Meet Katie Doyle of Katie M Doyle Embroidery in Logan Square/Avondale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Doyle.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Katie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
A little over two and a half years ago, I had quit my art job creating window displays and had recently been hired as a barista at a coffee shop downtown. It wasn’t exactly what I had pictured my post art school grad life to look like. While I had my BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I hadn’t created any personal work in well over a year, and that ate away at me. I felt as though I had made some grave mistake along the way- had I not worked hard enough? Should I have enrolled in more classes? Taken on more internships? Bit my tongue and stuck with my creative display position? After questioning myself for months, and after many long discussions with my ever supportive boyfriend and parents, I was slightly more convinced that I had made the right decision. The truth was, I just wasn’t happy creating art in an environment where I couldn’t fully unleash my own, personal creativity; I needed more freedom.
Christmas rolled around a few months into my newfound career as a barista, and my coworkers and I partook in a Secret Santa gift giving. Being the cheap (or as I like to say, “crafty”) person that I am, I rummaged through my old art supplies from college that had shamelessly been stuffed into the back of my closet… I pulled out a needle and thread.

While I ended up ultimately deciding against crafting a handmade gift for my coworker, I did end up picking up embroidery indefinitely. I started off with miniature landscapes referenced from photos I took while in Yellowstone, and eventually took on the task of stitching a portrait of my mom’s cat for Mother’s Day. A few hours a week here and there turned into hours of obsessive stitching a day.

The more I embroidered, the more people I knew reached out to me wanting stitched renditions of their fuzzy little family members. As cliche as it may sound, it kinda just snowballed from there. I kept working, kept posting, kept interacting – and because of that, I kept getting orders. If you would’ve told 19 years old me that I’d be stitching ridiculously cute animal portraits for a living, I would have rolled my eyes and laughed, and returned to sculpting some over the top, angsty, a phallic object in the basement of SAIC’s ceramics department. It’s kind of funny actually, while my mom has always, ALWAYS been incredibly supportive of my art, she would oftentimes say to me, “Katie, please, just please draw me a cute little kitten or bunny. Something I can put up on the shelf in the dining room.” Well, mom, it took a few years, but I’m finally doing just that.

Has it been a smooth road?
To be completely honest, the biggest struggle I faced along the way was self-doubt. I have a nasty habit of comparing myself to others and their successes. As time went on, however, I learned to keep my head down and focus on myself and my work. I still have a lot of days where I feel as though I’m not doing enough, not working hard enough. But day by day I’m learning to live life a little more, take a breather here and there, and to just sit back and enjoy the work that I’m doing.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
For me, it’s not about creating a spot on, hyper-realistic rendition of your pet in a thread. It’s about using the colors and textures of embroidery floss in a way where I’m able to translate the personality and spirit of a pet onto a two-dimensional surface. I want my clients to look at these portraits and remember the time their cat ran off with a slice of pizza in its mouth or the time their dog first fell asleep snuggled up to their newborn. I want my portraits to capture these special memories they have of their pets, I want people to look at my work and feel as though they can reach out and pet their beloved animal. I think the thing that I’m most proud of is the way that I’m able to touch into the hearts and emotions of my customers. Memorial portraits take up about half of my commissions, and my God does, I bawl my eyes out when I read the messages from my clients after they have received their embroidery.

I used to be a lot more selfish with my artwork when I was younger. My art was solely for myself and no one else. Now, I make art for others, and man does it make my heart soar with happiness. Knowing I can make someone that happy with a simple piece of art gives me a little hope. The world can be a crappy place at times, but if I’m able to turn a complete stranger’s sorrow and grief into a loving memory, then I feel like I’ve made this place just a little bit brighter.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The best advice I can give to someone who’s starting out in Chicago is this: talk to people! Talk to everyone and anyone. Tell them your interests and hobbies, show off your work, make new friends, build a community of like-minded people. The truth is, you never know who you’re going to meet, and that’s part of what makes Chicago such an amazing city. I’ve met some incredibly amazing artists in Logan Square alone just because we happened to pause and chat with one another. So, don’t be shy! Open up to others about your passions and what fuels your creative drive, and most importantly, let them open up to you.

Pricing:

• 3″ Pet Portrait, $85
• 5″ Pet Portrait, $130
• 6″ Pet Portrait, $165
• 8″ Pet Portrait, $210

Contact Info:

• Website: etsy.com/shop/kmdoyleembroidery
• Email: katiemdoyleembroidery@gmail.com
• Instagram: @katie.m.doyle.embroidery

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