Project a Month - Completed Linladan Circle Kit

Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to report my Linladan Circle Kit is finished!

I really enjoyed this kit, let me take you through some moments of my stitching...

When I last checked in with you, I was less than halfway done. I looked at my linen skeins dubiously, wondering if I would have enough to finish such a large project... Do you know that feeling? I bet you do!

But I kept plugging away, doing my best to keep my color selections random, and limited to the skeins I had, as as not to make it too busy. I used just about every stitch in my repertoire, so it was fun to just do something different each time if I wanted to...

Stem Stitch Inspiration

I became very inspired by a Stem stitch class by Gimena Romero on Domestika last week, which gave me that extra boost to finish! The class is Spanish language, but it is subtitled in English, if you'd like to check it out.

I'm not sure how I learned to stem stitch originally, but I recently learned I was doing it "wrong." The Domestika class really helped me grasp how to really refine what I was doing, and I used the rest of this kit to practice!

Which meant much neater stem stitch than I'd ever done before!

Here was a check-in I did on Instagram, a bit more than halfway done...

And here was a bit more progress...

Getting close to done...

And here was my finish!

Threads Used

Remember when I was stressing about having enough linen thread to complete my kit? Tanja from Linladan did a perfect estimate - with the skeins she included, I had more than enough!

I used up 2 linen skeins (medium teal and silvery beige), used most of 2 more (yellow, and dark teal), and a small amount of DMC 504, which was the only floss I added to my kit.

Stitches Used

In terms of stitches used, it was the kitchen sink - a little bit of everything!

Stem stitch, couching, split stitch, chain stitch, French knots, back stitch, satin stitch, blanket stitch, and whatever you want to call this wavy, woven stitch I pulled out of my hat:

The colors, the textures, the linen, it all just sings to me...

I love the look of all the different textures coming together, and how perfectly random it is.

Stitching with Linen threads

A few considerations when stitching with line threads: these threads are quite distinct to cotton floss, as I mentioned in my previous post. You will need a needle with a large eye, to keep this comparatively bulky thread from wearing down as it passes through your fabric.

Linen threads have a thick and thin, organic look to them - they don't lay completely flat, and you will notice they kind of do their own thing. But that's part of the charm of stitching with them - you can forget about perfectionism, and just embrace its random, organic feel instead...

I hope you enjoyed following along with this project as much as I enjoyed stitching it!

About Linladan

Once again, I highly recommend Tanja's shop Linladan - as you see from my stitching, Tanja's kits are beautiful and vibrant, colors, vintage threads and fabrics are excellently put together, with a natural feel for color and texture. Stop by Tanja's shop if you'd like to stitch a bit of Swedish history for yourself!

Ready for August Project a Month? Coming soon!

Project a Month - Linladan Circle Kit

This month I will be stitching a beautiful Circle Kit from Linladan. If you would like to stitch along with me, there are more lovely kits in her store, including alternate color ways of this Circle kit!

Here is an image from Linladan, tantalizing small, of what my finished embroidery might look like:

Isn't it gorgeous? First off, I'd like to give you a tour of the kit, so you can see everything that comes inside...

A Look at the Kit

My kit came with a photo of the original Swedish kit from the 1960's that this is based on. On the left you see the stitched version, on the right, the drawing.

Tanja includes some history on the Circle Kit, with a list of some of the stitches used, as well as their Swedish names!

There's another list of stitches included, the screenprinted linen, and vintage linen floss.

About the Linen Threads

Linen floss has a very different texture than the cotton floss I am used to using. They are stiffer, sort of the texture of unwaxed tooth floss, if anybody here remembers that! :)

Linen floss has a gorgeous sheen that lends itself really well to couching and satin stitch.

I was so excited to get stitching with these new threads! I began with the darker teal - the name on this label says "Marks Linda Garn." It's about the weight of a size 12 pearl cotton, for comparison.

After finding where the threads were tied together under the label, I clipped that, and was able to use this as a pull skein.

Some skeins worked better than others as pull skeins. That could just be user error - pulling the wrong thread, I ended up with a tangled mess on 2 skeins! :)

All the threads in this kit had the same weight, except for the bright yellow skein:

This label says 40/2, the others say 16/2, which I'm sure has something to do with the thread weight? It felt to me like between 1-2 strands of cotton floss. It felt softer, and produced a much smoother satin stitch.

I cleaned up my tangled thread mess on the teal and yellow skeins by winding them on wooden spools...

But I left some of the threads in the labels, because I think they're so nice looking. :)

Here is my photo to compare thread weights on the thinner (yellow) and thicker (teal) thread... but they look the same don't they? Trust me, the skein marked 40/2 is much thinner!

Here's another skein that functioned just fine as a pull skein. I'm fascinated by the different Swedish names, but have no clue what they mean.

This is the full palette I am stitching with so far - I am using 1 DMC floss shade - that lightest teal - DMC 504, to add some contrast. Those 2 beige-ish skeins are so close in color that I will use them interchangeably, and I doubt anyone could tell them apart against the brown background.

I'm doing a lot of couching with these threads - it shows up their sheen so well! Knots work just fine. Stem stitch has a very organic quality to it because of the thick and thin qualities of the threads. Everything done in this thread looks nubbly, but I'm enjoying that look immensely!

On this yellow spoke, I used concentric lines of stem / outline stitch, with 1 strand of thread. I like the look of the brown fabric peeking through!

Here's my progress so far - I moved my stitching into a large 14 inch hoop I found on Ebay:

I am LOVING this project! It feels so distinct to anything I've embroidered yet - it's geometric, but vintage - I love the sharp lines and the organic quality of the materials.

Again, if you'd like to stitch along, I highly recommend a purchase from Linladan. If you'd just like to experiment with linen threads, she sells boxes of those, too!

Follow my progress on Instagram @nyfloresita!

Wonderful Wednesday #70 - Linladan

How lovely is this vintage reproduction Leaf Swirl kit by Linladan? Using vintage Swedish kit patterns from the 50s and 60s, Tanja from Linladan lovingly recreates kits using screenprinted linen and vintage linen floss. Since we last spoke, I disappeared down a rabbithole of vintage Swedish embroidery from the 50's, 60's and 70s. This rabbithole led me straight to Linladan, who posts tantalizing photos of finished projects on Instagram @linladan.

I am fascinated by the gorgeous colors and unexpected sheen of linen floss - so fascinated that I ordered a small sampling for myself, and I can't wait to try them out!

Nordiska Flax Flower set

Have any of you ever worked with linen floss? Aside from the discontinued DMC linen floss, which had a matte finish, I have never seen or handled linen floss, so I am excited to see how it stitches!

I fell in love with this Fairy Tale Castle screenprint, if you'd like to try your hand at this I would hop to it, as there are limited quantities available.

This breathtaking version of the Fairy Tale Castle was stitched by @clarkeandridley on Instagram using pastel linen floss from Linladan - isn't it amazing?

View this post on Instagram

The fairytale castle embroidery is all finished 🙂 ♥️ The good news is, you can make your own - visit Tanja @linladan to find out how! #embroidery #sagoslottet #nordiskaembroidery #nordiska #niab #lovelylinen

A post shared by Clarke and Ridley (@clarkeandridley) on Apr 23, 2019 at 6:08am PDT

Don't forget to follow @linladan on Instagram if you love what you see, but fair warning - her mouthwatering images might make you want everything in her store! :)

Review: Colour Confident Stitching by Karen Barbé

It is a pleasure to review this fabulous new book, Colour Confident Stitching: How to Create Beautiful Colour Palettes by textile artist Karen Barbé. If you are at all curious about expanding your use of color and texture in your embroidery, this is the book for you!

Just so you know, the book link above is an Amazon Affiliate link - clicking through the link and buying is one way to support our volunteer reviews - we use funds in our Amazon account for new giveaways and reviews.

When I received this book from the publisher I was in the middle of planning some of my own projects, and I found reading this book and taking in the way Karen approaches color to be very inspiring. I had already started making little color cards of my own to keep track of my embroidery threads from project to project - Karen's approach of lining up colors as inspiration before you begin stitching is marvelous, too!

I find Karen's stitching within the book very inspiring - I am reminded of the loveliness of designers like Yumiko Higuchi, Irona Happa, and one of my favorite embroidery books ever, Handbook of Lettering for Stitchers by Elsie Svennas (read a wonderful overview of it on Pintangle).

Color Theory - The majority of the book is about color theory - and I love the way Karen writes about color. Her analysis of different color palettes, and how to develop them, is very inspiring. In particular, I love that she talks about how having a different color background can change the entire mood of the piece.

Color Palettes - I really enjoyed this section - there are 9 example color palettes drawn from a variety of different sources - fabric, collections, images, home, and places, just to name a few. They are all quite beautiful and could be a wonderful springboard for anyone who is intimidated by choosing a palette of colors for a new project.

Patterns - there are 5 projects in this book, so it is light on patterns. But I will say the patterns are versatile and they inspire you to think deeply about color.

Here are the patterns included and the stitch you will learn / practice with it:

• Sleeping Mask: Laid stitch, couched cross stitch, sewing, embroidery floss
• Embellished Knitted Sleeves: Duplicate stitch, crewel or tapestry wool
• Tea Towel with Woven Patches: Weave stitch, pearl cotton
• Framed Embroidery: Chain stitch, satin stitch, embroidery floss
• Cross Stitch Tea Party: Cross stitch on cardboard, embroidery floss

My favorite project was the framed embroidery, because it included 2 types of stitching I've been wanting to practice: densely packed chain stitches as outlines and geometric satin stitches.

Following along with the pattern was tricky for me since the pattern is quite small and thus requires for absolute precision in drawing and stitching.

Beginners, take note that you will feel less frustration if you enlarge the pattern on a copier and practice the intricate chain stitch. Tiny details are key in this project.

I broke up the large design into two parts, first a few chain-stitched motifs:

I would have loved to have a larger image of the stitching so I could decide how to tackle the project.

Second, I tried the satin-stitched circle, and practiced making woven patches:

My satin stitching is very far from perfect - but this small project was a great way to practice it! I used 4 strands of floss for the woven patches. You can see more of my process photos on my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/nyfloresita/)

One of my takeaways after reading through this book and trying out the projects is just how detailed, meditative, and slow Karen's creative process is - it makes sense that she is a textile artist, because you can see how she is willing to take a time-consuming task and make it into an art piece.

Crafters who would love to add new stitches to their repertoire, learn to think about color in a new way, and appreciate detailed patterns and projects will love this book.

I highly recommend this book for all levels of stitchers, with a caveat for beginners - the stitches and processes in this book are not simple, but if you approach your work slowly and meditatively, you will be rewarded for your time.

To see more of the inside of this glorious book - visit Karen's blog for some lovely images:
http://www.karenbarbe.com/blog/colour-confident-stitching-book-is-here/

I also highly recommend a visit to Karen's blog - I spent hours happily scrolling through her gorgeous posts: http://www.karenbarbe.com/blog/. You can also find Karen on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/karenbarbe/

Christmas Countdown #9: The Flossbox

This Old Christmas Feeling pattern by The Flossbox is just impeccable. The wool threads really give this sweet piece an heirloom feeling - there are so many lovely crewel patterns in The Flossbox's Etsy shop, and some really adorable cross stitch patterns.

Also, don't miss Emily's site for many wonderful embroidery tutorials and resources!

Christmas Countdown #8: Satsuma Street

These exquisite Christmas Baubles cross stitch patterns by Satsuma Street are full of bright, happy color and Christmas cheer! Again, I love the bright, nontraditional colors for a welcome twist on holiday crafting.

Friday Instagram Finds No. 32 with Random Acts of Amy

Hello Dear Readers! Well, I goofed today and didn't have a post scheduled to go out early this morning so readers around the world would see Friday Instagram Finds first thing. I also hadn't contacted anyone to let them know I'd be featuring their Instagram account. I didn't want anyone to feel shafted, so I thought I'd let you know what I've been up to lately.

I have been making, making, making for the two holiday markets I'm in this year. Last night was the first, Rockford Handmade Market at the Prairie Street Brewhouse. It was so much fun! I got to see so many old friends (I'm from Rockford, but now live two hours away), and meet so many new people.

A week from tomorrow, on Saturday, December 12th I'm in the first annual Sugarplum Market at North Main Studios. Between my full time day job at the Library, and this market coming up, I am going to be super busy stitching nights and this weekend away for the foreseeable future! Here are some of my pictures from Instagram.

@randomactsofamy

This is me at Rockford Handmade Market last night. Image by: @randomactsofamy

This is my Black Friday haul - 300 skeins of DMC floss! Image by @randomactsofamy

This is one of the larger ornaments (4") I made this year. Image by @randomactsofamy

Snowflake ornaments on navy linen fabric with vintage bugle bead accents. Image by @randomactsofamy

That's it for this week's edition of Friday Instagram Finds! Join in the conversation by commenting below. You can find Feeling Stitchy on Instagram at the handle @feelingstitchyish. You can find Amy @randomactsofamy on Instagram.

Want to be featured in Friday Instagram Find? Tag your best stitch-related photos with #feelingstitchyig!