Ramell-Correen Frederick set up his embroidery machine outside a Fort Greene restaurant on Saturday night to mark the New York Knicks' first NBA championship in 53 years.
Frederick, known as Cheeks, positioned a 104-year-old Singer 114w103 machine named Jessica at the Habana Outpost on Fulton and South Portland. He worked from around 7 p.m. until 1:30 a.m., taking items from passersby and stitching slogans such as “2026 Champs” and “Send the Spurs to the Knick-U” for a starting fee of $20.
The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. Frederick said the scene outside the watch party was marked by widespread celebration, describing it as “Fandemonium” with a capital F.
He completed 15 Knicks pieces that night and prefers customers to supply their own clothing for customization. Frederick, who operates under the name Tattoo’d Cloth, learned embroidery in 2007 and has worked in fashion for 23 years.
Vogue interviewed him on Sunday about the experience. He noted that his back was sore afterward but emphasized the therapeutic nature of the analog stitching process.
