Silhouette Portrait Commissions
A child’s portrait. A classic tradition. One piece made by hand.
Made by Day silhouette portraits are stitched fabric heirlooms — drawn from a single photograph of your child and built up in layers of fused fabric and hand embroidery. Each one is made to order, made once, and made to last.
Not a print. Not a digital file. A hand crafted object.
The silhouette portrait is one of the oldest forms of portraiture — popular in the 18th and 19th centuries precisely because it captured something essential without requiring an elaborate sitting. A good silhouette is immediately, unmistakably a specific person.
These portraits work the same way. Your child's profile is cut in deep-toned fabric, fused and finished, then stitched onto a ground of cream or ivory. The result is quiet and graphic at once — the kind of thing that looks at home above a crib, on a gallery wall, or tucked into a shadow box frame.
Every commission begins with a photograph. You send it; I do the rest.
Three ways to commission
All portraits are made to order. Current turnaround noted below.
The entry point. A cut fabric silhouette mounted on a white fabric oval backing — no embroidery, clean and graphic. Ships flat. A lovely gift, or a first piece before commissioning a larger portrait.
One Subject
Unframed, ready to display or frame yourself or use in your own fabric projects
Turnaround: 2 weeks from photo approval
The full Made by Day commission. A fabric cut silhouette on a cream oval ground, handstitched and finished on a 5×7 stretched fabric on a panel, ready to frame. This is the piece people come back and order again and again. Perfect for sibling sets.
One Subject
Fabric: cream/ivory oval ground, deep-toned bust silhouette
Choose from the available background fabrics
Finished as a 5×7 panel
Unframed - designed to display as is or frame to your taste
Turnaround: 3 -5 weeks from photo approval
A larger, more substantial commission on an 8×10 panel — the version for the wall above the crib, the one that gets handed down. The scale allows for more detail in the stitched background, and the finished piece has genuine presence.
One subject (additional subjects: +$65 each)
Fabric: cream/ivory oval ground, deep-toned bust silhouette
Choose the background from the fabrics available
Finished on an 8×10 stretched panel
Unframed — I offer framing consultations for clients who'd like guidance on sourcing a frame
Turnaround: 6-8 weeks from photo approval
Not sure which is right? The Fabric Cut Silhouette is great for the DIY creator. The Classic is the right starting place for most families. The Heirloom is for clients who want something that will anchor a room.
How it Works
1. You Send a Photo
A clear profile photograph — phone photos are fine. I'll let you know if I need something different.3. I get to work.
Once approved, I fuse, cut, and stitch your portrait. I'll share progress photos along the way.2. I send a silhouette preview.
Before any stitching begins, you approve the silhouette shape. This is your chance to ask for adjustments.4. Your portrait ships.
Carefully packaged, with care instructions and a note about how the piece was made.