[hōbi meets artists] Atelier pecora - Her Worldview Through Embroidery

After many attempts... 3D floral earrings blending embroidery and crochet are finally born!

"Warm and gentle" perfectly describes the Japanese handmade brand Atelier pecora. Yun-san, dressed in an elegant long white dress, is the creator behind the brand.

 "Embroidery is generally only used to create flat accessories. I tried 3D embroidery before, but couldn't create anything I was satisfied with."

With a love for detailed handmade crafts, Yun-san started learning embroidery in elementary school. The use of tools and basic techniques were taught by her mother when she was young, while other skills were self-taught from YouTube in recent years.

Although she is entering her 10th year as a crafter, she only started embroidery about 4 or 5 years ago. You might ask, just like I did: Why?

It turns out that initially, she mostly made accessories using pearls and beads, occasionally incorporating shrink plastic and resin.

"I tried creating with different methods, but eventually realized that my favorite is still embroidery," she says softly with a smile.

What fascinates her are the richly colored embroidery threads, and the warmth they bring is simply irreplaceable.

Since she loves gardening, she designs her works by observing the colors and forms of flowers.

"I really wanted to present the three-dimensionality of flowers no matter what, so I decided to try crochet."

Picking up a piece she is currently crocheting, she explains, "From the outside, the petals are puffed up, while the stamen part is hollowed out. Making each part separately and then sewing them together into a complete crocheted flower, and adjusting it to its final shape, definitely takes a lot of hard work."

Recalling the bits and pieces of the crafting process, Yun-san subconsciously lights up with excitement.

When encountering difficult parts, the only way to achieve perfection is through continuous practice.

Indeed, persisting and working hard for what you love is often the inevitable path to achieving your ideals.

Dedication to Her Work

Yun-san, who originally worked an office job, fully devoted herself to embroidery creation about 4 or 5 years ago.

"The combination of embroidery and crochet is the medium that best expresses my personality."

Even with the same materials, the works created by different crafters are entirely unique. This is exactly the charm of handmade items.

Learning to crochet from scratch, she practiced non-stop from noon to night every day. After spending two weeks mastering the techniques, she adjusted the thickness of the threads and slowly evolved her own style through trial and error.

She has loved coloring since childhood, enjoying the fun of mixing different colors. As an adult, she brings the hues from paper into reality through embroidery.

"Before crafting, I always sketch a draft first. But I often encounter situations where the finished product differs from my imagination..."

Indeed, turning a creation into a physical object is no easy task. The degree of completion depends on the crafter's pursuit of perfection.

"If the shape is disproportionate or the crafted parts don't fit well together, I have to remake or redesign it. Most of the time, I'm adjusting it as I make it." Between the lines, you can see her true dedication to her work.

A craft store she frequently visits sells over 500 types of embroidery thread. She laughs, saying that among the vast array of threads, she chooses colors purely by feeling.

"I hope one day I can collect all the threads, then I won't have to worry about it, hehe!"

Every time she does consignment sales at stores, she needs to prepare over 40 pairs of accessories. One pair of earrings takes about 3 hours to make, so the preparation time takes a full two months.

Sometimes, when she hits a creative bottleneck, she tries making different things to change her mood. Because of this, you can occasionally find surprise pieces other than earrings.

(End)

＊興味をお持ちの方は、以下の翻訳文を参考にしていただければ幸いです。＊

[hōbi meets artists] Atelier pecora – 自分らしい世界観

何度も試作を重ねて…けれど、ついに編み刺繍による立体の花の耳飾りが誕生しました。 

日本のハンドメイドブランド「Atelier pecora」といえば、「暖かくて、柔らかい」イメージを持つ方が多いのではないでしょうか。 白いワンピースを素敵に着こなすYunさんが、このブランドの作家です。

「刺繍だと、どうしても平面的な作品しか作れません。何度も立体刺繍を試しましたが、思い通りの形にはなりませんでした。」

昔から細かい手作業が好きで、小学生の頃から刺繍に触れてきました。母親から道具の使い方や基本を教わり、その他の技術はYouTubeを見て独学で身につけたそうです。作家歴は10年になりますが、実は刺繍を本格的に始めたのは4、5年前のこと。「どうして？」と、皆さんも同じ疑問を抱くことでしょう。 

元々はパールやビーズでアクセサリーを作ることが多く、プラバンやレジンを使うこともありました。しかしYunさんは、「いろんな方法で創作してみましたが、やはり刺繍が一番好きです」と語ります。 刺繍糸の豊富な色彩に夢中になり、その特有の暖かみは他の何にも代えがたいものでした。

作品へのこだわり

趣味のガーデニングを通じて、花の色や姿からインスピレーションを得てモチーフを考えています。

「どうしても花の立体感を表現したくて、編み物を取り入れてみたんです」 編みかけの作品を手に持ちながら、彼女は楽しそうに話し続けます。

「外から見ると花びらがふんわりしていて、中心はくぼんでいます。別々にパーツを作り、それを組み合わせます。少しずつ微調整していくので、最終的な形になるまでとても苦労しましたね。」

ゼロから編み物を学び、毎日朝から晩まで練習に没頭しました。2週間で基本的な技術を習得した後は、糸の太さを調整するなどして、自分自身のスタイルを作り上げていきました。 

幼い頃から色塗りが好きで、いろんな色を混ぜて遊んでいた彼女。大人になった今、その色彩感覚は画用紙の上ではなく、刺繍糸を使って表現されています。

「制作前にデザイン画を描いておきますが、想像通りに完成しないことも少なくありません。形がいびつになってしまったり、うまく組み合わせられなかったり。そういう時は、一から作り直します。」 、頭の中のアイデアを立体にするのは簡単なことではありません。

話を聞いていると、彼女の作品に対する強いこだわりが伝わってきます。イベントに出店する際は毎回40ペア以上の耳飾りを準備しますが、1ペア作るのに約3時間かかるため、準備には約2ヶ月を要するそうです。

（続く）