39 squares

another stitchalong?

2010-04-20T10:50:00.001-04:00

Do you want to do another stitchalong?

I've gotten a few emails and comments asking what's next and I have a few ideas.

idea no. 1: Do a passalong stitchalong where we'll each do an inch square on a grid and then mail it to the next person. We'd have to move it around rather quickly and I'd have to require that you only participate if you knew that you could turn it around super quickly. But I think it would be fun for all of us to work on the same cloth. We could either donate the finished piece to a worthy cause or do a giveaway for it.

idea no. 2: We could do another grid-sampler for counting our blessings. Each square would be something representing a blessing in our life. I imagine that the stitching would help us keep our lives in perspective and appreciate what we have.

idea no. 3: This might not be everyone's cup of tea but I think it would be powerful and personal. Similar to idea no. 2, we could do a prayerful sampler. Each square would represent a prayer. We would pray as we stitch, thinking deeply of what prayer the square represents and then when we post the square we also post an accompanying prayer.

idea no 4: Stitching swap. We could stitch something useful, like pillowcases, napkins, tea towels, and swap them. And maybe to make it even more special, instead of sending the gift to one another, we could think of someone in our lives who could use a pick-me-up and have it sent to them instead. So if Mary and Jane were partners, maybe Mary requests that Jane send the gift to Mary's cousin who just had surgery and maybe Jane requests that Mary send the gift to Jane's friend who's feeling blue.

So I'm putting it up for a vote...look on my main blog for the poll and vote for which you think would be the most fun. You don't have to commit to participating...this is just to let me know which idea we should go with. Sign up will be later.

finished!

2010-04-08T08:46:00.000-04:00

Here's my finished sampler...I'm loving it so much. Even the squares I didn't love so much at the time have a sweetness to them all nestled in. My favorites? the mary janes, the spools, the gumball machine, the bunny.

I had planned to make this into a pillow but it seems too small now...and some of the squares are too fragile to be touched or sat on. I think I'll make a shadow box for it...maybe out of a cigar box with spools for feet.

What are you going to do with yours? Share pictures! (amy (a) inspireco.com)

square thirty-nine!

2010-04-08T08:41:00.000-04:00

Can you believ it? Square 39, at last. This project has given me a new appreciation at what a large number 39 is.

It looked a little funny to have the 40th square blank so I added a little shrinky dink tag with my name on it...

Thank you to each of you 100+ stitching along! It was so much fun sharing this project with you...and I loved seeing all your fabulous squares.

Send me pictures of your finished sampler and I'll post them here! (amy (a) inspireco.com)

square thirty-eight

2010-04-07T10:14:00.002-04:00

square thirty-seven

2010-04-06T15:04:00.000-04:00

square thirty-six

2010-04-06T14:30:00.000-04:00

square thirty-five

2010-04-05T10:23:00.000-04:00

I used textural yarn to make a fuzzy chick...isn't he adorable?

square thirty-four

2010-04-03T15:19:00.000-04:00

square thirty-three

2010-04-02T09:42:00.000-04:00

I love these fun tiny scissors. They really open and close and I didn't want to sew them so that they wouldn't function so I sewed a bead through the hole to hold them into place.

square thirty-two

2010-04-01T08:48:00.003-04:00

square thirty-one

2010-04-01T08:48:00.000-04:00

square thirty

2010-03-31T08:59:00.000-04:00

I got a little behind. Yesterday I needed a little reminder, a little cheering up...so I stitched "be happy".

Today is going to be busy so it might be another easy one...

square twenty-nine

2010-03-31T08:57:00.000-04:00

square twenty-eight

2010-03-29T09:34:00.002-04:00

square twenty-seven

2010-03-27T11:26:00.005-04:00

square twenty-six

2010-03-27T11:26:00.002-04:00

square twenty-five

2010-03-25T14:44:00.000-04:00

I need to work on making the balloon look more like a balloon, don't you think?

When I'm stitching something like this I start with a sketch using an air erasable fabric marker in case I make mistakes. Here's the sketch for this one...

And here's how the whole sampler is looking...

It's a little wonky because it's stretched funny in the hoop...

square twenty-four

2010-03-24T16:40:00.000-04:00

Maybe this is cheating? I printed a little picture of me as a little girl onto fabric, cut it into a square and then stitched a beaded border.

I had a question about the flower a few days ago...that was another little cheat. It was a flower cut from some lace trim and then stitched in the center. I'm hoping to do more real stitching on the next row but sometimes time is tight. I'm sure you know what I mean....

square twenty-three

2010-03-23T09:08:00.002-04:00

square twenty-two

2010-03-22T16:46:00.003-04:00

square twenty-one

2010-03-21T16:01:00.002-04:00

today is my birthday!

square twenty

2010-03-21T16:00:00.002-04:00

square nineteen

2010-03-19T15:26:00.000-04:00

square eighteen

2010-03-18T09:14:00.002-04:00

square seventeen

2010-03-17T17:25:00.002-04:00

square sixteen

2010-03-16T10:33:00.001-04:00

I wanted to make these daffodils really 3-d. I remembered that I had a bunch of tiny little beads that would work perfectly. I think I got these from Janice. They were a bit fragile and I think I'll have to reinforce them with a bit of glue.

If you asked to be added to the blog list and don't see your name on the right, please comment below. I fell a little behind and think I may have missed a few when I updated the list today. Can you believe we're nearly 100 strong?

As a follow up, wouldn't it be so much fun to do this as a pass-along project? I'll figure out how it will work and what we'd do with it at the end...maybe we could donate it to a great cause.

square fifteen

2010-03-15T10:19:00.000-04:00

square fourteen

2010-03-14T13:18:00.000-04:00

I got the idea to use oblong pearls for eggs from Jill.

square thirteen

2010-03-13T08:08:00.000-05:00

It is, indeed, a rainy day, so the picture isn't the best. You can't even see the delicate rain stitched with fine silvery thread. I felt like I was making the emperor's new clothes with that thread...I even made a few stitches without the needle threaded without even knowing it!

I'm getting to the point where all the ideas I had are getting used up...and we're not even half way there. So I thought I'd make an inspiration list. Add to it, if you'd like...or post one on your blog.

house
nest
spools of thread
cake with candles
teapot
mushroom
basket of eggs
bunny
four leaf clover
mouse
self portrait
home sweet home
stitch over a piece of lace
tulips
daffodils
bicycle
sugar bowl with spoon
sunshine
bon-bons
egg in egg cup

That's better...

square twelve

2010-03-12T07:09:00.003-05:00

square eleven

2010-03-11T08:57:00.000-05:00

square ten

2010-03-10T09:00:00.002-05:00

square nine

2010-03-09T09:45:00.002-05:00

square eight

2010-03-08T08:29:00.000-05:00

square seven

2010-03-07T10:24:00.000-05:00

square six

2010-03-06T08:22:00.000-05:00

square five

2010-03-05T08:19:00.000-05:00

square four

2010-03-04T08:43:00.000-05:00

square three

2010-03-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

square two

2010-03-02T08:36:00.000-05:00

square one

2010-03-01T10:02:00.001-05:00

gathering

2010-02-28T17:46:00.000-05:00

Here are the supplies I've gathered. I'm using my favorite palette of floss:

red: 349

light pink: 761

medium pink: 603

aqua: 597

light aqua: 747

yellow: 745

green: 3819

black

white

Here are some little beads, buttons and other embellishments to inspire me. I'll keep these in a little circle tin.

And I always have a selection of needles, including one with a larger eye and a sharp one for going through tighter weave fabrics. Of course I also keep a pair of scissors handy for clipping threads.

Are you ready for the fun to begin?

a little inspiration

2010-02-27T10:04:00.000-05:00

badge

2010-02-26T21:13:00.000-05:00

Here's a badge you can add to your sidebar if you'd like.

materials

2010-02-26T20:57:00.000-05:00

A few of you had some questions about what supplies to gather. I like to use a kind of unbleached linen called Osnaburg. It's considered a utility fabric and is rather cheap...less than $5 a yard. Fabric stores should carry it and it's usually by the cotton duck fabrics.

I use a ruler and a sharp pencil to draw the grid. The easiest way to draw the grid is to use a ruler that is an inch wide that way you can line it up with the last line while drawing the next line. When you line up the ruler, try to line it up with the grain of the fabric.

I always use a hoop for embroidering. It's a personal preference...I just like having the fabric pulled tight. For this project, I'm going to use a very large quilting hoop. In the past I've started with small hoops and graduate to larger hoops as the project grows.

You'll need a variety of embroidery needles including ones with larger eyes and some sharps and embroidery floss. Also gather a bunch of embellishments you're inspired by...fabric bits, ribbons, lace, buttons, flowers, beads, etc. Keep them handy and visible.

I'm going to stitch the outlines of the squares as I go but you could leave it for the end if you prefer.

I'll post a picture on Sunday of the materials I've gathered, including the palette of floss I've selected.

getting set up...

2010-02-26T12:43:00.000-05:00

To celebrate my birthday this month, I'm going to do a grid-style sampler with a square for each of my 39 years. I will do a square per day starting March 1 until April 8 and will post the squares here.

Want to play along? If you'd like to stitch a square per day for the next 39 days (or however many days you'd like) post a comment here with your blog address. Start by drawing a grid on your fabric (mine is 8 inches by 5 inches with 40 one inch squares (I'll leave the last one blank)). Then starting on Monday March 1, stitch and post the first square. Work sequentially across the grid.

If you're really busy, maybe just sew a button that day. Take your sampler with you and maybe you'll find an extra hour in a waiting room or something and then you can do an elaborate square. Or maybe you can make it your winding-down project to keep next to your bed. However you want to do it, complete each square and post it on that day.

(You may have to work on the first one the night before so you'll have time to work on it and still post it on March 1. I don't think that's cheating, do you?)

Be sure to comment here with your blog address if you want to stitchalong I will add you to the blogroll on the side. I think I'll also do a slideshow of squares we all do to inspire us. Won't that be fun?