On 19th November 2017 I wrote a blog post introducing my first ever Stitchery Journal subscription. Almost exactly five years to the day and I would like to tell you about our 6th Stitchery subscription - The Potting Shed.
I am so excited to be entering into a sixth year of subscriptions; having a monthly project to do keeps me focused and motivated. An annual subject means that I feel completely immersed in the subject and find all manner of other, related, things interesting.
There are a few embroidery subscriptions out there now; certainly more than when I first started, and a few have even used the ‘journal’ or book format that I originally launched in 2017. My early kits included packets of ‘fripperies’ - old fabrics and buttons to be used when filling your fabric books with your embroideries. Indeed, we actually handmade the fabric books from old linen and silk ribbons for the first two years.
Last year we didn’t provide the fabric book but taught how to make them. I’ve become more interested in mixed media, using paint more often in my embroidery designs and I like the added interest that is achieved by mounting fabric onto paper.
Hand embroidery mounted on card, 2022 subscription A Postcard from England
Once mounted onto card you can still, of course, frame your embroidery but it gives you the added option of being able to display them in a book, folder or album. A particularly useful solution if, like me, you enjoy the process of the embroidery but do not have the wall space or inclination to display them on the wall. There are also only so many cushions, lavender bags and project bags that one needs (indeed a great many though!)
Set of hand embroidered postcards from the A Postcard from England subscription 2022
Drawing on feedback from my 2022 subscription, I have opted for smaller monthly embroideries again so that they can be completed in a month, before the next one arrives. If you prefer a more involved, more time-consuming stitch you may like my quarterly subscription for 2023 launching soon, inspired by Literary Classics.
Over the last couple of years I have become interested in gardens and journalling, coming across lots of old garden ephemera in the process. I love the varieties of old seed packets and thought they would make a beautiful annual project for The Stitchery.
The Potting Shed will include 12 embroidered seed packets (just the front, not 3D pieces). Each month’s kit will be a surprise but will, of course, be bursting with florals and a little text. I will try to keep the stitches varied, as usual, but there will certainly be more satin stitch and long-and-short stitch than in previous years. With this in mind, I will be printing the designs onto new tightly-woven high quality fabric better suited to heavy stitches and satin stitch. Antique linen, by its nature, is very soft and pliable which isn’t great for more precise neat stitches.
However, if you would rather use antique linen, as with my original kits, you can opt for the digital download only option and trace onto your preferred materials.
Kits, as always, include a generous quantity of thread to complete the project, together with pre-printed linen and full instructions. There is an option to access online stitch tutorials (pre-recorded with lifetime access) should you wish, too.
Previous embroideries framed and mounted onto card
If you wish to sign up now, full year payments can be made with a monthly subscription option going live in January. Pre-ordering the full-year in advance gives you a discount on postage and really helps us to guage interest and anticipate numbers for packaging (that we need to buy in bulk) for the full year in the next couple of weeks!
To show how much we appreciate your early commitment, we are offering an Early Bird Discount which gives a postage discount (depending on where exactly you are in the world) AND free access to the 12 monthly pre-recorded online stitch tutorials. The early bird discount is running up to and including Christmas Eve - 24th December.
If you fancy joining in, sign up here now!
Nicki xx