Brooklyn Textile Artist Cheeks Embroiders Knicks Championship Fever in Fort Greene

Brooklyn-based textile artist Cheeks (Ramell-Correen Frederick) set up a pop-up embroidery station at Habana Outpost in Fort Greene during the New York Knicks' NBA Championship win on Saturday night. Using his 104-year-old Singer 114w103 embroidery machine named Jessica, he sold all 15 pre-made Knicks fan designs and embroidered slogans like "Send the Spurs to the 'Knick U.'" on strangers' clothing from 7:30 pm past 1 am. Cheeks, a 41-year-old Queens-born artist, founded his brand Tattoo'd Cloth seven years ago and has operated summer pop-ups for four years. He compares his work to tattooing, carrying flash designs and charging $20 for miscellaneous items and $60 for hats. A self-taught denim tailor, Cheeks was expelled from a Manhattan arts high school as a teenager but continued teaching himself embroidery. He views his public embroidery as sharing art rather than profit, noting the attention he receives as a Black man using a sewing machine in public. He plans to continue accepting commissions through Instagram and his website.