Hello, stitching friends! Today's blog is an interview with Max Pigeon of Pigeon Coop Designs! Max is a cross stitch pattern designer, focusing on nature, wildlife, and landscapes with earthy tones and intricate motifs. Recently, Max published his first cross stitch book, Cross-Stitch in the Forest, and let me tell you, this book will keep you busy! I've paged through it so many times, ogling the patterns, looking at the placement of stitches, admiring the natural gradients in the color choices. There's a pattern in this book for every sort of stitcher. So let's dig into Max's process! What it was like to publish a book! And what's next for the Coop!
A = Amanda M= Max
(Click in on the images to find the patterns)
A: Let’s talk about your stitching journey! How and when did you start stitching? And when did that phase into designing?
M: I’ve always been creative and enjoyed arts, but I started stitching only a few years ago. My partner purchased a cross stitch kit at a craft show we attended. For a reason that I’ve since forgotten, I’m the one who ended up making it and I realized that cross stitching was something I might enjoy doing. I tend to have a more mathematical brain and I like when things are organized, come with instructions, etc. Building Legos was the thing I loved most when I was a kid. So the idea of replicating a pattern on fabric, where each stitch has a specific place, was quite enjoyable for me.
So I started stitching some small charts, mostly Christmas ornaments. And it wasn’t long afterwards that I wanted to try my hand at designing something myself. I made a few things for friends and at some point someone said: « you should sell these » and here we are now!
A: Wow! How far you've come in just a few short years! Do you have any background in the arts?
M: I don’t really have an official visual arts background, although I’ve always loved drawing and making things. I do have a specialization in dramatic arts teaching and I’ve written and directed a few plays at the elementary school I used to teach at.
A: In your introduction of your new book, Cross-Stitch in the Forest, you said you're a wildlife biologist! That's a pretty cool industry to be in.
M: I am! I studied wildlife conservation at McGill University and then went on to work in the zoo world for a number of years before I decided to switch career paths and get a degree in education.
A: I can definitely tell by your pattern catalog that you've spent a lot of time in nature. As a little gush, everything in your new book is gorgeous. The patterns, layouts, explanations, everything are so clean. It makes sense now learning that you come from an educational background.
M: Thank you so much! The natural world is an endless source of inspiration for me! And I’m glad that you’re finding the book clear and easy to use; it was one of my main criteria when the publishers and I were discussing the layout.
A: Do people in your real life know that you're this famous cross stitch designer?
M: Haha I don’t know about famous! Not a lot of people in my family and social circles are stitchers, but it’s been fun to show them the book.
A: How would you describe your design aesthetic in 5 words?
M: Hmm, let’s see. I’d probably say: modern, geometric, nature-inspired (that’s one word right?!), colourful, and perhaps unique? I have a been told that I have a style that is now recognizable in the cross stitch world.
I think it’s important for artists to find their voice and their style and I feel that I have achieved that, even if my style keeps evolving. A: I feel like so many artists do pull their inspiration from nature, but your whole body of work shows that. I can tell from the way you pick your colors, gradients, and shapes that you've seen the type of imagery that you design. Can you tell us how these designs come to you?
M: Although I say that my designs are inspired by the natural world, I think it would be more accurate to say that my goal is to celebrate nature. I want each of my designs to be an homage to the wild things that surround us. Someone once told me that one of my designs made them want to go for a walk in the woods, and that’s the best compliment for me.
So in terms of how I come up with my designs, it always start with a question; what part of nature do I want to celebrate this time? And it’s never hard to find an answer to that.
A: Can you share any cool experiences you had in nature?
M: Every time I go out in nature is a good time for me! But a couple examples come to mind. I once spend 3 weeks in the deserts of southern USA as a field trip for one of my courses. We studied the landscapes, habitats and wildlife of 4 types of deserts. It was a truly an amazing experience!
And I’ve also had the privilege to go on a safari in east Africa. It was truly the experience of a lifetime.
However! I do feel it’s important to also discover the nature in our own backyards. This is why I focus my design on North American places.
A: How similar is your first draft of a pattern to your final draft?
M: Sometimes a pattern turns out exactly as I had envisioned and sometimes it becomes something completely different. To give you an example, a pattern I recently released called ‘Blooming Swan’ didn’t start as a swan at all, I was aiming to create an eagle. But as I started designing, it morphed into a swan and I’m glad it did because it ended up being quite popular with stitchers!
I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want the main focus of a piece to be but the details only really appear as I play with pixels and go through a lot of trial and errors in the designing phase.
A: I think that your use of negative space and your small repeating patterns within larger shape makes you stand out as a designer. This makes your designs have a traditional, folk feel to them, without being dated. I think others have caught onto this, so a day doesn't go by that I don't see one of your stitches being worked on in my feed. How has this resurgence of fans hit you?
M: I think all designers would agree with me that it’s very rewarding when we see stitchers like what we create enough to stitch it. We all know cross stitching is time-consuming so I’m very grateful that people spend their time making what I design.
I’m glad that my designs and style seem to resonate with many stitchers out there!
A: What's your favorite pattern that you've designed?
M: That’s always a hard question to answer because I tend to always prefer the pattern I’m currently working on! I’ll say that I’m quite proud of ‘Atlantic Shores’, a landscape piece I released in my Northeastern Coastal Zone Ecoregion series earlier this year. I also like ‘Sequoia Falls’, the design I’ve chosen to be on the cover of my book.
A: My favorites from the new book: Duck Pond and the Rowdy Jay. The small backstitch details and repeating patterns are so eye-catching.
M: I’m glad you like them! I like including a lot of small, intricate designs in my pieces.
A: Do you ever get to stitch for yourself? Any designers out there you're a fan of?
M: I rarely stitch just for fun. Unfortunately, for me, that’s one negative aspect of turning a hobby into a business. Although I enjoy stitching, I do view it as work. But don’t get me wrong, it’s an awesome job!
There’s a long list of designers who I admire. One of the great things about cross stitching becoming more and more popular in the last few years is that it has allowed many designers with varying styles to emerge and find a niche. It would be hard for me to choose favourites. If I follow them online, chances are I’m a fan!
A: You also offer kits of your designs on your website, right? I love that you are keeping everything sustainable. Can you tell us what you do to keep your packaging and products earth-friendly?
M: I do offer kits and, by doing so, over the years also found a newfound love for packaging design! Being nature-focused in my art, I want to make sure to ‘walk the walk’ even as a product-based business. All the patterns and instructions in my kits are printed on recycled stock. I use paper-only packaging wherever I can and have designed my kits to be slim enough to be shipped via regular letter mail in Canada, which saves space, weight and costs when it comes to shipping.
A: What's next for Pigeon Coop?
M: I’m currently putting the finishing touches on my next Ecoregion series of 4 designs. It’ll be the second collection to be offered in a booklet format. I’ve already hinted on social media that the region I’ll be showcasing this time will be the Sonoran desert. I’m excited because it’s a type of natural habitat I’ve rarely used in my designs before. Without revealing too much, I think it’s safe to say that you can expect things like cacti, reptiles and maybe even big cats in the designs of the series!
A: Oooh! Color me intrigued! Thank you for sharing that!
A: People want to support you! What's the best way to do that?
M: Buy my book! Haha. But with 25 original projects in there, I do think it’s a good value and if people like what I usually design, I think they’ll appreciate what I created for the book. Otherwise, you can follow me on Instagram and Facebook where I post news and sneak peeks of upcoming designs. And, of course, you can check out www.pigeoncoopdesigns.com to see everything I’ve designed up to now!
As a little bonus, my pal Michelle aka the Chinook Crafter (also very Canadian), is a huge fan and I wanted to share her Pigeon Coop finishes! (Thank you, Michelle!)
Thank you so much to Max, for taking the time to answer my questions and deep dive into his cross stitch journey! I hope you have the opportunity to check out his new book or any of his amazing pattern collection! If you like what I do, feel free to subscribe to blog updates! I love validation! Click me to submit your email address!
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