Stick and Stitch

A while back, I'd stitched up a couple of Dropcloth Samplers' Stick and Stitch patterns, without an idea of what I would do with them. Then recently I found I had some 3" bamboo wooden hoops, and thought I could use them together. I watched a video, 4 Ways To Back The Embroidery Hoop | Hand Embroidery 101 by The Authentic Embroiderer, and decided to try the 'cover the back with felt' method. It started with putting the embroidery into the hoop and gathering it on the back.

Then I followed the instructions in the video and stitched a felt circle to the back. For both steps, I used a single strand of Aurifil 12wt thread in a color that pretty much matched the fabric and felt.

  

Gotta say, I really enjoyed the process, and it went together neatly.

I liked it so well, I did it again.

So then.... I took both little embroidered hoops down to the Free Little Art Gallery Edmonds, where I've dropped off little art pieces many times.

Hopefully they'll find a new happy home!

Floral Stitches Year III - No. 3

I can't even believe I'm telling you this, but after being convinced that the last Dropcloth floral sampler was the final one I would receive, another showed up in July. What can I say!?

Even as I was stitching it up, I was second-guessing myself for not planning on Year III all along.

So we'll see.... but for now, this one was a treat.

ABC Swirl

I think it was the end of May when I received the latest Dropcloth alphabet sampler, ABC Swirl. So that means I stitched on it for several weeks. And honestly, it was most enjoyable, as all the ABC samplers have been. 

I thoroughly enjoyed mixing up the thread colors and stitches as I went. Then I chose a fun variegated thread to do a seed stitch 'border.'

It's been ages since I've shared the back of a project, so here you go! I honestly don't pay much attention to it as I'm stitching, so it's wild and colorful. How fun is that?

Floral Stitches Year III - The Unexpected Second

The day after I posted that I was only stitching the first floral stitches sampler of Year III, I received a note from Dropcloth saying I actually was paid up through June, IE. the second floral of the series. I was surprised, but of course, I stitched it up when it arrived.

I enjoyed stitching that sunshine very much, with those wonderfully warm colors. 

Though I double-outlined the flowers around the outer edge, I couldn't seem to come up with a way to fill them in that I liked. After trying several different stitches, I decided to let them be for now. Maybe I'll revisit them at a later date; maybe not. It happens sometimes, so meanwhile, I'm calling this one complete for now.

Floral Stitches Year II - Little Flowers

Finally, another Dropcloth @dropcloth Floral Stitches finish!

Here's how it looked before I started stitching.

Unfortunately, I struggled a bit with this one. There was nothing really wrong. That ring of flowers just wasn't my favorite to stitch. The petals, and then I didn't really feel like filling the centers full of French knots, so for better or worse, tried a basket-weave of sorts. It's ok.

But that's fine! They can't all be a favorite. And guess what? I have another one waiting for me. Just three more to go.

Cake

It's been a while since I've finished a Dropcloth @dropcloth sampler, hasn't it? I kind of took a break from the Floral Stitches series and have been working on another of the samplers from my Advent calendar. Meet Cake.

Apparently, it was inspired by a very early Dropcloth sampler - earlier than my participation. But I loved it from the minute I opened it, and I really enjoyed stitching it up.

The design itself measures 3.25" x 4.5", and I used a soft, peachy palette for the cake, variegated threads for the flowers, and bright red for the cake stand, all Wonderfil perle cotton, double-thickness. I never quite know the complete palette when I start out, so it's always nice to discover it as I stitch along.

Mushrooms

You might remember I got several little samplers in my Dropcloth Samplers 

@dropcloth Advent calendar, and recently, I've been working on a mushroom sampler. 

For its size - about 4.5" x 5" - it felt like a lot of stitching. 

Rebecca's plan from the start for this little sampler was for us to make it into a zipper pouch. So we also received, over the course of several days, a zipper, calico lining fabric, and a cute little mushroom zipper pull from Comma Craft Co @commacraftco. All that make me think,  "Why not?" 

First up, I needed to choose a backing for the pouch, and selected a brown and white dot that seemed to coordinate with the front well enough.

I referenced Svetlana Skumanicova's @sotakhandmade video, How to Shorten a Nylon Zipper, to remind myself what length to trim the zipper (1" less than the width of the pouch front) and what size to cut the zipper tabs (1.5" x 2"). It was extremely helpful, and from there I could find way.

It turned out pretty cute, don't you think? Its small size makes it seem like a coin pouch, I think. Whatever, it's always nice to make those samplers into a useable item.

Floral Stitches Year II - Dish of Daisies

Well, I managed to get caught up with my Dropcloth @dropcloth Floral Stitches subscription just in time for another sampler to arrive. 

This one was unique, in that with my first choice of a stitch for those three large flowers, I covered up the stitching design around those black rings. SO that's why there are star-shaped stitched around those. I had to come up with something the made them look more finished. 

Otherwise, the stitches were fairly routine, and I enjoyed the unusual mix of colors, inspired but not dictated by the background colors of the sampler itself.

So I think there are just four more months of floral samplers in year II, though in between, you've probably noticed that I'm fitting in the small samplers from my Advent calendar. Whatever, there's plenty to stitch around here.

Patterns to Try | Treasure Pouch || Bee

If you saw my posts with all the items in my Dropcloth Samplers @dropcloth Advent calendar, you may remember that I received five exclusive embroidery samplers. I already shared about my word of the year sampler, and next up was the little bee.

Of course it was a fun little (3") one to stitch, but I'm also super pleased with how it turned out. Sharing that I was debating what to do with it, my friend Yvonne @quiltingjetgirl suggested something honey-related, like a little bag to hold thread conditioner for my embroidery. I'm not a super consistent user of thread conditioner, but I liked the idea of a little bag very much, use TBD.

Though I'd made my share of drawstring bags in the past, I was drawn to the shape and size of the Treasure Pouch by Larisa Shurupov @stitchingnotes, so purchased the pattern. I ended up scaling the template to 110% to allow for seam allowances around the embroidery.

Using a pretty little floral fabric from Folk Song by Anna Maria Horner (now Parry) for the exterior back, lining, and casing, the tiny pouch measured just 3" wide by 4" tall, including casing. I'm thinking it will hold my thread conditioner and thimble (and needles?) in my embroidery pouch, and that's about it. 

Maybe I should have used the full size of the sampler for my pouch, but then again, it's pretty darn cute the way it is.

So that was a super satisfying little make, finished off with a bit of hand-stitched top-stitching. And it's given me the idea that I may be able to use other of my smaller samplers to make treasure bags. Time will tell.

Floral Stitches Year II - Floral Explosion

With all the various sewing and stitching projects over the last couple of months, one thing that got left behind is the samplers from the Dropcloth @dropcloth Floral Stitches subscription. I had two left unstitched, knowing another would arrive shortly. So finally, I dug in, choosing this floral explosion to stitch first.

Gotta say, it took just a few evenings, and was most enjoyable. 

I'm pretty sure (how soon I forget!) that it was stitched completely with Wonderfil #8 perle cotton. All the red seed stitching in the center were my own addition to the design. 

I think I've decided to set aside the Christmas stitchery I didn't finish (and didn't share). Pretty sure it'll be more fun to just pick up again next December. So I've chosen another little sampler from my Advent calendar to stitch next, and hope to share that before long.

CARE

I already shared how much I enjoyed the Dropcloth Samplers @dropcloth Advent calendar. But today, I want to share a little more about the word of the year patch that was our gift on the final day.

Never before have I publicly shared a Word of the Year. Privately, I've chosen one a time or two, and I still have them written down to mull over now and then. But with this cute little sampler, I decided to go ahead and choose a word and stitch it and share it. To get started, I basted a border of fabric on the sampler to allow it to fit into my new Nurge embroidery hoop, backed it with a piece of Essex, and gathered all the threads I had received in my Advent calendar.

The word I chose is CARE. For some reason, it came to mind one day, and wouldn't leave. First, I think, was the thought of self-care, as I'm hoping to do a bit more of that this year. But also, there's being open to folks I come into contact with day to day. Active listening and sharing words of affirmation with those I care about. Reaching out to friends I haven't been in touch with in a while. Being aware of and responding to what's going on around me. Slowing down a bit in my creative practice and infusing more meaning into it. That's all a lot, but that's what I'm mulling over when I think about care.

So in stitching the sampler, I didn't end up using that variegated floss shown up above. But I did use the other threads, and added in more from my stash. I want to note that I was trying that blue Sparkly Sky Sparkle Pearl Cotton by Valdani Inc. @valdani_threads for the first time, and I'm definitely a fan. It stitched as nicely as any other metallic thread I've tried, and I'll definitely be using it again. Meanwhile, I used it for my focus word and enjoyed that very much.

I framed the sampler with fabric, layered it with thin batting and a backing, and then quilted it with Aurifil 12wt thread.

I designed it as a little quilted hanger, and finished, it measures nearly 5.5" square. I hung it up in my studio so I'll see it often. Just a little reminder to be intentional with showing care.