Over halfway through December, and heading towards the darkest days of the year here in the UK.
I’ve learned such a lot through making this stitch journal. I no longer think of it as a journal though; it’s become more a collection of daily stitch meditations. I will certainly make something similar next year, though probably not exactly this design. If you want to try something like this, you can download a PDF with templates and notes here.
At least once a week someone asks me what the foundation fabric is. It’s this, a vintage French bed sheet, cotton/linen blend (sometimes called metis):
I will stitch on this fabric again next year. I probably have enough fabric here for another four daily stitch scrolls, if I stick to the long/thin format. I find it an easy shape to work on because you can roll up the ends as you go along, which keeps it fairly compact.
The sheet holds a few memories of its previous life, one of which is a hand-stitched seam down the centre. I’ve assumed that this was a sign that it had worn well enough for a previous owner to have turned it, because parts of the sheet I’ve been stitching on (a strip torn from the outer edge) had worn very thin. Turning is where you extend the life of an old sheet, which tends to wear most in the middle where you’ve been lying on it, by cutting it down the centre and then swapping the edges – so you then sew the original outer edges together, creating a central seam and letting the worn parts become the new outer edges. Someone from the past has hand-sewn this seam down the middle:
BUT there is also a darn on the outer edge, which is clearly a selvedge – so, given that the sheet appears to have been turned, but the new outer edges are selvedges (and not hemmed raw edges) I’m deducing that the fabric was possibly hand-woven on a home loom because it’s taken two widths to make one sheet. Hand looms created fabric with narrower widths than the big commercial looms, so the only way to create wider fabrics was to stitch narrower lengths together.
The sheet has been hemmed with impossibly tiny, regular stitches. I had assumed that this was machined, but I’ve unpicked a tiny bit and it’s just one single thread so has clearly been done by hand. It’s a very good quality fabric so will have been stitched and mended carefully.
The only thing I’ve been occasionally dissatisfied with this year is that the fabric is white. Sometimes I have wanted to stitch with white thread, and it just doesn’t show up well enough. The rule that I made for myself was no painting or dyeing, no added fabric or applique, just thread on a foundation. I don’t want to dye or paint it, because then I’d have to predetermine the colour, and I think that would create more limitations. I may, however, give it a very quick dip in some weak tea, just to knock back the whiteness but not enough to colour it too much.
I’m looking forward to revealing the whole thing at the end of the month. Yikes, that’s a week on Saturday! Hope you’re looking forward to seeing it too. In the meantime have a wonderful, peaceful festive season, and thank you for your friendship and support during 2022.
it has been a joy to travel along with your stitching on this cloth … wishing you a peaceful holiday season and much happiness in the new year
Thanks so much Liz, and the very same to you and family
I have my templates and the fabric. Looking forward to stitching in the new year. Thanks so much for the idea.
You’re in for a wonderful year of discovery 🙂 Happy holidays and happy stitching
I am a newbie enjoying your blog. Happy Holidays to you from New York!
Lovely! Thank you so much 😊 happiest of holidays to you too, Leslie.
I’ve been enjoying your posts. Being a hand sewer in years past, I decided to pack some colorful pieces of felt about 5×8 inches along with me on a trip this past summer. I like having handwork for on the plane and other downtime when traveling. I have now finished two of them and really enjoyed making them. I’d love to share a photo, but I don’t see an option here to do that.
Thanks for the inspiration.
How lovely! Thanks so much, Ellen. I’d love to see photos of work in progress and complete. If you’re a Facebook person, I have a new (private) group there called Stitching Life Community, where members can post pictures of their work and connect with other hand stitchers. Unfortunately I don’t think WordPress has an option here for comments to include photos.
I would be honored to be included in your new community …
Aha! Would love to see you there, Liz – if you search on Facebook for Stitching Life Community you should find it – sorry I can’t see a link to copy… will publicise the group more in the new year when (I hope!) I will have more time/energy for it 😎
I love reading the story of this sheet and that it goes on with you
It is amazing. It’s such a privilege to be part of this cloth’s life story
Love the tree you stitched but love the fabric even more. I’ve never heard of turning a sheet but it’s a brilliant idea. Merry Christmas.
A good idea indeed and very ingenious. And a Merry Christmas to you too, Bernie 🙂
That hemming looks exquisitely neat and regular. Something to cherish, in a way..
Yes, I’ll definitely preserve it in whatever it ends up being
Thanks for a marvelous year of inspiration. Am downloading the pdf in hopes that I create space in my every early morning for stitching. The simple act of drawing thread through fabric feels so sweet. My very best wishes to you and yours for a sublime transition to the new year.
Thank you so much, and thank you for finding the PDF. I hope you find much peace and fulfilment in a little daily mindful stitching. Very best wishes to you too for the coming year.