stitch book 2025 – pages 1-3
percolating ideas – it’s all about the space between
The sensation of an idea percolating in the background is my most favorite thing in all the world. The 100 day stitch book project has the percolation phase built in. The formula is: work on a problem and then give your subconscious a crack at it.
After I add my stitches each day my brain keeps working on it – feeling for the next move. Sometimes this is entirely passive – all the magic work your subconscious does while you’re otherwise engaged. And less passively, but still without conscious effort, there’s a perspective shift – you notice things, colors, shapes, ideas that might inform your page.
Repeat this enough and new connections form. You get better at listening to yourself. Better at pulling out the deeper ideas.
This is the fourth stitch book and my pattern has been pretty consistent – days 1- 3 are more feeling around, less intensely thoughtful. I’m having a beginning and usually creating a problem. On days 4 and 5 I solve the problem. Or try to anyway. I do love having a problem to solve. Even when I fail I get tons of new insight, information and ideas.
And what exactly is a success? It’s a feeling… Something that surprises me. Something that feels balanced, energetic and compelling. The sensation of getting out of my own way. Getting someplace new.
purging
Pretty New Yearsy. I dive into this every year and then fizzle before I get to the level of possession management and relative minimalism I aspire to. This year I’m going to chunk it, make it a recurring time commitment that I can definitely follow through on.
It will be like the refrigerator situation – I review, toss, clean and make my list every Saturday. It’s a habit. The sorting and purging is getting a time slot too. A modest time slot. Let’s say Tuesday morning – 30 minutes.
So doable. I’ll chip away at this forever as opposed to making ambitious plans that run out of steam.
the glorious emptiness of my worktable
This was a happy accident new years accident. I had to totally pack up this room for some unplanned maintenance work… That resulted in removing a ton of delightful clutter. I ended up leaving most of it packed up and I’m considering carefully and slowly what I really need and want as I add stuff. Can I maintain this level of austerity? Absolutely not. But I’m inspired by it and taking a lesson from how good the emptiness felt.
The calendar is definitely a keeper and bringing lots of joy. It’s by my remarkable friend Sid.
magnetic bookmarks and a tiny mechanical pencil
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So much joy. I went back to an old school paper day planner last year and it agrees with me. It’s where I track the aforementioned habits. I’m the sort of person that gets a huge amount of satisfaction checking off a list item. I linked to *this planner last year and took a bunch of heat for it. As planners go it’s small and pricey. But I love everything about it and shelled out for it again this year. I’m particular about the stuff I use everyday and this one was a big win. The paper is deluxe (and very erasable). And it has an awkwardly translated quote for each day.
It’s also a place for recording ideas as soon as possible, in writing. That’s a big part of my process. This little book is always with me. And so is this *tiny mechanical pencil.
“The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.”
Linus Pauling
And for finding those ideas later – *mini magnetic book marks. They are magic. And like the little pencil and book they are aesthetically delightful. Which can’t hurt.
I love my Hobo Cousin. I think it’s worth e wry penny!!! Love your newsletter.
I’m so glad to hear it!
I’m a yarnartist primarily, and this year I finally started a Project Book. Silly me for thinking I could look at something I made years ago and remember the pattern, and from where I printed it. I rarely recall the yarn I used, since I have a terrible habit of ripping off the sleeve as soon as it’s home. I know the system of writing it down is working because my daughter asked this week for yet another “oh Mom could you make me ____” and I immediately reached for my Project Book. I just printed one from a blogger, but for next year, my reward for doing so is to get a nice official project book with lots of lovely art. Also, my greatest joy right now is working on a Book Covers blanket I designed myself. The downside – I’m judging books by their covers! Love your newsletters and your art! Thanks for sharing!
I love the perspective of making a problem and then letting the answer percolate. I’m realizing this is a huge part of my process!
have you splurged at jetpens.com yet? it’s dangerous!! the Hibonachi planner is there (and $2 less pricey than the ‘zon!). just for future reference! Lots’ of delicious things are in my home and came from jetpens. like a micro-sized retractable ballpoint pen (it’s the length of a credit card!!!) ANYHOO, thanks for the #alwaysinspiringideas and for the practical steps to purging.
most gratefully,
leslie
https://www.jetpens.com/search?q=Hobonichi+Techo+2025+Planner+Book&v=2
Ann,
I find peace and so much joy in creating personal “tributes” for people. I have so much eclectic items, from antique quilts, costume jewelry, crystal beads, I love being able to design all in my mind then graduate to paper for the personal design based on what I glean from conversations with a loved one. It’s difficult to do when it hits close to home, but it’s all done in love.
Hi Ann,
I just tried out some cyanotype (https://www.jacquardproducts.com/cyanotype-set), and i think you’d love it for your stitch book or just in general! It’s the same stuff that’s on those papers you can get, that you put in the sun and they turn blue, but it’s the chemicals themselves, so you can put it on anything, even fabric!
I think the usual botanical designs people make would work well for your stitch book. But I also found a way to make cyanotype prints of any drawing/design I wanted. what I did was draw with india ink on some dura-lar (clear paper basically), and use that for the design. It turned out really well when i did it on some plain cotton, and I got better results than I expected, my lines weren’t blurry at all! You could do that with dura-lar like I did, or maybe just a ziploc bag or a clear folder. I also use this technique when screen printing using the speedball diazo photo emulsion.
You can make cyanotype prints of pretty much any image. The Jacquard website has a program that converts any image into a film negative, that you can then print onto a transparency sheet to use.
Would you want to try cyanotype printing?
I too love my Hobonichi Cousin Avec. I did the Cousin the first year I used them, but it got too bulky early on, so started using the half year cousin avec (I carry it everywhere with me, my life lies within). worth every penny. the way it takes fountain ink! (which I use exclusively).
Thanks so much for the idea of purging one day a week for 30 minutes. I had never thought to do it that way and I feel really psyched to try it!
I am trying the stitch book challenge this time – it’s bringing me a lot of calm, I’m appreciative.
I am about to pack up a cluttered sewing, etc. room, hope the end result is less clutter 🙂