Sampler Subscription Updates & Naming Contest

This week, I'm mailing out samplers to all of the subscribers.  If you are in the Stitch of the Month club, you'll get the couching sampler- which comes with thick knitting yarns this month.  I'm including two colors of yarns for everyone- but there's room for more on your sampler.  If you're a knitter, you'll have no trouble at all.  If not, you probably know a knitter.  OR, you can use embroidery floss that has not been separated, or size 3 perle cotton, or ribbons, or a bit of an unraveled sweater.  Couching is so flexible.

The biggest news in the Stitch of the Month club is that I've created Stitch specific Pinterest boards with stitch diagrams, inspiration, and instagram photos of your samplers for each month.  You can find all of them here, and a link to this month's couching board here.  Follow along - I'm adding new pins every single day.  If you've got a pin that you think would be a great addition to the boards, send me a Pinterest message or shoot me an email.

If you are in the Colorburst Club, you'll get this new design:

I stitched my version with a combination of DMC size 8 Perle Cotton, and Valdani Size 8 Perle cotton (which is a little thinner than DMC's)  I used running stitch, backstitch and chain stitch, and I stitched mine from the jury duty waiting room.

This sampler is yet to be named: what would you call it?  Leave a comment below with your suggestions, and if yours is used, I'll sign you up for a three month subscription (or extend your existing subscription.)

I am working on the next twelve month's of Colorbursts- they will be ALL NEW, so if you subscribed for a year at the beginning, you can renew and keep on getting new samplers every month.

As always, thank you so much to all the subscribers out there.  I love making samplers for you.

November Embroidery Pattern Subscriptions...

I can hardly believe it's November.  I was restless the night we got back from our honeymoon last week, and I walked to the grocery to get a few things, noticing the pumpkins on my neighbor's doorsteps.  It seemed so early for jack o'lanterns, I thought, wondering what said neighbors would do when their pumpkins were rotten when Halloween rolled around.  I told Katy when I got home, and she kindly informed me that, in fact, Halloween was over.  I missed it! I Rip Van Winkled it!  There was no Halloween celebration or even candy at the little beach-y resort in Costa Rica where we were holed up.

WNYC just reported that there might be snow tonight.  I'm cooking a big pot of soup for friends tomorrow night, and today, as I walked to and from my studio I was bundled up in last year's down vest and my mittens.  Life is good.  I love this time of year.  Late fall, sweater weather, it's my jam.

Today and tomorrow, in between stirring a big pot of bean soup, I'm packaging up this month's subscriptions.  This month, Colorburst Subscribers get Blocks, featured here:

I stitched mine with a motley assortment of DMC and Valdani perle cottons and a ball of unidentified metallic laced perle cotton that I got at last year's quilt market in Houston.  I think it's from Turkey, wish I had more info to offer you.

Stitch of the month subscribers will receive weaving stitches this month- make sure your dull tapestry needles are ready!  Some of you will get both- thanks for being *supersubscribers*

Please note that for the first time ever, by popular demand, I am now offering back copies of select Colorburst samplers on a limited basis, but starting with this month's Blocks sampler.   They are available here.  Should you wish to dip your toe into the Colorburst world without jumping head first into a subscription, there are five or so designs available now.   Thanks to all of you who asked...

As always, please keep on hashtagging on Instagram with #dropclothsamplers  I check everyday to see the latest and greatest, and when new ones pop up it makes me smile.  Thank you!

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

Instagram Tagging Giveaway!

Hello!  If you are a subscriber, you probably already know about this little contest.  If not, now's your chance! Through the end of June 2014, tag your samplers on instagram with #dropclothsamplers.  I'll pick one winner to receive four beautiful skeins of Cottage Garden Threads, pictured here.  You can tag as many photos as you like.

I've been busy embroidering some of the upcoming Colorburst Subscription samplers- I can't wait to share more of them with you all! Here's a finished one and a little sneak peek of what's to come:

PS- What do you think I should name that finished sampler?  Leave your ideas in the comments, and if I use yours I'll send along a little token of my appreciation.....

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!