Morning regulars on the No. 2 subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan just may spot Stephanie Housely drawing designs for her embroidered textile company, Coral & Tusk.
A sledding hedgehog, a fox in striped socks, and other storybook creatures are her embellishments for pillows, dish towels, housewares, and kids' accessories. Housely co-owns the company with husband Chris Lacinak, and much of the goods are produced right in the couple's Prospect Heights apartment in Brooklyn using a high-tech embroidery machine. The handmade effect, however, is very much preserved, thanks to Stephanie's careful stitch-by-stitch programming—which happens late at night, after those fruitful subway sessions.
Above: Coral & Tusk's Very Hungry Whale Pillow ($80) and Ship in a Bottle Pillow ($80).
Above: Tied Artwork features embroidery on cotton; $30 unframed ($70 framed).
Above: Arrows Artwork ($40 unframed, $80 framed) sits above a collection of pillows: Large Feathers Pillow ($80), Vulpine Pillow ($70), and Small Feathers Pillow ($80).