3 Year's Worth of Swapping!

 

As I put away the December 2024 Stitchscape cards into my little Papermania ATC folder, I realised that the folder was full! It has enough slots to take exactly 3 years worth of Stitchscape swap cards, how fantastic is that?

Of course, then I wanted to get them all out to have a play with them and see what they looked like together as a big collection. I'm fairly sure that I did get all 72 cards out on my board at once but I don't seem to have actually taken a photo of that amazing moment which is rather frustrating.

These photos are of all of the cards I've received from other people in the swap. You can see the breadth of styles, techniques, fabrics, colours, ideas used. I find it absolutely fascinating looking at how all of the different themes have been interpreted. I wonder if you can guess what all of the themes were (assuming you didn't already know) for each card. 

These are my cards from the last three years. I feel like you can tell that they've all been made by me, the techniques are often quite similar, stitches repeated, using felt for motifs, the way they are all stitched onto the backing card. And I seem to use those flat clear/pinkish sequins a lot! (I do have rather a large pot of them so that's probably why.)

Some ideas have been a bit random; using paper cut holes as sequins for tree leaves, creating sort-of-stumpwork butterflies using magazine pages and fabric for wings, cutting out strawberry punnet plastic to make a 'glass' greenhouse.... They're probably the ones that stand out to me as being slightly different.

The nicest thing is actually to be able to look back and see how I interpreted the themes. I've got folders and folders of cards made by other people from when I belonged to a Mixed Media ATC swap group, and they're all lovely - usually three cards on a set theme - but I haven't the foggiest what my cards looked like and how I interpreted the same theme. You can't see how you might have grown or changed in your style. 

Three piles for three years! And here were are, one theme into the fourth year. I had no expectation that the swap would be popular enough to go on for four years, how thrilling!

Below is what my folder looks like, fat and full of hours worth of stitching, creating and joyful mindfulness. Newly learned techniques, tried and tested methods, recycled materials or purposefully bought fabrics. It's a happy little folder!

The Full 2023 Stitchscape Swap Collection!

Well! How amazing is this? A whole year's worth of work, 12 themes, two cards for each theme, one made by me and one made by someone else, 24 cards in total! 

16 people contributed cards throughout the year, although actually only 4 of them (including me) participated in every single month. Some just did one month as a trial to see if they liked it, and others dabbled in and out as timing allowed. I don't mind that at all, it's nice to have lots of people sending cards in every month, and it would be absolutely brilliant if the swap were to grow and have hundreds of cards in but, with rising postage costs and people seeming to have less time again, I'll take whoever would like to join in and be grateful that they chose to spend their time making cards for my swap idea. 

Similarly with international participants, the postage to the UK seems to be astronomical now and although there has been a lot of interest from people in the USA, it is just not worth it to post every month, or even every three months because of the cost. (Unless you do think it is worth it, in which case join on in!)

What I've ended up with though, is 24 really lovely cards which make the most beautiful display. I did exactly this same photoshoot last year at the end of the 2022 swap (which you can see here), so my collection of other's peoples artwork is growing rapidly!! I'm not sure if I photographed all 48 of the cards together that you would actually see any detail in them though. 

A reminder of the themes for you: (working from top row, left to right, with my stitched cards on the left side of each pair)

January: Frosted Dew Drops

February: Snowdrop Carpet

March: Morning Chorus

April: Butterfly House

May: On the Edge of the Cliffs

June: Waterlily Pond

July: Patchwork Fields/A Birds Eye View

August: The Allotment Garden

September: Rockpooling

October: Toadstool Treasures

November: Thunder & Lightning

December: Still Reflections

I wonder how many cumulative hours this represents? Some of the cards are so detailed they must have taken hours and hours to complete regardless of their size. And there are so many techniques in each of them!! Machine stitching, various embroidery techniques, collaging, mixed media, painting, fabric dyeing, beading, petit point, felting, applique, cross stitch, beading... 

The themes were again linked as much as possible to the seasons so that there would be inspiration striking at the right time as you walked around. They are usually linked to landscape themes but I try to broaden the theme title so that they could be more abstract depending on how you wish to interpret them. Some are broader than others obviously but we've always had such a wonderful variety sent in, different angles, viewpoints, sometimes focused in on an area, sometimes taking a step back and giving an overview, some making a specific technique fit the theme in some way. 

In my embroidered collection I have some cards which I think have worked better than others. I was just about to try and pick a favourite but actually I do like most of them and it's easier to point out the ones I perhaps like least - the spider web interpretation of Frosted Dew Drops (mainly because I think it's too dark and didn't turn out like the vague image in my head), and the water lily themed card with the bridge. I'm not keen on the bridge itself and I think it could have done with more contrast. But overall I'm pleased with how the cards have turned out. 

I think the cards made by others are just so lovely though and, having received work from several of these ladies over the last two years (can you believe?), I feel I can recognise their signature styles and invariably know who the card is by without having to turn it over. It's been a real joy and a treat to see their beautiful pieces in person and to try and work out how they have been made, what techniques they might have used and have an insight into which techniques really make them tick. Also the things they hold in their stash!

I really hope that everyone who joined in with the swap in 2023 can also look at their collection with joy and awe. Both for the cards they've made and the ones they've received. Also that they are inspired to continue on for 2024 with the next set of 12 themes! 

 

These cards will all be added to my Papermania trading card folder so that I can flick through them with ease and admire all over again. Spares that ended up not being used (I make 4 cards rather than the 2 everyone else makes in case there's an issue with the post or a late joiner) will eventually be framed and added to my Etsy shop. 

I'm intrigued to know how others are storing their cards, do let me know!

The full collection, with individual photos of each card sent in for each theme, is on my website so you can go through and have a look. Or you can see all posts about the Stitchscape Swap cards for 2023 under the Category section on the right hand side of my blog, just scroll to the bottom of the right hand column and select ' Stitchscape Swap 2023'. 

Three cheers for the Stitchscape Swap 2023!! 

December Still Reflections ATCs

I was saying in my previous blog post about the different ways the theme 'Still Reflections' could be interpreted. In my information pack about the Stitchscape swap I like to add some starting ideas for each theme in case someone gets a bit stuck, and I sort of feel that in this swap each person took a different element of those inspiration points and ran with it. 

For watery interpretations we have both still lakes or ponds and also a beautifully calm sea, there's a really lovely take on a reflective Christmas bauble and also an abstract piece which appears to have a horizontal reflection. 

There is lots of muted blues and greens going on in these cards too which is rather interesting, with hints of yellow. 

It's tricky to run a swap toward the end of the year because so many other things are happening. Creative people usually have lots of other projects on their hands; creating gifts for people, making homemade cards, crafting decorations or even frantically making costumes and outfits for plays, pantomimes and parties! Working part time in a haberdashery shop, I am fully aware of the range of projects that people have at the end of the year and we don't get as many people joining in with the Stitchscape swap in the darker months because of this. 

I treasure the cards that do get sent in all the more so thank you to everyone who was able to join in with the last swap of the year. Even though we are continuing in 2024 it has an air of finality to it - or is that just me being maudlin?

Suzi's beautiful blue card looks like it's frozen over. The print she's chosen with the snowy trees is really lovely, and combined with the glittery fabric for water it makes me think of newly frosted surfaces and that super sparkly look everywhere gets. You almost feel the cold looking at this one! I like the moon too, with the extra ring of darker light around it. 

In complete contrast, I love Abi's seaside piece; the way the girl's hair is blowing in a soft breeze as she stands on a seed stitch sandy beach. The waves have been made in stem stitch I think, using a silky yarn so they have a little glimmer of light. It's so simple and effective. 

Veronica's card is equally lovely and completely different again, although based on the same theme name. You can't see so well in this photo but the metallic bauble fabric is nicely padded (an extra stamp was sent in with this card for the post as it wouldn't fit in a normal letter size), and sparkle given with those holographic sequins. I love the holly and berry detailing with felt and beads, and know that the lady who received this card was thrilled to bits with it. 

I should have asked Liz about her card as I feel that this represents a certain type of technique or style but I can't place it. She's an amazing needleworker and all of her cards have been so beautifully neat, with the tiniest stitches and petit point work! As well as being a mirror image, this does also have a watery feel to it with those rows of running stitch. 

Jacquie's card is serene and beautiful. I think she must have used a stamp to cut out the tree and house shapes (or maybe a cricut?) but the best bit for me is the light shining from the cracked open door and windows. How welcoming does that look? To be reflected in a paler way in the water as well is a really lovely touch, with the ripples being made with a multicoloured single strand of thread. 

The ladies really pulled out the stops for this theme and have done the Stitchscape swap, and themselves proud! I really hope that they are all able to join in with the 2024 swap themes because each of them has their own distinctive style and I'd love to see more of what they come up with. 

All of the cards sent in for December, previous months of 2023, and the 2022 swaps are photographed and in albums on my website. If you would like to have a look through them, please click here to go to my dedicated ATC page. 

Still Reflections

The end of a year often brings lots of reflection on what happened in the months before so it seemed a good theme name for the last ATC swap of 2023. 

The different interpretations could include watery reflections like puddles, rivers, ponds or the sea, shiny reflections like glass windows, glasses, mirrors or metallic baubles (considering the December timing), or perhaps something more abstract.  Personally, I've really enjoyed working on some watery landscapes lately and have had great fun trying out different ways to represent the reflection of trees and skylines so that's what came to my mind when I was working through ideas for this. 

I wanted to keep it quite wintry feeling though so the colours are very pale and muted; light greys, pale yellows and dark evergreens. I'm aware that the chances of waterlilies flowering in the winter are slim to none, but I'm taking some artistic licence on that because the water needed something else to make it....well...more watery!

On the top fabric layer I have lightly added back stitch in a single strand of pale yellow where the watermark batik changes colour. It was a perfect fabric for the sky here and each card is different which, as you know, is always something I strive for if I can. The dark green really contrasts nicely with this colouring and I've edged the green with a simple blanket stitch that blends in, adding a discreet finish and a crisp edge. I often find that in winter the scenery is either muted and wispy when the mists rise, or stark and super clear. 

The trees started out as long, two strand, straight stitches for the trunks and then each of the branches were built up with overlapping fly stitches culminating in two fly stitches at the top of the trunk to finish it. I really love how these look with the simple pared down lines. I was worried about overdoing it but I think that with the business of the pattern behind the trees lots of stitching would just be lost here so keeping the motif of the tree simplified down to separated lines works well. 

The shoreline has been made by using a thin yarn which matches the colour of the fabric but has little flecks of lighter colour in it and I've stitched this down by adding french knots through it rather than couching it first. I've tried to vary the height of the knots so that they aren't in a uniform line and to make them look more natural. 

The reflection of the trees has been made with a single strand of dark green, trying to match the height of the tree above the water. The branches are also simple straight stitches working across just trying to match the width. I've not worried about getting them too straight, it's more of an impression of a reflection rather than an accurate one and too many straight lines start to look calculated. 

I've deliberately stitched the trunk line before the rest of the water so that the lines of wateriness cover the stitch and blur it. 

The water itself has been represented by lines of horizontal straight stitches, varying in length and distance from each other. Of course it had to be in a silver colour to match the colour of the sky and I've used two strands of a regular Anchor embroidery floss and a single strand of a metallic floss which will just catch the light and give a little sparkle without being overpowering. 

It did look like it was missing something, and the design needed an extra layer to help push those reflections back into the water rather than them be the most prominent thing about the bottom half. The waterlilies I have done before in other 'scapes so I've added them here with a rough satin stitch for the pads and rows of three detached chain stitches to make the petals. I've tried to keep a sense of perspective by having one slightly smaller flower behind, with one row of detached chain stitches, and two larger ones at the front with an inner row of chain stitches to fill them out. The further away something is, the less detail you can see in it. 

I couldn't resist joining them all up into one long shoreline. It looks really pretty. 

The stitch round up for these cards is; back stitch, blanket stitch, straight stitch, fly stitch, french knots, satin stitch and detached chain stitch.

November Thunder & Lightning ATCs

 

BOOM! CRASH! GRUMBLE! FLASH!

You can almost hear the thunder booming and grumbling in these cards. They are all so wonderfully evocative and totally unique. There's hammering rain, there's lightning strikes, there's starry night skies, even crashing waves. It's all very noisy looking - if you know what I mean. 

There are fewer cards this month but the quality of each of them is exactly the same high standard. We had this last year actually where it dipped off towards the end of the year, it's totally understandable as the calendar fills up with things to be done pre-Christmas, then the usual festive things in the run up to Christmas. The calendar is busy for most, and for creative people who like to make gifts for loved ones it becomes even busier! We almost need to make two themes a month from June to account for it. 

I like all of the blue that has been used in these cards. It's surprisingly more colourful than I thought it would be, but then I also plumped for a dark blue myself so I shouldn't be that surprised really. Lightning has been portrayed in both silver and gold which is interesting. I suppose the flashing of light could be taken in either way, it's both of them at the same time. 

The simplicity of the card above is very striking. The blue block stitching onto blue aida fabric is very subtle, but then when outlined in gold it becomes slightly more padded looking and fades into the background so that the attention is brought to that golden streak of light. It's very effective. 

Suzi's more textured lighthouse piece is really lovely, again lots of blue with the beautifully contrasting red and white of the lighthouse itself, beaming its light across the murky polka dot waters, topped with lacey waves. The lightning looks to be done in stem stitch for the thinner stranders and a satin type stitch for the bold streak. 

I am thinking that the silvery stars on this piece have been added on by heat transfer. The background fabric looks to be hand painted or coloured, then with the stars perhaps ironed on to fix them and little metallic cross stars stitched in as well. The lightning streak also looks painted and edged with back stitch in a pale thread with metallic thread whipped through it. (I'm speculating on all of these really, if you have a different idea of how they were made do comment below!)

Abi has had a similar idea but I think has used a star printed jersey fabric, beautifully embroidering over some of the stars - look how neat they are! Such tiny stitches! The lightning is layered fabrics, each just couched down at the edges, with metallic threads couched onto the lowest grey fabric for some wonderful sparkle, and  further detail added with a single strand back stitch through the middle of the streak. It's almost like a lightning bolt out of a comic strip with that bold yellow. 

I am really intrigued by the above card. I can't figure out whether the striped stitching has been done by hand or if it is part of the fabric design itself. If by hand it's so neat and straight!! The little beads catch the light really nicely and the whole piece looks like it's absolutely pouring down with rain. Sometimes the rain itself can sound like thunder. At my Guide hut we have an old metal roof which isn't insulated (terrible on the heating bill) and if it rains really hard you actually can't hear anyone speak - it sort of looks like that would be the kind of rain occurring here, crashing into puddles and flicking up sprays of water. 

Amazingly there is only one swap left for this year, and I think I'll have to make the deadline fairly flexible due to the post and bank holidays and everyone being busy around Christmas. Hopefully there will be a few moments where anyone who hasn't finished their card can sit in a cheesy haze by the fire and finish off their stitching to post in before New Year. I can't wait to see photos of everyone's collections and check through my own to see what they look like together. 

If you would like to join in with next years' swap everyone is more than welcome. Pop me an email at sales@dottytextiles.com and I can forward you a PDF of more information. The themes are below for you to get the little grey cells whirring and inspiration building.