The third year of swapping beautiful little pieces of textile art with (usually) random strangers from the internet is finished! I'm so pleased to have this little offshoot hobby in my life. I might roll my eyes halfway through each month and think, oh my goodness I haven't even started this month's cards....but when it's done and I start getting those fat envelopes plopping through the letterbox, there is no feeling quite like it!
I'm like a trusted curator of a very short lived exhibition, that no one comes and sees - except for the cat who is usually very interested in it all, and a small boy who really just likes the lights and set up.
I can't remember if I've mentioned it before but a few weeks ago I got asked why I hosted this swap. "What was in it for me if it doesn't earn me any money?"
It was a slightly dumfounding question because it implied that everything I did creatively had to earn me something and bring in some kind of payment. I tried to explain that the Stitchscapes had started out as a hobby and that my whole embroidery business has grown rather organically, based around sharing knowledge and skills and passions, and for me it is more than about earning an income (although that part is nice and very appreciated). This is the hobby element of the Stitchscape business I suppose.
I'm not sure the person who asked the question really understood what I was trying to get at (I'm not sure I've put it across very well here either, I suppose it's difficult to explain), they only really nodded and said "ahh" when I said that sometimes I frame up and sell the leftover cards that I haven't swapped, and that I do have a PDF download about ATCs in my Etsy shop. But really I don't think they got it at all.
There is such joy for me in sharing ideas. Holding workshops really gives me a thrill because, even if I'm not required to teach actual stitching (a lot of the groups are already stitching groups and know the basics at the very least), I'm there to give ideas. "Had you thought of this? Why not try adding in this? How about if you repeat that but differently? Use two colours of thread in the same needle, twist those together, layer this stitch on top of this stitch, use the back of the fabric as well as the front...." I can spout ideas until the cows come home and usually we can come up with something really creative between us - perhaps something that has never been done before!
I've really enjoyed these themes. I'm never quite sure when the themes list gets published for the following year, how they're going to be taken. Sometimes they don't particularly appeal to me either but it fits with the time of year, or the season, and I just think to myself that I'll cross the bridge of coming up with something when I get to it. Castle Ruins was definitely my block this time around.
From the cards and notes I receive from people joining in with the swap, this seems to happen fairly regularly, but often they surprise themselves and the note will say that they couldn't think of anything, or they didn't know if they were going to be able to translate the theme into an image, but that they were really pleased with their final result, or that a trial technique had worked better than expected and could now be used in other projects. All of which is fantastic!
Top Row: January - Boundary Lines, February - Stepping Stones, March - Northern Lights, April - Cherry Blossom
Middle Row: May - Flight of the Bumblebee, June - Lakeside, July - Beach huts, August - Castle Ruins
Bottom Row: September - Shipwrecked, October - Moss & Lichen, November - Poppy Fields, December - Misty Shadows
My favourites are Stepping Stones, the Bumblebee and the beach hut, oh and lakeside - I love the little tent (inspired by going camping that month). Overall it seems quite a dark year for me colour wise, I'm not quite sure why, I obviously need to collect some brighter coloured fabrics!
You can also go back through my blog posts and read about each collection individually as I make a post about my cards and why I have made them the way I have, and then a separate post about the whole collection when everyone's cards are in.
These cards are the beautiful ones that have joined my collection from others. I think they're so lovely! Some I've specifically kept because they were a little bit bulky and wouldn't have made the return trip on just a normal stamp (but only if I didn't already have a card from that person), but all of them are just wonderful.
The bee from Michelle is all velvety and tufty, the beach hut from Jackie actually opens to reveal a little man in his bathing costume inside, and the snail sitting on top of the moss covered wall on Abi's card is really sweet, he caught my eye and I had to have him! (Bonus and benefit of being the chief swapper, I get first dibs.)
I just want to quickly thank everyone who participated in the 2024 swap, whether it was for one month, a random number of months or the whole year! There are a couple of ladies in this swap who have also done the full three years which is dedication! It's dedication for me to run it, but dedication even more so for them to continue joining in with a stranger's creative whims - and trusting me with their art.
Of course, we are one swap in to January 2025 as I write this up but there is still time to join in with this year if you would like to. The creative themes are below, and you can pop me an email at sales@dottytextiles.com if you would like to learn more.
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