Do you want to get better at embroidery and boost your creativity in the new year? Well, then I have a project for you! It’s called .
1 Year of Stitches is a year-long endeavor, created by artist , in which you add at least one embroidery stitch to the same hoop each day. (You can always stitch more, of course.) As you move through the year, your embroidery grows, and by the end, you’ve got a unique pictorial diary of that time.
There are few project guidelines, but for the most part, 1 Year of Stitches is extremely open-ended. You can tailor the challenge to fit your personality and creative goals.
Here are the guidelines for 1 Year of Stitches 2019:
- Make at least one stitch every day. (If you can’t do this, at least take a picture of it that day)
- Take a picture that shows your project. Don’t get discouraged if progress looks slow (or not at all).
- Date your picture and write a sentence (or a few words) about the embroidery or your day.
- Share online—through social media or a blog. Tag it with: #1yearofstitches; .
I participated in 1 Year of Stitches in 2017 and am excited to dive back in for 2019 (starting January 1). But, it was a year of learning; not only new embroidery stitches but about myself.
This was the beginning of my 1 Year of Stitches project in 2017. Taken on January 4, 2017.
These are five things I’ll keep in mind for my 2019 hoop.
1. 1 Year of Stitches is a marathon, not a sprint.
I’ve got the whole year to work on this hoop. Most days I will try and make more than just a stitch, but I will not burn out by embroidering a ton in the new year and then neglecting the hoop when things get busy. This happened in 2017; I stitched a lot in January and February, but I became unexpectedly busy as the year wore on—my embroidery suffered because of it. I then looked at how much progress I had made at the start of the year and grew discouraged. Not this time!
2. Make the project part of your daily routine.
I struggled with this for my 2017 project. I told myself I’d stitch each night… but then I’d get preoccupied or be too tired. At times, the hoop felt like a burden! But, I look back and think about how rewarding it was; it was a way to be creative every day, no matter how small it seemed.
Integrating 1 Year of Stitches into my daily life will be the key to success. I now realize it’s best that I stitch in the morning; I’m an early riser that loves a quiet home. I will use that time to wake up, stitch, and start my day with art—rather than sitting straight down to my computer. In this way, it’ll help me achieve a much-needed balance with technology.
3. You might not embroider as much as you like. And that’s okay!
Life will get busy, and some days I will only make a stitch. And that’s okay! In 2017, I had eyes bigger than my hands. I started with a 12-inch hoop (ha!) and then eventually moved to a 10-inch hoop—which I didn’t even come close to filling. For 2019, I’m trying an eight-inch hoop on for size.
4. A theme (however broad) can be helpful.
The days I found it hardest to stitch were days that I had no clear visual direction for my hoop. When it came time to embroider, what was I even embroidering towards?
I’m not an abstract artist, but I do enjoy creating stylized drawings. In 2017, I started with no theme and it shows. For 2019, I will center the project around a loose idea that I can explore through imagery and stitching. It will definitely involve plants.
Disclaimer: You do not have to have a theme for your project! You can embroider whatever you like—for me, it’s helpful to plan what I’ll be stitching. But, I’ve seen plenty of amazing hoops that look like a year of doodles with thread.
5. Determine how you’ll share your work each day.
When I first told people I’d be working on 1 year of Stitches, I got an amazing response. So many others wanted to join! At that time, I created a where you could share your project. (I am still part of it today, but I have since transferred my admin duties to another member. I have no part in running it anymore.)
I try to limit my Facebooking, so I won’t be sharing my progress on that platform. I’m much more comfortable with Instagram. But in 2017, I realized the daily sharing in an Instagram (feed) post just wasn’t for me. I ended up posting my progress in Instagram Stories and made it a highlight on my profile.
I’ve since started another Instagram that only chronicles my embroidery called . I’ll be sharing my daily progress there, in the Stories, just like last time. I also plan to create a weekly post (in my feed) that details how the week of stitching went.
This is a comfortable and reliable way I know I’ll share my stitching. Figure out what works best for you!
Bonus: Make a dedicated space for your photography.
One of the best things I did in the 2017 project was to dedicate part of my studio for photographing my hoop. I didn’t move the paper and lights for a year. This made it super easy to photograph at the end of the day because it was all ready to go.
The end of my 1 Year of Stitches project for 2017. Taken on December 30, 2017.
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