Stitchscape Swap Halfway Point

 

I have been so excited to reach this halfway mark!! We are six months in to the Stitchscape swap so that's six different themes interpreted in a variety of different ways. What's different about this swap, to ones I've joined in with in the past, is that you make two a month so that you can keep one of your own work. Obviously it's up to the participants to decide if they are actually going to do this but I felt it would be a nice thing to do as, when I used to make ATC swaps with a mixed media group, you'd make three of each theme but give away everything you made and some of those pieces I really loved! 

One of my favourite things about this swap is that I'm hosting it! Which, aside from being able to see every single piece that is made, means that I can choose which piece speaks to me the most to keep in my own collection. This is often really difficult but is helped by the fact that I've been keeping a swap spreadsheet to note whose cards I have sent to who, in an effort to really mix things up and make sure that everyone gets a card by a different person each time - within reason. So if I have several cards that I particularly love, I have to check that I haven't had a card from that person before. 

Sometimes it will also depend on the thickness of the card - it's tough to keep these thin enough to post just as a standard first-class letter - a slightly chunky bead could put you over the 0.5cm thickness and into the realm of the 'large letter'. As everyone sends in pre-stamped envelopes I have often kept cards which have been slightly thicker so that additional postage isn't required to send them out again. (Luckily, it's always worked out really well - so far at least!)

Having cards from a different person each time really also helps you to explore different textile techniques, whether it's their use of composition, landscape, scale, colour, fabric, embroidery stitch or texture. 

For me, these are some of the reasons why I chose each of these cards:

I loved the way the little fence has been created in the January card (with those cute Snowdrops!) and the stitching in the February card with the clouds and sunshine is just fantastic with the different textures! I'm not sure if you can really see the layering and depth in the March Daffodil card, it feels like the flowers are getting closer to you as it is much chunkier towards the bottom of the card, and I love the colour variations here. 

The April card with its cute sheep and sweet blossom tree is just so lovely. Corduroy (baby cord I think) has been used to create a ploughed field which is just a brilliant idea and, for the Bluebell May card, I can't quite figure out what material has been used for the backing; it's almost like a paper with wispy bits in it and the whole scene is sort of ethereal and magical which I love. 

June's card is also really lovely, just like a coral reef (not that I've ever seen one in person) with the different textures of seaweed fronds, real shells and french knot bubbles. 

I find them all so inspiring and it's fascinating to compare the cards I keep with the cards that I made. I know that the themes may limit the colour choices but I feel almost like I've kept ones to really act as a pair, the colour schemes are often so similar with my own! It's not deliberate, perhaps it's a subconscious choice based on how I think the theme should look?

The edging and finishing of the cards is also really interesting, seeing how everyone approaches their edges. Some are lightly zig-zag machine stitched, some are heavily zig-zag machine stitched to create a more solid border, some are glued and machine stitched onto card, others onto stiff Vilene, some are oversewn by hand... 

I always stitch my fabric scenes to a card backing before I cut them out but it's not the neatest, I don't think. My personal favourite edgings are the solid zig-zag stitches as they just look so neat and finished (like an overlocker edge) but that would involve dusting off the sewing machine!

I really hope that everyone else loves their collection as much as I love mine! Obviously no one else gets to pick what they receive in the post but, honestly, everyone's work is just so beautiful that you can't help but love them all!

I'm so looking forward to comparing the next six months' worth of cards after the December ones are in!! What has been really nice is the mixture of people joining in. We've had some drop out and some new ones join part way through which keeps things fresh for my spreadsheet. There's no obligation to join in every month but the more months you do the bigger your collection will be!