The U.S. Postal service has always been an amazing patron to the illustration world. There's an interesting stand-out for the coming year. In 2007, the USPS will welcome the holidays by issuing
Holiday Knits, with images designed and machine knitted by illustrator, Nancy Stahl.
Stahl says she was inspired by traditional Norwegian sweaters and knitted Christmas stockings, and liked the "cozy" feel of a stamp for the holidays. She originally started with a software program to create the patterns and convert them to stitches and rows. Stahl used her own personal electronic knitting machine to create the first round of images. Apparently, the smaller stitch gauge didn't satisfy her and she moved to a punch card system and a different knitting machine, something similar to an traditional Jacquard loom, which has a larger stitch gauge.
Stahl, while well known for her illustration work is now taking her love of knitting into the world of commercial art. The results are fascinating and eye-catching.
Nancy Stahl Knits
Article at Drawger
Nancy Stahl here at illoz
Comments
Wonderful Stamp designs by a great illustrator!
Posted by TIM O'BRIEN at 11:56 pm on December 16th, 2006
These are the BEST holiday stamps...Congratulations
Posted by daveB with a "B" at 11:37 am on January 3rd, 2007
Nancy is as nice and cool as she is talented. I'm lucky that she is my friend and one of my heroes.
wow - I am IMPRESSED! I love them as sweaters, I love them as stamps!
Mind if I ask, how does one get a gig like that? Did they find you? Did you propose it?
Posted by Gene Solem at 12:21 pm on December 19th, 2007
As a Holiday Stamp, fine but boring. As a Christmas stamp, terrible.
