#100daysofstitch : Week 2

I decided to join #The100DayProject and my focus is #100daysofstitch because this year, before this push, I wasn't stitching at all and I missed it. At the end of my first week, I'd done some machine stitching on cards, and my first hand stitching project looked like this.

Unfortunately the second week of this project has been derailed by me getting a terrible head cold - luckily it is school hols so I have been able to rest up. Not so luckily I had all these creative plans and I've not been able to do anything much with them so far. Initially I looked at books for inspiration instead of actually stitching courtesy of a lovely friend. According to my intentions for this project, this still counts 

and when I felt a bit better I managed some beading on both butterflies

Then I added a pop of lime felt and thought about threads for background additions

So I was still stitching but slowly...I might even say reluctantly

and then I had an epiphany! I was "Making" myself do this project for the challenge because I DO WANT TO STITCH but I was feeling a lot of resistance. This challenge has really confirmed for me that a totally hand-stitched embroidery project is not my jam! I already knew this {shakes head at self} - in 2010 I posted about how I had made 3 attempts to do some hand-applique and then gave it up for machining. I'm not sure why I thought that might have changed - I love the threads, I love the feel of the felt, I love Sue Spargo's gorgeous work, I love how mine is looking, but I was not loving the process. So on Day 14 I changed my approach to the block and added more machine stitching in the background, and suddenly I was happy again ♥  I then enjoyed adding the closed fly stitch to the butterfly body - cos it was a fun embellishment rather than a rule! I have to follow my heart.

Following the John Campbell quote - making my own path feels really good. 

I LOVE the juxtaposition of the machine stitched lines alongside the hand stitching

And yesterday, with the pressure gone to be restricted to hand stitching, I did some lovely hand stitching around the blue butterfly wings.

This is called Crested Chain Stitch. It's so pretty I might just use that one again to finish the green butterfly. You'll have to come back and see. So here's the story in stages so far.
Day 1 

End of week 1 (Day 8)

End of Week 2 (Day 15)

Only a day or 2 left (depending on wellness) to stitch on this project so I'm looking ahead to what's next? I have always had in the back of my mind that I need a place to put small stitchy things - experiments like this - when they're done, so I'm thinking there'll be a fabric book in my future....More immediately, let me reassure you that my gorgeous thread stash won't go to waste. This process has clarified/reminded me that I need to do more mixed media projects where I am using my hand stitching as an embellishment in combination with my machine like this

and this

I love using my machine with both fabric and paper, so as soon as I feel better I'm going to start a quilt and I am definitely keen to do another Stitch*Bookery project (which is currently on special : $20 off until 1st of May) I've only finished Day 15/100 so watch this space ♥ I'm sharing daily on my instagram account with a weekly summary here on the blog. Hope you check back to see where I take this challenge next and I don't go back to work until 30th April so hopefully some different projects to share as well soon.