Cotton and Steel

You may recognize this hoop from several of my posts over the last year; it is my in-between big projects hoop. This hoop is something that I’m been stitching just for me. There are no due dates looming, no color choices to run past anyone….it is completely relaxing and one of my favorite pieces!

This year, I invite you to stitch along with me….Boho style!

What do you need?

How about we start with what you don’t need! You don’t need to have advanced embroidery skills. You don’t need a specific pattern. You don’t need to meet deadlines. This is a carefree Boho challenge!

So, what do you need?

The key item is a piece of fabric that you love. After all, you will be looking at this piece for a good deal of time. An embroidery hoop that works with your fabric…you determine the best size. A selection of thread/floss, embroidery needles, small scissors. And there you have it!

And what is the challenge?

With the fabric you have selected, you will gradually, throughout the year, embroider your piece. This is a great opportunity to practice new stitches and also work with stitches that you love. Sharing your progress with others will keep you motivated and you may even pick up some ideas from others! You may have only a few minutes a week, in between other things, but that is the most enjoyable part of a project like this. By the end of the year, working in little bits of time, you should have a project that is as complete as you want it to be!

I will post my first picture on Sunday, January 1st and I invite you to post with me! Use the hashtag #BohoSAL and I will post some of my favorites here every month. I will post my own progress every Sunday throughout the year, but you pick to post when it works for you. Again, this is a carefree challenge, so no deadlines!
If you have been following along with my page for awhile, and want to learn embroidery, this is the perfect project for you! I’m here to answer any questions, and oh, did I mention that I wrote an embroidery book?! In it, along with color and pattern inspiration, I show you how to stitch 16 embroidery stitches that work great with embellishing fabric.
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So, January 1st starts a very Boho sort of embroidery challenge! I’ll see you then!

Several weeks ago, I was asked by RJR Fabrics if I would like to participate in the #whatshaderu blog hop for their Cotton Supreme Solids. I was excited but also realized this would be a challenge as I normally choose to work with patterned fabric over solids. A huge fan of Cotton and Steel, which is a division of RJR Fabrics (as you see noted on every keep-worthy bit of selvage!), I decided to choose 12 colors that would stand out on an assortment of grey Cotton and Steel Basics. I also knew that my design would be Scandinavian-inspired, just because. I drew up a pattern for a straight row of brightly colored houses, a funky floral design and, as pictured below, a geometric heart made of 54 diamond and half-diamond pieces. Time consuming? Absolutely! But well worth the effort to have solids like red, coral, pink and purple playing nicely together!

Check out RJR Fabrics Quilt with love blog for my entry and read on to see what others have done with Cotton Supreme Solids!