Schoolhouse Sampler: A Daily Embroidery Practice

Before we get too far along in January, I wanted to mark the beginning of my latest embroidery project, the Schoolhouse Sampler from Dropcloth Samplers. For the first time, I've joined a stitch-along with creator Rebecca Ringquist. With a new video on creativebug every day this month, I'm bound to learn a thing or two.

Since I'm also stitching on my final chickenscratch embroidery block, I'm trying to do a little of each new stitch on the Schoolhouse Sampler each night before I dive back into the chickenscratch. Once I'm done with that block, I'll be able to concentrate fully on the new sampler. 

Already I've learned that Rebecca often stitches with a double-thickness of perle cotten! On all the samplers I've done so far, I've stitched with a single-thickness, so I'm trying the double, and so far I like it! Can you see the difference between the running stitch (single) and the back stitch (double) above? Anyway, I'm enjoying hand-stitching by night, while machine-quilting by day.... well at least for an hour or so after work. Feels like a good start to my year!