Happy New Year.
One day ends and a new one begins in the unbroken chain of time that makes up our life. It really doesn’t matter what day you begin this kind of practice; all the days join up regardless of the occasion.
This year I’m using my 2024 template, which I’m imagining as a kind of map of the year. I sometimes think if life came with a map we’d probably all get to where we want to be a lot more efficiently. But I guess efficiency isn’t everything and I’m glad I ended up taking the long way round – the scenic route, I suppose we might call it.
As always, there is no plan apart from the template; each day will decide for itself what it wants to be. This practice, for me, has always been about witnessing the passage of time rather than marking events or occasions. I don’t often feel the need to remember what happened on a given day; it’s enough to know that I acknowledged the time passing.
I have no idea how this cloth will look by the end of December, but then I have no idea how my life will look by then either. It will be a voyage of discovery and an adventure as always.
I’m using the same vintage metis (linen/cotton blend) as the last two years. You can often find this kind of fabric online by searching for vintage metis, or vintage French bed sheet. I’ve only just noticed that I’ve left it in its natural state, whereas last year I dipped it in tea to dull the whiteness a little. I’ve marked my outlines with plain old biro, because I know all the lines will be covered. If you’re stitching along and (for example) you want to leave gaps between the blocks, then you will want to use a less obtrusive method for marking out your daily sections.
To begin, I’ve done a very simple whipped running stitch in perle 12 cotton and silk, with a fine textured yarn couched around the edge, to suggest a ploughed field ready for sowing some seeds.
I’m easing back into work-mode from tomorrow and will be thinking about all the seeds of ideas that might take root. I hope some wildflowers blow in as well.
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Looking forward to this. Today is “print out the templates” day. At least it’s a start!
Happy New Year and thank you for being there.
That’s a great start! Happy new year to you too 🙂
Fantastic. Curious as to what size fabric are you starting with.
it’s about 36″ square. The stitched area I think will be about 33″ square or so
Thanks Karen
A good incentive – I keep looking at my sewing basket with intention!!
Happy New Year and all things nice for you and yours x
thanks Angela and the very same to you. Keep your eye on that sewing basket 🙂
Just discovered your site — which is wonderful — and the 2024 stitching plan. My cloth is now all pinned and ironed (it squeakily fits, but that’s enough). Next to the hemming, then transfer the design and we’re away. Thank goodness for stash! I love the concept of the aerial view and am planning how to include the bit of our river with its oxbow. Thank you so much, and I hope 2024 is kind to you.
How lovely, Nancy, thank you so much. Welcome! Enjoy your stitching journey; wishing you all good things for the coming year.
Happy New Year Karen!
Thanks so much, Rebecca – happy 2024 to you too
Happy New Year Karen!
I have transferred the template I purchased from you to fabric and started on day 1, replicating what you did for day 1. It was so beneficial to see how you approached this project and it helped me to get started. I will get braver starting tomorrow selecting stitches. I can already tell how much I am going to love this little daily stitching project. Please continue to share your progress. It is very inspirational.
Thanks so much, Rebecca – courage, practice and perseverance is all it takes really. Feel free to take as many ideas as you need in the beginning; the more you stitch, the more designs you’ll invent for yourself. Before too much longer your hands won’t be able to keep up with all the new ideas in your head. Enjoy your adventure!
Hello from Gold Coast Australia. Thank you for inspiring me to start sewing again. I’ve bought all your patterns and I’ve sign up for you class. I’m trying to sew when I come home from work.
thanks so much, Jackie. After work is probably a really good time for some quiet relaxing stitching. Enjoy 🙂
Happy New Year 2024 Karen! As always I enjoy reading about and seeing your creative process. I look forward to seeing how January’s stitching will unfold. By the way, “Colossal” recently re-posted the article (from April 20, 2023) about your “Intuitive Daily Stitching Project.” I have included the link here for your readers to enjoy in case they didn’t read it last year: https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/04/karen-turner-daily-stitches/
Enjoy!
ah, thanks so much for letting me know, Jo-Anne. I had an unusual spike in blog views recently and wondered what the reason could be. It was kind of Colossal to repost my work. Happy New Year to you too 🙂
Thank you Karen! The “Colossal” article has some beautiful close-up photography of your work. I think this is how I came to find you last year…after reading this article. Your work is stunning and inspires me so much. Here is hoping that your move into the new house happens sooner than later!
Thanks so much – oh I do hope so… I think we’re currently set for some time in February as our sellers are away on a month-long cruise… Great timing 🤷🏻♀️
Crossing my fingers for you also Karen!!
The idea of making a landscape of the year really sounds “right” somehow – not a map of where you’re going, but the landscape you’ve been through.
I’ve no idea yet how this will pan out, but I guess it could be fun finding out 🙂
Interesting how your whipping looks different as you’ve changed direction against the twist.
yes, I tend to double wrap around corners and then change direction when doing whipped running stitch. Sometimes (as here) I change direction randomly and by accident 🙂