Story Time Sampler: April

For the Frosted Pumpkin yearly sampler, I've been wondering what book would be covered for my birth month.  I was excited by the answer--The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Last November, I won a pack of Kreinik metallic thread in the &Stitches contest.  It looked beautiful, but I couldn't figure out the best way to use it.  This was the perfect opportunity.  Dorothy's ruby slippers and Emerald City called for a little bling.  Metallic thread can be a huge pain to work with, but I've picked up some tips to make it more manageable.

"And your little dog, too!"

One of my favorite memories of high school was the day in AP US History when we watched the movie synced up with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.  Mr. Bolos claimed we were doing this because the novel was an allegory for 1890's populism, but who were we kidding?  It was just an excuse to have fun!

When I look at the sparkly thread, it makes me think of my favorite sync moment.  When Dorothy opens the door of her house, the appearance of colorful Oz coincides with the cash register sounds at the start of "Money."

This post is dedicated to my mom.  Even though she has hated the movie since she was a child, I hope my stitching provides her some cheer today!

Get Your Fiber

I'm always trying out new ways to be productive in my stitching to see what sticks.  My newest idea was to designate specific days of the week for specific types of projects:

Sunday-Tuesday:  Other cross-stitch projects

Wednesday-Friday:  Frosted Pumpkin projects

Saturday:  Original embroidery projects (which progress much faster)

I got the idea from someone who said they have a different WIP to work on every day of the month.  That sounds like it would kill better stitchers than me, but I was intrigued by the idea of scheduling projects.  It has enough variety where I would not get fatigued working on one project exclusively, but would allow for enough time on each individual project to make real progress.  I followed this plan for a week and was pleased with the results.

Then Frosted Pumpkin released an amazing new pattern, and the new schedule went south.

The new pattern is Fibery Friends, an alphabet sampler with a fiber arts theme.  They designed it as an exclusive pattern to sell at Stitches West, a big fiber arts expo.  The border features projects (mittens and socks), tools (knitting needles, spinning wheel), and our favorite animals for yarn (sheep, angora bunny).  It even has a penguin, because PENGUINS NEED SWEATERS!*

In addition to combining my love for both embroidery and knitting in the most adorable way possible, I was also intrigued by the design.  The suggested fabric is bright pink, with thread colors in muted cool tones.  I couldn't wait to see how it stitched up.  I was SO motivated that, working on it exclusively, I completed it in a record 10 days!  

Year of the Sheep

My schedule idea has its place when I have a few projects going that need roughly equal levels of attention.  If, however, I feel really excited about working on one special project, I shouldn't feel shame in riding that wave of passion while it lasts.

*Disclaimer:  Penguins do not actually need sweaters, no matter how many times your aunt shares that article with you on Facebook.

Story Time Sampler: March

Sorry for the paltry posting.  I've had a lot going on, some downs and ups.

In the meantime, I have gotten all caught up on Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery's Story Time Sampler.  I find the concept behind this sampler really intriguing.  Even more than the Once Upon a Time Sampler, Story Time makes me think about the imagery and characterization found in classic books.  How do you make a picture of a book so that it is obviously THAT book?  For example, if I was trying to depict Hamlet, I can immediately think of several images.  A young man in black clothing, a skull, a bouquet of flowers.

Now think about Pride & Prejudice.  How would you sum up the book in a few images?  What would you add to make it specifically P&P, but not Sense & Sensibility or Emma?

I started on the frames at the beginning of February and I finally caught up last week.  The frames are smaller, so each picture took me about three days.

January--Alice in Wonderland 

February--The Secret Garden

March--Sherlock Holmes

This would be a great project to work on while listening to CraftLit.  It is a podcast for people who love crafting and literature, but their hands are too busy making things to hold a book.  The program includes audiobooks of classic literature, as well as notes about historical context and crafting info.  What are your favorite classic books?

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.

It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Blurst of Times . . .

I completed Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery's yearly samplers for the last two years.  In 2013, it was woodland themed.  In 2014, it was all about fairy tales.  For 2015, the theme is portraits of famous characters from classic literature.

The colors combinations feel fresh and unusual for a cross-stitch project.  The fabric is grey, which looks very nice when combined with the delicate thread color palette.  The only drawback is that the grey makes it harder to stitch in low light.  I have to make the most of the daylight I have during the winter.

Another difference is that it is 32-count fabric.  Normally, I have worked on 28-count fabric.  The higher the number, the smaller the stitches.  I am working more closely to match the fabric with the correct size of needle, so I am using a size 26 tapestry needle.

The layout of the pattern will have 12 lacy frames stitched in pastel, hand-dyed threads from Weeks Dye Works.  The effect is quite lovely.  I feel like sipping hot lavender tea while I work.  The pattern came out in January, but I was slow to start because of my work on the Torah stitching and scrub jay  (as well as some other gifts.)  So far, I have half of the frames done.

 Two months have been released so far. Can you guess which books are represented?

1. "Curiouser and curiouser!"
2. "Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow."

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.