Cheryl McKinnon of Tiny Modernist
Q. When did you begin cross stitching?
A. It’s been a family pastime for generations. Both my mom and grandmother were stitchers, and my sister and I took it up at a young age. But as a kid, I never had enough patience to finish big projects. Once, I started stitching a huge piece, St. George and the Dragon, with an elaborate border and many colors. I worked on it for ages, and got it about 80 percent done, but then it got packed away somewhere, and I think it will stay as my “forever unfinished” WIP! It still got me hooked on stitching, though, and I’ve kept it up other than a few years during college and university when I didn’t have much free time.
Q. When did you begin designing cross stitch?
A. In 2007, I was living in Seattle and took up stitching more seriously while expecting my first daughter. I stitched a number of purchased kits as Christmas gifts for family members that year, and while there were many lovely designs to choose from, I couldn’t find anything that really fit my personal taste. I decided to make a few patterns myself and settled on some midcentury–modern chair designs. I loved how they turned out—a unique blend of the traditional craft of cross stitch with a modern feel.
The stitched chairs were originally just going to hang in my living room, but on a whim, I decided to put the charts up for sale in my brand-new Etsy shop to see how they would do. They sold so well I decided to make some more designs.
Q. How did you learn to design?
A. My path to designing cross-stitch charts was a winding one, but I’ve always been a designer. I started as an artist, and then moved across Canada to study fashion design in Vancouver, British Columbia. After that, I worked in the fashion industry as a technical pattern designer. And after my first daughter was born, I started my own small business designing handmade baby and toddler dresses to sell on Etsy.
I named my company Tiny Modernist. The name came from the idea that they were 1960s mod-inspired dresses for “tiny” girls. The funny thing is that I started designing cross-stitch charts not long after that, and designed both clothing and cross-stitch charts for quite a while—almost five years.
Q. Who or what inspires you?
A. My mother was an inspiration to me (and still is!). She taught me how to cross stitch and sew at a very young age, and I think it started me on the path to becoming a designer.
In daily life, my inspiration often comes from something I see around town—like a typewriter or blender in a vintage store, an outfit on a mannequin in a store window, or a display in a home decor shop. And I’ve always loved mid-century–modern design—the clean lines, retro color palettes and bold graphics really speak to me.
I think my best designs happen when I am being true to myself. They reflect my personality and point of view. I love bright colors and modern design, and I always try to find the fun and positive side of things in life. This comes out in my designs.
Q. What do you do when you aren’t designing or stitching?
A. I live near Toronto, Canada, with my two daughters, who are 9 and 11, my partner, Scott, and our a large black and white Bernedoodle Lab named Barney. We all have busy work and school schedules, but try to spend quality time together in between.
We like to have family game night a few times a week—where we put away the electronics and play cards, board games or do a puzzle as a family.
Scott and I enjoy also cooking together, and the kids love to help me bake (easy things like cookies or muffins). We live in an area that offers lots of trails, so in nice weather we go for nature walks or ride our bikes along the boardwalk near Lake Ontario.
We also really love to travel and try to see a new city or place from our “bucket list” every year.
Q. If you were to give someone cross-stitch advice, what would it be?
A. First, stitching is a very beautiful form of self-expression where the stitcher gets to decide how to create their artwork. You can choose to follow the chart, of course. But don’t be afraid to “personalize” charts by changing colors or fabrics from the original model to better suit your own taste.
The second piece of advice is on the subject of mistakes (and frogging them!). My philosophy is this: If the mistake noticeably affects the finished design, or if it’s just a few stitches in the wrong place, then it’s probably worth taking out. Otherwise, if you can work around the mistake, call it a “happy accident” and just keep on stitching.
I think my best designs happen when I am being true to myself. They reflect my personality and point of view.