2015 Year in Review

It was a big year of changes for me (most of them wonderful).  Through the midst of it all, I managed to have a very productive year.  In fact, I completed twice the number of projects that I did in 2014!

1.  First, I completed my verses for the Torah Stitch by Stitch project.

2.  I embroidered a beautiful Scrub Jay for Studio MME's e-book of patterns.

3.  I couldn't tear myself away from the cuteness of Fibery Friends.

4.  This adorable Grumpy Cat went to a very happy owner.

5.  My in-laws were touched to receive a reminder of their travels in Pretty Little Sydney.

6.  I gave Christmas Celebration to my friend Julia.

7.  I gave Christmas on Gingerbread Lane to my friend Cassie.

8.  I made Terry's Poem for my mom's friend to remember her late husband's promise to her.

9.  I made Golden Girls to thank Laura for being a friend to my mom when she needed one most.

10.  Steotchalong 2015 will make my husband the envy of everyone in his office.

11.  My brother's family loved the cute creepiness of Halloween Spooky Sampler.

12.  My husband would also take Mom with him to work if it weren't for some rules about office decorum.

13.  My friend Angela loved Cherry Blossom Festival Sampler as a reminder of sushi-related fun times.

14.  My Festival of Lights got a little brighter with the Chanukah Stamp.

15.  The year isn't officially over until I finish the yearly sampler from Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.  With the end of Story Time Sampler, I am ready for 2016.

I finished 7 Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery projects, 4 cross-stitch projects from other designers, and 4 embroidery projects (three of them original designs).  At this rate, I completed an average of 1.25 projects per month.  I think my WIP challenge really helped me be more productive.  Creating a smaller list of projects to work on helped give me enough variety not to feel stuck, but limited the focus of my work enough to get more done on each one.  I'll keep that in mind for next year.  Can I top 15 projects?  Let's find out!

Stitcher-view with . . . Megan Eckman!

Today's interview is with Megan Eckman of Studio MME.  Her new pattern e-book, West Coast Love, is on sale now.

Q:  How old were you when you learned to embroider?  Who taught you?
A:  I was around 11 or 12 when my grandmother taught me how to embroider. She taught my brother at the same time, though he was about 8 or 9. We used to spend a lot of our summer at my grandparents' lake cabin and there were many rainy days that we had to fill with puzzles, napping, and embroidering pillowcases to turn them into dirty laundry bags.

Q:  Why are you drawn to embroidery as a craft?
A:  Three years ago, I got bored one day. I had the itch to do something new. I suddenly remembered how much fun I had sewing with my grandmother so I head off to the craft store to find a pattern. It was there that I discovered the Bermuda Triangle of embroidery kits. Those geese and bees and Day of the Week cats have been circling round and round the crafting aisles for near on 40 years! I recognized every pattern I saw and there was absolutely no way I was going to sew them again. So I went home and turned one of my pen and ink illustrations (I'm a fine artist by trade) into an embroidery pattern. When I had finished stitching it, I posted a picture of it online and suddenly everyone wanted to stitch it too. That's how my business was born. So, really, I was drawn to it by accident but it fits perfectly with my style of illustration, which is mostly crosshatching ink work.

Q:  What are your favorite and least favorite stitches?
A:  The running stitch is my favorite stitch. I think that little line has so much power. It can create lovely fur, tiny bricks in a bridge, and show great movement in water. So many people overlook (or look down) on this simple stitch and that also endears it to me. My least favorite stitch is the satin stitch. I simply don't have the patience to fill something in completely. (I could also add the French knot in here but that's only because I flunked those lessons from my grandmother.)

Q:  What is your favorite thread and fabric?
A:  I've actually never used anything other than 6-strand DMC floss. I'd love to play with metallic threads though and perhaps even some silk threads. I'm a bit odd in that I love to stitch on canvas. I think it comes from my art background. I like using canvas because it's that off-white color which makes me feel more comfortable, similar to how artists tone their canvas with a sepia color so that they don't have a blank white canvas staring at them. Canvas also easily hides those little holes you get when you have to pull out your stitches after a mistake.

Q:  What types of projects do you like to work on?
A:  I really enjoy making whimsical wall art. I'm actually running out of room on my walls there are so many big and little hoops. I have this dream of making a map on my wall of Middle Earth where each place is in a stitched hoop.

Q:  Where do you find inspiration?
A:  I get my best ideas when I'm on my daily walk. I know the route so well, my mind gets to wander. I get into a playful mood and let myself know that no idea is too silly.

Q:  Are there any types of embroidery or skills you would like to learn in the future?
A:  I'd really like to learn how to sew better so that I can turn my embroidery into wall hangings, pot holders, and fun aprons. I'm getting a little better as I work on a new line of stuffed animal kits but it's a good thing I don't have to make my own clothes. Haha.

Q:  After the West Coast and East Coast, have you thought about designing any Midwest patterns?
A:  Well, I'm from North Dakota so I do enjoy the Midwest. But coming from North Dakota where there are no landmarks, I'd have to do a bit of crowd sourcing to get landmark ideas.

You can still CLICK HERE to get a free pattern from West Coast Love!

Review: West Coast Love

It's here!  Megan Eckman's new e-book, West Coast Love, is now on sale.  This is a book of 20 patterns inspired by the West Coast.  You can make patterns inspired by everything from animals to landmarks to pop culture references.

Where young people go to retire

There won't be any printed books available, but e-books offer a host of advantages for the crafter.  Instead of thumbing through the whole book for the desired pattern, all you need to do is click on the name in the table of contents and there you are!

They wear clothes from the past, but use computers from the future!

The introduction includes a list of necessary supplies, a stitch guide, instructions for different transferring and finishing methods, and an explanation for how to print out patterns.  Each pattern comes comes in two different versions--one for direct tracing, and a mirror image for iron-on transfers.  Printing the pattern from your computer is especially helpful.  You don't have to fiddle with the enlargement settings on your photocopier, or deal with weird curves in the pattern from trying to flatten a book.  All of the introductory material is detailed enough for beginning stitchers to understand.  The same goes for the instructions on each pattern, which include thread color and stitch recommendations.  (My one critique is that the stitch guide has simple, computer-illustrated diagrams that take a side view.  When learning new stitches, I prefer detailed drawings or photographs to really understand how each step in the process should look.)

Eckman explains that she designs simple patterns with basic stitches so that beginners can start stitching projects sooner, and make projects just as beautiful as the ones made by more experienced embroiderers.  She sticks with backstitch, running stitch, and split stitch (with some satin stitch for filling in eyes.)  Each pattern has a limited palette of 2-4 colors.  The result is a pattern that is easy and quick to stitch, but it looks wonderfully evocative and detailed when finished.  The landmarks are identifiable, and birds look like they are going to fly off of the fabric.  With this book, beginners will have all the basics they need to make an impressive embroidered picture.  The patterns can also hold the interest of embroiderers with more experience.  Eckman promises that she "won't judge" if you use her patterns as a jumping-off point for more elaborate designs.

If you want a preview of the book or are looking for a project to stitch in one snowed-in weekend, click on the link below to get a FREE pattern of a Stellar's Jay.  (All of these awesome bird patterns are making me seriously consider taking up bird watching.)

Click here for FREE pattern!

Whether you are a beginner looking to branch out, a fan of natural beauty, or are keeping the dream of the '90's alive, West Coast Love is a great addition to your pattern library.

*Please note that I received a free copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Stitching in Action

My projects from last time are now off to their final destinations.

Megan Eckman of Studio MME is using my scrub jay in a photo shoot for her new e-book.  She'll send it back to me this week.  I can't believe this little bird is flying to Washington state and back!  Stay tuned for more information about the e-book, and a special surprise for my readers.

The Torah Stitching is on its way to Toronto.  Before I shipped it, I took this video of what my verses sound like when chanted out loud.

The organizers of Torah Stitch by Stitch loved it.  They are going to put it on their website, as well as show it to potential donors as they continue to raise money for their exhibition.

First Project Update of 2015

This year is getting off to a great start.  I have already finished two projects!

First I completed my Torah Stitch by Stitch verses.  It took me a while to get started, but I really got going when I made a goal of stitching a word a day.  Now that it is done, I will mail it back to the project organizers in Toronto so that it can join the other finished panels.  They currently have over 900 volunteers in 16 countries!

I also finished another project that was cool in a different way.  Studio MME is a pattern company by designer Megan Eckman.  Home Ec just started carrying her kits.  They use mostly running stitch, perfect for the beginning embroiderer who wants to create a beautiful picture out of basic stitches.  The pattern I just completed is her design of a scrub jay.  I've never heard of it either, but it is a bird from the West Coast.

The design is made with backstitch, split stitch, and the humble running stitch, but the bird looks so stark and lifelike.  If you look on her website, you won't find this pattern . . . yet.  That's because it is being included in her new e-book of patterns, and a picture of my little bird project is going to be in it!  I will be writing more about it in a few weeks, and there will even be a special surprise for all of you.

Other updates:

• Frosted Pumpkin's yearly sampler for 2015 is Story Time Sampler.  It is going to be portraits of famous characters from classic literature.  It has a very delicate color palate--pastels against a light grey background.  I can't wait to see how it all looks together.
• I'm finally getting started on doing a quote that I auctioned off for charity . . . an embarrassingly long time ago.  This is a fun one.