not just learning this stuff now, silly! Your Mom taught you to embroider when you were a little girl. You’re REMEMBERING it.” And with that, Freedom of Stitch rushed in.

I knew I wanted to create a place for mixed media exploration, but that stitch needed to be an integral part of it.  I’d learned for myself that ALL media should mix, and be 3D about it, and I sensed other adventurous souls who were eyeing their supplies with new inspirations.  As I watched the craft community catch fire and burn with excitement and enthusiasm, I started to discover more and more artists who were fearless experimenters, and who sought new challenges and better horizons of technique and style.  I knew I could provide a road map for mixing media and stitch which would give both beginners and practiced artists the tools to push themselves in exciting ways.  The Fearless Stitcher designs were born.

Today, Freedom of Stitch

is officially Where Art and Craft Meet Stitch™.  It provides a mixed media embroidery umbrella of sorts which welcomes artists of all kinds who are fearless in their quest to “mix and stitch”.

In addition to the designing & teaching summers at the KC Art Institute, I worked for 14 months to prepare a solo show for 2009.

Into the Woods: the Mixed Media Embroidery of Victoria Crowder Payne  opened at the Campanella Gallery in Kansas City, MO 17 July 2009.

The anchor piece “The Roots at Dusk” is the largest thing I’ve created to date and is a 3footX4foot floss and fiber on watercolor and acrylic. Using some of my favorite stitches in combination and alone, it clocks in at about 110,000 stitches total.

For the full story of the Roots, visit the Root diary  *link*

To check out some more fearless stitch, visit the gallery *link*

So, what’s next you may ask? Actually it’s more of the same and also casting my net a little wider:  I’ll continue teaching online, and adding patterns to the Fearless Stitcher Shop *link* but I’m also turning a bit of focus towards a book project – The Fearless Stitcher’s Street Guide to Mixed Media Embroidery is compiled and currently being photographed so I’ve begun looking for a publisher.    It includes designs, projects, and a bit of world stitch in that it highlights women who have used their stitch in revolutionary socio-political ways ( I write a monthly column featuring these stitchers called “Needles on the Record: stitched documentary” for the Hand Embroidery Network — look in the right sidebar under Putting Needles on the Record if you’re interested in the use of embroidery in personal documentary — the HEN is ALSO where my feature “Caught… Being Fearless: Mixed Media Embroidery stitchers from my gallery” appears).    *whew*

As if I needed to sleep anyway, I’ve begun developing classes for the northalnd JoAnn store (which can be found by following this

*Schoolhouse link * )

Meanwhile,

I’ve just completed a design project for DMC Threads  & am proudly an official project creator for them (WOOT!) & will keep a list here of links to them.  I’ll keep the website updated and work the social networks (see right sidebar for A List of Places to Stalk Me including Facebook, MySpace and the like).  And of course…  keep stitchin… stitchin…

My latest project involves creating a workshop series for the MO Fiber Arts Association for their 2011 convention that will center on creating a REAL Artist’s Grimoire beginning with favorite poisons like the Mandrake (see him in the gallery) and a few familiars…so it’s back to the studio for me!

Thank you so much for visiting!!

Fearless stitch, bruthas and sistas, fearless stitch.