ABOUT
Anna Kropka is an embroidery art studio founded by a passionate Polish lady. Kropka means “dot” in Polish, her mother tongue. Other than making little dots in the form of stitches (we do love our French knots!), we also like to connect the dots. We match clients needs and wishes with the scala of techniques and materials available to us and work up some magic to turn it into embroidery art.
Curiosity is the red thread
Experimentation and curiosity is a key value of Anna Kropka. Using different threads and stitching techniques can completely transform a design and make it stand out. Anna Kropka prides itself in being able to offer an ever expanding range of tried & tested techniques and material options. From appliqué, French knots to glow in the dark thread, hand stitching, to using vintage materials: the possibilities are endless and just so much fun.
Time taken to create timeless pieces
Creating embroidery art by hand or by machine both take time. As our target is to create timeless pieces we place quality on a pedestal. From ordering the right threads and other materials, the design and testing process to the actual embroidery and sewing: it is a bit of a process to get from “idea to table”, but so rewarding.
Creating great designs together
We love working together with our creative partners and our clients to create unique and fun designs. Starting with a rough idea or a more worked one: either way we are happy to brainstorm and work it out together. We like the whole process to be personal by keeping you in the loop and involve you as much as you would like.
About Anna
Anna, born and raised in Poland, lived for some time in Egypt and somehow ended up in Almere. Her well-read craft magazines travelled with her from Poland to Egypt, back to Poland and are now safely with her in her home atelier in the outskirts of Amsterdam. Yes, this is not a cute story of a grandmother passing on generations of Polish embroidery skills to a young Anna at a fireplace, even though Anna did adopt the local custom of storing threads and needles in old cookie tins. It is simply a story of a determined & creative Anna teaching herself by meticulously studying magazines in a pre-YouTube world: from crochet, knitting, sewing to embroidery.
Anna can do it all, yet she is still experimenting and learning something new every day: from appliqué, to all sorts of thread options, table setting ideas, to the endless amount of hand stitching techniques. Her embroidery machine skills are constantly growing too and Anna loves the possibilities that it brings. It is not a matter of uploading a design and magically pressing a button. It is a craft in itself to translate paint strokes to stitches and to really capture the essence of the design. Usually a few practice runs are required to get to the final masterpiece and when she does, Anna can press the GO button again and again.
Being able to decorate entire tables for the most special events her clients’ lives or simply for a Monday evening family dinner is something that brings her a lot of joy. Creating timeless pieces that will be passed down generations is the ultimate goal, and passing on some craftsmanship skills to her children would be an absolute bonus.
On the picture: First hand embroidered piece created in Primary School for Mother's Day.