I am not quite sure how I have done it but this is where challenges pay off as even though life is busy I did manage to make a little time to do some stitching. Not much but I did get some done! So in the spirit of Sandie’s UFO and WISP challenge here is my weekly image of what I have done.
Last January I pieced the diamond block quilt inspired by Martha Bingley. So this is definitely a WISP as I have only embellished a few blocks. This crazy quilt block is still to be beaded but at least it has least progressed.
Earlier this week Allison Aller finished her “Crazy for Flowers” crazy quilt. If you have not seen it yet skip over to her site it is fantastic. All year I have watched this quilt come together and I must admit seeing it on screen made me think about what I had done this year. It made me feel as if I had not done much at all! Where has the year gone? It feels just like yesterday that I preparing for Christmas last year. It’s the time of year in which it’s natural to look back and think about the coming year. So in an effort to avoid a crisis of confidence I decided to do a personal review.
A huge block of time was taken up because I offered classes on joggles.com. The encrusted crazy quilting ran twice in the year and I offered a new class on developing your own stitch library. Class material always takes an absolute age to prepare. They take me about 3 months to write as each block of lessons weigh in at over 200 pages of information. It is like writing a book only samples are worked as well!
What classes would you like next year. I am taking a poll
This brings me to the next topic as I have been asked to write another class to run mid year. I thought I could write one either silk ribbon embroidery and developing your own silk ribbon and floral motifs. This class would cover designing your own floral sprays and the like and include some techniques from Brazillian and textured embroidery. These techniques marry well silk ribbon embroidery as they all are raised techniques.
The other class I could offer is focused on stitching more as I think it would be interesting to focus on highly textured stitches and look at texture as a design element in embroidery, particularly contemporary embroidery. This class would appeal to wide range of stitchers. I would love some feedback on this. What would people prefer? Leave a comment and let me know.
Looking back on the year it’s been a busy! Probably the biggest thing achieved was coordinating the completion of the Katrina quilts which raised $1,503.57. The Gallery online as a permanent record of the project. Do take a look at the wonderful blocks contributed to this project. If you have seen them before swing by again and remind yourself about just how great they are.
In the getting organised stakes I sorted out my bead storage and got a new shelving system for my workroom
In a fit of stash reduction I got into scrumbling. This coming year I plan to do more freeform crochet as it is fun and a spontaneous form and I still have that wool!
In June I started the 100 details in 100 days series, posting daily a detail for people to enjoy and reinterpret as they chose. Numerous people joined in as the project took on a buzz of its own. I think this was the one of the most enjoyable blogging experiences I have had and it is the series that prompted the Take a stitch Tuesday Challenge.
This coming year the Take a stitch Tuesday Challenge is possibly the biggest challenge I have run and I am excited to see it start soon. I think at the moment my mind turns to that as much as Christmas preparations! With over 100 people signed on and more signing up daily it should be dynamic and stimulating for everyone.
This coming year I plan to do more with the concept of a visual art journal as opposed to a working workhorse type of visual journal. Preparations are under way for that project. Associated with this is I think the biggest link round up I have ever done.
Throughout the year I managed to produce a postcard a month for the 6 x 4 lives challenge which aims to produce a fiber postcard once a month that records what you have been exploring, doing, or thinking about. I think the postcard I most like in the series are these two duelling fiddlers. The idea of using stitching as a graphic mark has always interested me and I would like to push this further.
Other things done include providing some free paisley designs.
I also started a my café press store offering limited edition products.
I also joined the team over at CQ Mag Online. I wrote this article about the Take a stitch Tuesday challenge and will be writing regularly for them this coming year.
Flicking back through the months in this blog there is plenty of more activity so I don’t really have any cause for feeling that I have not stitched that much as I have. There is an advantage to documenting my year in a blog as I don’t forget what I do do! It is useful to take time out for a personal review and list what you have done as it is easily forgotten in a busy life. What have you done in the past year and what do you plan to do next year? Leave a comment or blog your answer it is an interesting exercise.
I have loved both the classes I took with you, even if I did get way behind on the stitching. I have all your wonderfully worked out lessons on permanent reserve on my bookshelves.
I would prefer the texture class. I think it would be a good continuation of the stitching class, but would be something people who haven’t taken that class could do as well.
Have a wonderful holiday!! I can’t wait for Tuesdays in the new year!
Totally worn out from reading all that you have achieved this year. It was certainly quiet for a week while you took a rest!!!! Seriously one of the highlights of my year was finding your Encrusted CQ class and your blog. It has led me down so many avenues and I look forward to continuing the adventure with the TAST and whatever alse you put before us. Thank you for your unfailing support in both the classes and my blog offerings.
Pat T
Hi Sharon
My preference would be textured stitches – I don’t do crazy quilting at the moments but am trying to escape from my comfort zone which is very traditional embroidery and branch out to more texture and manipulation of fabrics. I will be looking in on your Take a Stitch Tuesday – I dont have a blog -just email at the moment so I dont know whether that will let me contribute but I will certainly be reading what is going on. I really enjoy your blog and visiting linked sites. Thanks for all the hard work.
Sharon, whatever you do would be great and always worth taking but I do think the textured one sounds really exciting.
I’ve been drooling over the wonderful samples produced by those who took your Personal Library of Stitches, so that would be very tempting to me. I’d also like to enter a lonely vote for SRE and brazillian embroidery. That said, the first half of the year is pretty much spoken for so I’d be looking at the second half of the year.
Looking forward to TAST
CA
I would probably sign up for a new class, no matter what the topic. I have gained so much from the two I’ve taken.
If I had to choose – textured stitches would be it!
Thanks for all your work this year. Both classes have definitely been worth taking. I am planning to take part in the Take a Stitch Tuesdays, and I really appreciate the constant motivation your website and blog provide.
Marci Hainkel
Sharon –
You are a wonder. You have achieved sooo much and you have remained still so pleasant with all that you are doing. I am planning on signing up for the Tuesday thing but I am waiting until I get a new computer.
I was going to give a nod to the silk ribbon class but it seems like there is much more interest in the texture class. I will go with the flow for either.
Have a wonderful holiday and rest up for the next year.
Maureen
Hi Sharon,
My vote goes for a SRE and 3D embroidery class. SRE is so beautiful and although it’s said to be very forgiving, I find it fussy. I’ve designed it for magazines and stitched the models myself but I still struggle with it.
I’ve learned so much from you this past year. (Remember how I struggled with that cast on stitch?) You have a way of teaching that actually gets through the chaos in my mind.
I would love to do more 3D embroidery on my CQ’s and I know I could get a better grip on it learning from you than from any book that I have. And I have many!
Thanks for asking Sharon. You deserve a reward for all that you’ve contributed to the needlework world this year!
A million thanks!
Oh dear, I don’t think I could resist the call of a textured stitch class – still practising my double drizzles etc. from week 6 of Personal Library of Stitches and still getting excited when I pick up the file all my notes are in.
Sharon – I’ve enjoyed the Library of Stitches course such a lot and I would love the texture and design course – I think it would really build on the skills already developed.
From the roundup of your work it sounds like you have had a very busy year and achieved a lot – congratulations!
Hi Sharon,
Another course, great !
I’d prefer one on highly textured stitches.
Hugs
here’s another vote for the ‘texture as a design element’ class. Texture is what most appeals to me in my own crazy quilts, especially when texture is from the threads used for embroidery. I am hoping to work on portraying the Arctic landscape using texture so the class would be perfect for me.
Scrumbling! I loved it. So now you may easily quess that my vote would be for a class on texture. I’d be happy with whatever you do since I still have plenty to do before I mine the depths of all that was in the PLS class.
Your Personal Library of Stitches class was one of the highlights of the year for me, Sharon — thank you, thank you, thank you for all the work you put into it.
YES PLEASE to a course on texture– there is so much more i would like to learn, especially as i work my way through lesson six of the PLS class.
Congratulations on all of your achievements for 2006 — here’s wishing you an even more wonderful 2007!
I think both classes sound great, although I would probably lean towards the textured and contemporary embroidery one the most.
P.S. Very impressed with all of your accomplishments this year!! I think I might have some new year’s resolutions to make!
Your second choice–the textured stitches–would be my first choice (tho I would do the other one). I have really enjoyed the 2 classes you have shared with us already. As a former teacher & sometime needlework instructor, I can really appreciate both the content & the time spent in producing them. Thanks for so generously sharing your knowledge. I’m also looking forward to ‘Take A Stitch Tuesdays’
Gay
The textured embroidery class sounds the most interesting. Perhaps the other would be more interesting to me if I knew more about it.
it is helpful to look back through a blog as a record of accomplishments isn’t it — a great motivator when it seems nothing is done 🙂
I would like to vote for the textured and contemporary embroidery class. I took you Embellished Crazy Quilting class and enjoyed it very much. I am still working on five pieces.
Anna
Hi Sharon,
Can thoroughly recommend the Personal Library of Stitches Class – I learnt heaps, Really enjoyed the interaction and discussion and the notes were worth the price without anything else. I’m on dial-up so I’m saying this even though I had to get up early to download them at a reasonable speed! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.
As for another class, I would love Texture and Design and would definitely be a starter for this.
You are asking me to choose???? Ummmm… Probably the second class – no, maybe the first class… Ummm… I just don’t know – I want them both!!!!! Seriously I would be up for either Sharon…
That is a VERY impressive list of accomplishments, Sharon.
You have brought so much to all of us during this last year, for which a zillion thanks…and I am really looking forward to Tuesdays in 2007!
My preference for a Joggles class would be the silk ribbon and Brazillian motifs class. I am deficient in these and would use them forever after.
Also…I love that paisley motif!