Samplers of the Month: Pansies and Feather Stitches...

I spent Friday packaging up everyone's monthly subscriptions, and somehow managed to get them out the door and into the mailbox before Saturday.  Some of you might even have them on your kitchen counters by now....

I've been having so much fun sitting in the glow of the radiator stitching these Colorburst Samplers in the late afternoons.  In a season without a lot of color, they make me really happy.   This one, Pansy, is in the mail now.  I stitched mine with back stitch, running stitch, french knots, and Algerian eyes.  How would/will you stitch yours?

If you are a Stitch of the Month subscriber, this month you'll receive Feather Stitches- the version pictured below was stitched by my Mom. Hi Mom!  For the entire year in one book/post, click here.  For a mom that will stitch them all for you, I can't help you.  She's all mine.

Christmas Ornaments...

Last weekend I set up a little Christmas tree in our kitchen, and started to unwrap some ornaments.  I only a put a few on the tree this year, mostly swedish straw ornaments and my little painted Santa Lucia.  Most favorite this year are the Raggedy Ann and Andy that used to hang on my Grandma's tree.  I remember searching for them every year as I helped decorate her tree, and finding them again on Christmas morning.  When we sorted through her things, I was excited to get them, even though one of them needed a bit of repair.  I fixed it up last week.   It's bittersweet to have them with me here in Brooklyn.  

I have such great memories of my Grandma, and especially great memories of being with her  around the holidays.  I helped her get her house ready every year, and helped right before the big day to bake breads and make huge bowls full of chex mix.  A few years ago I designed this ornament project for a Creativebug class, and used her house as the example.

I've gone on to make a few other house ornaments for friends and relatives over the years.  The last one I made was for my brothers' in law, and since I didn't have a picture of their house, I used google street view, which worked out really well!   Unless your recipient lives in a very small town, it's a great way to get a full frontal view of the house you're trying to replicate without ruining the surprise by asking them for a photo.

I am happy to announce that in the spirit of giving, one lucky commenter from today's post will receive a one-month subscription to Creativebug.  With it, you can take this class in addition to hundreds of others.   I promise that it's not too late to start this one.  It uses simple materials that you probably have already (save for a 4" hoop).   Simply leave a comment sometime between now and next Tuesday, December 16th, bonus points if you share your other favorite handmade gifts.  I'll choose one lucky winner then and put you in touch with Creativebug to get you started.  

* Bonus! You can up your chances of winning by entering a second time with a pinterest pin! Just leave a link to your pin in the comments section.  Thanks!

Meet me in Maine.....

In the chaos of trying to get my life in order post honeymoon (I know, queue the tiny violins), I have been remiss in telling you about a very exciting prospect for next summer.   I am very happy to announce that I'll be getting in a car (a rarity for this city girl) and driving north to one of my favorite places- Maine- to teach at a new retreat.  I hope you'll join me.  Slow Stitching, hosted by Portland's A Gathering of Stitches,  makes its debut next summer in Washington Maine.  Come spend a long weekend with Carolyn Friedlander, Chawne Kimber, and me.  Each day you'll spend time with one instructor, and by the end you will have taken all of our workshops.   Bonfires, stitching, and star gazing in the evenings.  Lobster rolls on the way there and on the way back (or maybe that's just me).  All the information (including how to register) is here.  

Newest Colorburst Embroidery: September...

A few months ago, Weeks Dye Works sent some threads to me to experiment with*   After much admiring, I finally got to work with them this month for the latest Colorburst Sampler:  **Rows of Rainbows**.  

I first used their hand dyed quilting thread in my BERNINA to cover some of the thin lines (see above pictures) and then used their size 8 hand dyed perle cotton for the rest of the stitches (running stitch, couching, and a little back stitch).  The pink yarn couched down around the border is a rogue knitting wool from my editor, Melanie.   

I'm so curious to see if any of you will use your machines on this sampler or others. The straight stitch makes such a beautiful line! My machine also does a sort of double straight stitch which (surprise!) is twice as thick and twice as nice.   You may want to slow your machine's speed down a bit (easy peasy on the BERNINA) when sewing on something so specific.  It helped me quite a bit.  I also recommend a stiff embroidery stabilizer on the backside to keep your fabric from bunching up.  I get mine here.   Try a little sample fabric first to get your speed and stitch length adjusted to your liking.  

These shipped out yesterday (so did the Stitch of the Month *Cross Stitch* Samplers), complete with Circus and Harvey Milk stamps.  The USPS stamp designers are really making me happy these days.  Can't wait to see what else is in store!

*this is all in an effort to select threads to send to YOU, dear subscribers.  Soon, soon.  

Colorbursts and Satin Stitches- Packed and Ready!

Your subscriptions (almost two hundred!)  packed up and ready to go!  

Colorburst Seeds in Progress

My version, stitched with Dyed Fiber threads

My Mom's version, stitched with DMC floss.   

Flower thread for everyone!

Hello there!  Long time no talk! If you are following me on instagram, you know that I was in California for a week or two at the end of July, teaching at A Verb for Keeping Warm, and kicking around the bay area with my good friends.   I paid a visit to Creativebug, ate at my favorite restaurant, and shivered because I failed to pack properly and once again did not anticipate the coldness that is San Francisco in August.  Whoops.

Since I got back I've been slowly chipping away at packing up this month's orders.  It's a great month!  Both Colorburst and Stitch of the Month subscribers get a free skein of Flower Thread, as well as a color chart and a free cross stitch pattern from the same company.  Have you stitched with this stuff before?  It is an un-mercerized cotton that makes a beautiful thin line on your fabric.  I think you're really going to like it.  

Believe it or not I am headed back to California tomorrow for a wedding, so orders are shipping out TODAY! A little earlier than usual.  Enjoy!     

Chain Chain Chain!

Through somewhat of a coincidence, both of this month's subscriptions focus on chain stitches.  The Stitch of the Month sampler explores a few variations on this simple stitch, and the Colorburst subscription has circles of chain around the border.  Of course, with that one, you could choose NOT to do that part as chain stitch.  They could be filled-in ovals of satin stitch, or tiny little bunches of french knots, or tiny back stitches, or, or, or.....

You can see my mom's version up top (along with a few other upcoming colorbursts out on her clothesline in Michigan), and my (yet to be finished version) in my messy studio in Brooklyn.

This version (below) of the Chain Stitch Sampler is from Sherie on Instagram.   I am amazed (AMAZED!) at how many of you have stitched the text onto these samplers.  It looks so good!

Finally- Thank you to everyone who ordered samplers and subscriptions during our annual summer sale.  There are lots of new subscribers in the mix now (welcome!)  

Stitch of the Month Subscriptions shipped out this morning.  Colorburst Subscriptions will mail out tomorrow (I had to print more after that summer sale added a ton of new stitchers!).

Get your needles ready- and send me your pictures!  #dropclothsamplers

Sampler of the Month: Embroidered Filling Stitches

This month, Sampler of the Month Subscribers are working on Filling Stitches.   Check out Jorie Slodki's version from last year here:

I think Jorie is the fastest stitcher I know.  It seems like last year I  barely dropped these in the post office box when I'd see her finished versions of the samplers on Flickr.

Just like the Colorburst Subscribers, every Sampler of the Month envelope comes with Cottage Garden Threads this month.  Post of picture on instagram of what you're working on tagged wit h#dropclothsamplers for a chance to win three full skeins.   Can't wait to see what you all are up to!

Colorburst Plaid!

This month's Colorburst sampler is an embroidered plaid.   I stitched mine entirely by hand, with a combination of backstitch and couching.   The drawing for this one was inspired by the plaid sections in one of my all time favorite books.  That book and its hundreds of pages of design inspiration have been the seeds of so many things in the studio over the years.  Lately though, I have been really in to the plaids, and to laying down color after color in perpendicular lines.  It's such an easy way to build up a lot of great texture.   I'd like to work this one again in machine stitches, hoping one of you does the same so I can see the results!  

 This month I stitched my version of the Colorburst sampler onto a bit of linen and turned it into a little zippered case with the help of my new BERNINA.   I'm curious to hear what you all are doing with your samplers.  Are you making quilts, adding them to garments, using them as patches on a bag?  Leave a comment below to let us know, or better yet post a photo on instagram, and tag it with #dropclothsamplers.  Thanks!

By the way, check out all this beautiful thread!  This month subscribers to both Colorburst and Sampler of the Month got a few strands of this beautiful hand dyed cotton floss from Cottage Garden Threads in Australia.  The etsy shop Braidwood Heritage Crafts carries it, but you could win three full skeins of your own just by tagging the samplers you're working on with #dropclothsamplers on instagram.  I can't WAIT to see what you're up  to.  Thanks!

PS- More plaids are available if you'd like to start your subscription before the end of this month- threads included!

Introducing...Colorburst Starburst!

You guys really know how to make a girl feel good.  I was so happy to send so many of you the brand new Colorburst Subscription last month.  And you! You (ya'll) who subscribed to both subscriptions?  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  You're the best.

I myself am obsessed with these little Colorburst samplers, and just today, as I was leaving the studio to walk home, I noticed a stack of as yet unprinted drawings that I cannot wait to get onto fabric so I can stitch up the examples.  

This month's sampler  I'm calling Starburst, but I'm curious, what would you call it?  Perhaps next month I'll host a little naming giveaway.  I'm sure we could crowdsource some amazing ideas together.

A few details, since I'm sure some of you will ask.  I stitched this one almost entirely with backstitch and running stitch.  Yes, yes, I'm a broken record. They are my favorites!  The little orange stars at the end (beginning) of each section are algerian eyes, which really just means that they are made by making one stitch for each spoke that goes from the outside in.  They are easy!  You can see that I added even more running stitch in the outside yellow section than was originally printed.  What can I say? I'm a maximalist!

I can't WAIT to see what you guys do with this one.  Please- show me!  You can post in Instagram with #dropclothsamplers, or post to  the Flickr group here.   As always, thank you so very much for stitching along month after month, I love designing these patterns and sending them out into the world.

PS- These shipped out a little early too- check your mailboxes and get your needles threaded!

Stitch Sampler of the Month: Running Stitches

This month, we're focusing on Running Stitches.  This stitch is so easy, and it is probably the first stitch you learned when you were learning to sew, or quilt, or embroider.  It looks ok on it's own in a straight line, but my favorite way to use it is to make dense rows of it, over and over again to create a beautiful background pattern (as in the darning stitch, above).   To know me is to know that to me, more is more, so of course, I love to use the running stitch in the densest way possible.

How about you? Did you stitch this one last year?  I would love to see your version!  Please leave a comment with a link to your photograph!

Introducing: Color Burst Embroidery Subscriptions!

It started with the Makerie.  I was invited to teach a workshop there this year, and I started sketching up ideas.  One day last summer when I was sitting in my studio wondering about what to teach in Colorado, I stared straight ahead of me at a wall of patches that I had collected.  The patch class I’m teaching a week from Saturday was born, and so was a nagging feeling that patches could keep going in other ways in the studio.

It also started with a text message from my friend Jackie earlier this year,  it was a photo of a drawing that she was making.  It was a beautiful drawing, but it gave me a little twinge of jealousy. My new year’s, (monthly, weekly, daily) resolution, had been to  start drawing again after a long break, and I wasn’t.   Then Jackie and I talked on the phone and she said something that really stuck with me about her own drawings.  “I realized that they didn’t need to be a big deal, I could just draw in a notebook for fun”  Yeah!  Immediately I started doodling, just for fun, for no big deal.

We started sending each other photos of what we were working on, and I started amassing a huge collection of drawings on my studio wall.  Some of them were pretty bad, but some of them I liked a lot.  One day while I was painting in the studio it clicked- this collection of drawings could become a new series of samplers, and their small size led me to think that maybe this series could be dreamed up as a collection of patches.  So, after many iterations, and more than a few flopped designs and prints, I am so happy to bring you this new collection.  With many thanks to my good friend in California for getting the ball rolling……

Introducing: Color Burst Sampler Subscription!  From lots and lots of pen and ink and gouache drawings came this collection of twelve samplers, each handmade by me in my Brooklyn studio and printed for you to stitch. Subscriptions are now available in three, six, and twelve increments. I hope you'll join the fun!

This collection is making its debut as the follow up to last year’s popular  Stitch Sampler Subscription.  Each design is hand drawn and painted by me in my Brooklyn studio using pen and ink and gouache.  Not all designs make it to the printing process, but twelve did!  These small samplers started out life as patches, but I quickly realized that they have a lot more potential.  Will yours be the center of a quilt block, a coaster, a collection of patches, the beginning of a pieced pillow?  I can’t wait to see what everyone does…..

Each month, I'll mail you a brand new sampler, available only to subscribers, based on a unique drawing.  Each three to five inch sampler fits perfectly into a five inch hoop, and can easily be completed in a month's time- just in time for the next one to arrive!   These small embroidery samplers make the perfect on the go project.

Samplers will ship on the 15th of each month starting April 15th (order by the 10th to be included in the current month). The designs are available only to subscribers (they cannot be purchased individually)

The design size ranges from 3-5" round, and the fabric they are printed on is approximately 5-7" square, 100% Cotton.  

Each month I’ll tell what threads and stitches I used on the blog. I can’t wait to see how you stitch yours!

Something New!

I'm heading into the studio this morning to take some photos of a new embroidery sampler series.  Here's a sneak preview.  More to come soon!

Penland School of Crafts....

I taught a week long class at Penland last week; Maximalist Embroidery.  It was such a treat to be there.......