What looks like a simple field of clover may hold more than meets the eye. Inspired by Vermont’s state flower, Clover is a block-printed pattern that combines the quiet beauty of a meadow with a hidden element waiting to be discovered. Explore the story behind the pattern, the inspiration of red clover, and the playful process of turning flowers, color, and repetition into something more than just a pretty picture.

A carrot pattern with a secret hiding in plain sight. Inspired by the unexpected colors of heirloom carrots, this hand-carved block print uses the tiny root markings of the vegetable to disguise a Morse code message: Can you dig it? Part of a series exploring how pattern, language, and hidden meaning can come together in textile art.

Discover the hidden story behind Birches, a hand-carved block print inspired by New Hampshire’s state tree and Robert Frost’s famous poem. Birch bark becomes a canvas for Morse code, hiding Frost’s words and his name within the trunks and branches of this layered fabric design.

A playful beach pattern hides the message “SEAS THE DAY” using barcode-inspired lines and binary code. Discover how umbrellas, beach balls, chairs, and a sandcastle transform hidden language into handmade block-print art.

Have you ever noticed a tiny golden acorn hiding in one of my hand-printed textiles? It’s more than a charming detail; it’s a secret symbol of variation, happy accidents, and the beauty of making things by hand.

Discover how a little acorn, inspired by surprises in my garden, became a special marker for one-of-a-kind variations in my prints and why finding one means you’ve discovered something extra special.

Before the blocks, there was the landscape. Discover how hand-dyed cotton tea towels became the foundation for my block-printed textiles, using fiber-reactive dyes to create unpredictable fields of color inspired by dirt, grass, water, and sky.

Are they mistakes, or are they part of the message? Discover the hidden mysteries, coded messages, and unexpected imperfections woven into my artwork—and why sometimes, a little error can make an original even more intriguing.

First comes the ocean, then the story. I use pre-reduced indigo to create shifting blue landscapes on tea towels and fabric, then layer hand-carved blocks over the dyed surface to create ocean-inspired textile patterns.

What if a beautiful pattern held a secret? In this personal story, I share why I began hiding messages in my artwork, how my career in textile design led me to see patterns differently, and how the story of pioneering codebreaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman inspired an entirely new way of creating. My work may look like color, shape, and pattern at first, but there’s always a little more waiting to be discovered.

Discover the story behind Threads of Summer, a fiber art piece inspired by years of gardening, homegrown marigolds, and the unpredictable beauty of natural dyeing. Using flowers grown in my New Hampshire garden, I transformed seasonal colors into a stitched map filled with memories and a hidden message.

Hidden details, collectible art, and secret messages come together in my first artist stamp collection. Inspired by the history of stamps and coded communication, each hand-carved design contains a hidden word, and together they reveal a message waiting to be discovered.

The Classified Series is a continuation of my coded pieces. I have been exploring codes and ciphers for a few years, and I love challenging myself to incorporate code in my artwork without it being obvious.

Color-coded punch needle pieces by Kristen Dettoni. Each color represents a mood, and each piece represents a month. The work has an additional coded element of an alphabet overlay to reveal another message.

Color-coded punch needle pieces by Kristen Dettoni. Each color represents a mood, and each piece represents a month. The work has an additional coded element of an alphabet overlay to reveal another message.

Coded bead weavings conceived and created by Kristen Dettoni. A series that uses plant idioms in Morse code that is embedded into the woven design.

Using Moo.com to create unique holiday cards for friends and family by Kristen Dettoni

The Braille Series is inspired by the tactile quality of Braile and conveys visually coded messages. The pieces are handmade with the punch needle technique.

Home is one piece in a series of four pieces that started at my residency at Snow Farm, which include “Residency”, “Trip”, and “Northampton”.

Marigold dyeing is one of my favorite things to do in the fall. Every year I plant a vegetable garden and adding marigolds helps keep out some of the pests. They also add beautiful colors of yellow, orange, and gold to the garden.

Residency is a punch needle art piece. It is a color study but also has a hidden message. It uses the Rosicrucian cipher and adds color to the code.