1 Year Of Stitches Project and FAQs

Firstly I want to be clear and state that this project is not my original idea, but I have had a lot of interest and questions about it over on Instagram. So I thought it would be helpful to write my own take on it along with some FAQs and a downloadable template of my design. I first discovered this project idea on Instagram in 2017, saving it as one to try in the future. However I forgot and didn't end up starting until 2019.

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My 1 Year of Stitches Hoops

My first hoop was 8" which proved to be way too small, my stitches were messy and inconsistent as I used 3 or more strands of thread. However, this hoop was great for improving my skills. By the end of 2019 I was very impressed that I had stuck to it and started posting the hoop on my Instagram account. For this hoop I used a chain stitch for the dividers, I did them month by month and didn't plan out the colours beforehand.

For 2020 I started a 9" hoop, divided my hoop evenly, planned out the colours for the dividers and starting stitching with 1 or 2 strands of thread for better definition. I used back stitch for the dividers and again stitched them as I went along. I also added in the initial for each month as one of my stitches, in theory this was a good idea but sometimes there was something else I wanted to stitch for the 1st of the month. Some days throughout 2020 I struggled to find something to stitch, using wavy lines or French knots to fill the gaps. However as it was such a crazy year, I love being able to look back on my positives!

In December I decided to plan out my next year of stitches properly, I designed a template that included the short month name within the divider. The template I used is listed in my Etsy store here if you would like to follow this. Unlike the other years I stitched the dividers completely before the year started. I also used a 10" hoop to allow for some bigger stitches.

For how I set up my 2021 hoop and stitches, take a look at my second 1 Year of Stitches blog post here.

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FAQs

Q. What size hoop do you use?

A. I am currently using a 10" wooden hoop, previously I have used a 8" and a 9", both I found slightly too small for the project.

Q. What fabric to you use?

A. I use a plain 100% cotton.

Q. Do you do something for everyday?

A. Yes, the idea is to stitch something small that represents your day. I either pick an activity I've done, something I have eaten or drank or something I have seen. For example, the other day I baked Banana loaf cake so I stitched a Banana! It's as simple as that.

Q. What if I don't know what to stitch?

A. The stitch can be of ANYTHING, but if you're really unsure you could practice an embroidery stitch like a chain stitch or French knots as they make a great filler.

Q. Do you have to do it as sections?

A. No, absolutely not! You can do your 1 year of stitches anyway you want to.

There are so many incredible artists doing this project in their own way, follow the hashtag #1yearofstitches for inspiration.