Do you know how to do a split stitch? Bob Dorr can teach you

By Tim Goodwin - Nov 25, 2014 | 0 comments

Calligraphy, Dorr style.

That’s Bob Dorr just using some super sonic magnifying glasses to do some technical stitch work. No big deal.

Look at that stitching.

Dorr spends hours and hours working on his embroidered pieces – with this being one of seven currently underway.

Bob Dorr certainly looks comfy doing his work.

You’ve probably seen Bob Dorr walking around town.

He’s the guy with the bright green hair and beard to match. It’s been over a year since Dorr changed his hair color so he could go to a Celtics game or St. Patrick’s Day parade at any moment and fit right in. And he doesn’t mind the touch-ups it takes every three or four days to keep it looking fresh.

“I realized I liked how people looked with green hair,” Dorr said. “I’m an adult, and if I want green hair, I can have green hair.”

Now you might think it’s the hair color that sets Dorr apart, but we like to think it’s more about his work as an artist. You see, Dorr makes embroidered jewelry, and it’s some intricate stuff. All you need to do is take a close look to know what we’re talking about. Just about every day, Dorr sits in his Kimball-Jenkins studio and stitches and stitches and stitches. At a minimum, he’s there for 12 hours, but it’s usually more like 14 to 16, and he only goes home to sleep and catch up on his online comics. It’s a good thing he lives across the street and, as Dorr put it, could shoot an arrow and hit his window.

Dorr likes to have multiple projects going, which is why he’s got seven pieces he’s currently working on (just not at the same time, because he would definitely need more hands). He keeps a chart in his phone to make sure he spends a little time each day on each one and the amount of time depends on his deadlines.

“I do this because it’s fun and I want to see what my projects look like when I’m done,” Dorr said.

For those of you who don’t know, Dorr is a juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen under the non-metal jewelry category, and has been for the last five years or so. His work is unique because, for one, there’s not many people who create art like him, and just the incredible amount of detail and time that goes into each piece. He also does calligraphy, but that is a whole other story in itself.

It’s not uncommon for Dorr to spend hundreds of hours on a piece of jewelry that can easily fit into the palm of your hand. He usually stops counting at around 240 hours, but guesses the most a completed project took was close to 400 hours. That’s anywhere from six weeks to two and a half months of full work weeks for one piece. No wonder there’s a nice price tag on each one.

“There are pieces that I look at and I’m surprised I made it,” Dorr said.

But in comparison to a couple of shirts he’s working on, those time lengths will seem like a drop in the bucket, as Dorr figures he’ll approach close to 1,000 hours for each.

So each day, Dorr sits in his trusty chair and stitches. He’s got a few different pairs of magnifying glasses that allow him to use some pretty thin strands, like the width of a human hair, and would probably have him walking around like Mr. Magoo if he ever forgot to take them off. We sure would like to give it a try and see what happens.

Dorr has been renting a space at the Kimby-Jenks for the last seven years, and before that he used to spend all day at the library just stitching away. It’s been about 20 years since Dorr decided that the life of an embroidered jewelry maker was the one for him. He learned the basic skills as a kid and dabbled with it a little during high school and college, but he really taught himself the tricks of the trade.

“I never took a class and there have been some interesting errors along the way,” Dorr said.

It was a realization before his League juried process that solidified his career decision.

“I could picture myself doing this at 60,” Dorr said.

Now we don’t know much about the embroidered jewelry game, but from what Dorr explained, 36 rows per inch was a good number. Although Dorr sometimes reaches 60, but that’s just how it goes when no one is there to tell you differently.

“Most of my techniques are a lot smaller than what most people will do,” Dorr said.

When it comes to techniques, Dorr said there are two basic ones, split stitch and satin stitch, that will help with just about any project. And if you don’t believe us, then go see Dorr during one of his demos at the League headquarters.

“The first thing is to get them to love the process. Most stitches are easy to learn. Everybody needs to know how to do split stitch. Once you’ve got that under your belt, you can do everything,” Dorr said.

What you might also learn is that Dorr really doesn’t have any set in stone ideas when he begins a piece. He has color schemes and a general concept, but really lets his work guide the process. Lately, his work has changed a bit.

“My pieces have become increasingly bigger and more complicated,” Dorr said. “I prefer to work on the fabric and see what I come up with.”

But to purchase a Dorr original, you must go through the League.

“It just simplifies my life,” Dorr said. “They’re the equivalent of an agent for a writer.”

And don’t worry if you can’t remember his name. They also know him by the color of his hair.