100 Day Stitch Book

 This year I decided that I wanted to try more hand stitching, and I wanted it to be random rather than purchasing a scene and following explicit directions. It is a big departure for me since I am a garment and home dec sewer primarily. I  never think of myself as being creative in the artsy sense but I really want to explore that side.

I have followed Ann Wood Handmade for a while now and each year she invites sewers to do a 100 Day Stitch Book. The goal is to stitch for 15 minutes a day, certainly more if you are so inclined. And, she encourages you to just start without a lot of expectations of where to go, rather pursue a sort of stream of consciousness with your thread. Of course, she does encourage you to be prepared with your pages cut and your threads and fabric pieces chosen ahead. 

So, I have dived in. I have a theme in mind, though I may stray. I want to have my pages reflect home and family and things that are important in my life. For my first page I decided to stitch a sort of representation of the Pemigewasset River outside our condo in Lincoln. For the river I used a handmade paper (not by me) and I softened it by kneading it with my hands oiled a bit with coconut oil. The paper has holes in it which, in my mind, represent the river rocks. I decided to add the tree, stamped in ink, and stitched just a  bit. 

I'm not sure I'll do a book with it. I may just have some of them hanging around my studio space so I have backed my piece and joined them with the blanket stitch. The linen in the piece is a piece of old French linen, so it is very slubby. I'm not unhappy with my first try.