Etsy Pick of the Week :: bylina ::

You know how embroidery excites me.

When I made my treasury list some time ago, I found this little gem of a shop - bylina.

The lovely lady, Katarina is the inspiration behind this Etsy shop. I've had the privilege to do a short interview with her. I am in love with her collection of vintage linens, hand embroidery and lace, and I want to share my finds with you!



1. Tell us a little about yourself

I live in the beautiful city of Barcelona with my husband and our little boy. After years in the fashion industry I decided it was time to get creative on my own. For a long time I have been collecting vintage hand made embroidery from Slovakia, where I am originally from. Embroidery is a very important part of Slovak folk cultural heritage. It is generally very rich in color combinations, motifs and the craftsmanship that has gone into making it is absolutely amazing. Also I grew up in an environment where crafting was an everyday occurrence. Both my grandmothers and my mum love needlecraft. To this day I still scavenge my local flea markets with my grand mother in search of vintage embroidery.


2. And a little about your Etsy shop, bylina

The idea behind my shop was to give a new purpose to beautiful vintage hand made needle-crafted pieces that would be otherwise locked up in my closet. The largest part of my collection are embroidered tablecloths which I find are not very practical for every day use. So I started to repurpose them into objects that I could easily incorporate in my home and fit better with my sense of aesthetic. For now, in my Etsy shop, I sell repurposed pillow covers, wall art and vintage pieces. But there is much more to come...



3. What do you draw your inspirations from?

My inspiration comes from the needlecraft itself and the hours that were dedicated into making it, which I really admire.


4. What is your favorite piece by far, and why?

It is very hard for me to pick just one piece as a favorite because each piece is different and unique. But I do have two favorites : the pair of vintage embroidered wall art hoops and the vintage geometric hand woven pillow cover (both featured in this article).


5. Do you have any words of encouragement for new Etsy sellers out there?

I listed my first item on Etsy three months ago so I am still very new at this and I am still learning...


Well, aren't we all learning every day anyway.


Thank you Katarina, you were so kind to oblige! Please visit bylina for more vintage embroidered beauties!!