An Itch to Hand Stitch
by Sarah
With this years' trying (to say the least) Pacific Northwest winter behind us, we are all aching for some outdoor fun time, am I right! Wherever you find yourself on a beautiful day, say your favorite park, your own backyard or even camping, why not let your sewing tag along; that way you can still scratch that itch to stitch. We put together some fun kits just in time for the warm, dry days that are ahead. They are coming, right? They better!
These are our all-encompassing embroidery kits which contain the following: one of Sublime Stitching's fun iron on transfers, five thoughtfully chosen embroidery thread colors, a pair of handy thread snips, a dish towel to embroider on and three various sized embroidery needles. Other available kit themes include: 'Kokeshi Dolls', 'Unicorn Believer' and 'Om Sweet Om'.
One of the best things about knowing how to sew is that we are capable of tackling problems that will inevitably occur with our clothing. Fixing what we have not only saves you money, it takes a little stress off the back of our wonderful yet, struggling environment. These mending kits (also available online!) are here to help! Be it a rip in your favorite jeans, a moth hole in a vintage sweater or a tear in your sun dress, this informative mending booklet, by Raleigh Briggs, has a solution. Along with this book, kits include a hank of sashiko thread (google 'sashiko mending' for some inspiration), a pack of embroidery needles, large safety pins, a variety of single buttons, a jelly thimble, and an assortment of fabric pieces to be used as patches. Remember, getting the most wear that we possibly can out of our existing clothing is key in combating damages caused by our consumption and the waste it creates.
Sashiko! Sashiko! Sashiko! I love saying sashiko! Have you ever tried your hand at this style of Japanese stitching? I haven't yet, but I want to! These sashiko kits include one sampler, sashiko thread and a beautifully packaged set of Hiroshima Needles. For those of you who don't know, a sashiko sampler is a 14"x28" piece of fabric in either navy, white or light blue, with a printed pattern (for you to stitch over) on one half, so that when stitching is complete, it can be turned into a pillow. One could also make it into a hankie or frame it and hang it on a wall to be admired. I envision myself working on one of these under a big shade tree because the sun's out in full force without a single cloud in sight, right!
Of course you can put together your own custom stitching kit if that pleases you more. Peruse our bin of Sublime Stitching Transfers, sashiko samplers and hand stitching thread like the lovely Perle Cotton.
Or, give a Dropcloth Sampler a whirl! These would make great decorative patches to be used in conjunction with one of our practical mending kits.
These interesting designs are printed in color, neato! The smaller egg shaped ones, finished and bound, would make great Christmas tree ornaments. Never too early to start on that stuff, but hey, let us not get ahead of ourselves. We hope you all enjoy the warm months ahead and next time you're in check out our stitching kits so you are ready for some open-air sewing! For our out-of-town fans who may be interested in a kit, give us a call and we'd be happy to discuss possibilities. We also have a few hand stitching supplies - like Perle Cotton and Tulip needles - available on our website. Happy sewing!
