I signed up for this project in May 2019
150 of us joined Helen Birmingham’s STITCHBOOK COLLECTIVE and the journey began.
Who knew when we got our first box of goodies in September 2019 how important this project was going to be for keeping us busy, creative and connected.
Each month for 12 months we recieved a kit through our letter box, and even though we had paid for it, many of us felt like it was a present arriving through the ether to cheer us up – happy post!
We chatted via our Facebook group, encouraging and inspiring one another
We were initially working towards exhibiting the books at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show. This was cancelled, but we kept on stitching – the cancellation gave some of us the much needed time to finish the project.
I get very excited at the beginning of a project. I loved the feeling as inspiration flooded in with each new box – but then I go off at a tangent and make a multitude of my own experiments and lose focus.
I am so good at NOT finishing things – anyone else out there like me?
I wonder if I ever would have pushed myself to complete it if it hadn’t been for Helen’s flexibility and gentle encouragement to get me over the finish line.
The covers done and the book bound together with bead spacers – it sat there – it did not feel finished – bizarrely, it did not feel mine.
It was a huge effort for me to focus on the covers, make them to Helen’s specific instructions and get the book exhibition-ready. The front cover has tabs on it so that it can be displayed for exhibition. The effort to get the covers made took away some of the joy, so it had to sit in a corner for a while.
Seeing other finished books online and a few text messages with Cathy (thank you Cathy!) gave me the kick of enthusiasm I needed – out came the beads, the stamps and the paint brush
and here it is – Exhibition-ready!
AND £3,344.00 has been raised by Helen and the purchasers of her kits for the mental health charity, MIND.
Feel good project all round.
You can see other posts about this book by typing Stitchbook into the SEARCH box and here is a video of the finished book.
A HUGE thank you to Helen Birmingham for this project and to the other members of THE STITCHBOOK COLLECTIVE community.
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Lovely to see your work, especially having read Cathy’s post the other day and knowing a bit about the specific parts. I’m so glad that you managed to support each other and both get finished. Lets hope all the books will finally be exhibited one day and we can go and see them for real.
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Yes!!!
Helen hopes to exhibit them in November in Harrogate and if that does happen I will definitely be going (all being well Covid-wise).
In the meantime she is creating a book and a video about The Collective and our work. Exciting times!
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This is great! I’m taking a course on journal making from Willa Wanders. I’m a watercolor artist and am going off on a tangent with fabric and paper!!
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Sounds like an exciting departure for you!
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Well done, it’s an amazing piece of work, I love how creative you’ve been each month.
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Thank you Margaret! It was a fun project wasn’t it. 🙂
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Sandra, it looks stunning – and even though you lost interest – you have taken it up again. I know that every so often I check my UFO’s and decide whether they will “rise again” or be put aside to be something else. This second part usually means if possible take all the “parts” and put them back in their respective boxes….
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Sounds familiar! I’m glad to know I am not alone! 😉
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I think it’s wonderful, and a great contribution. You should be pleased.
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Thank you Dawn. I think I am pleased – and I will be very happy when I see it take it’s place with the others at the exhibition, when it happens.
Right now, I mostly feel relieved that it is done!
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Bravo Sandra, you have crossed the finish line, and have a beautiful book to show for the effort!
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Thank you so much Kathy!
You always cheer me on! ❤
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Some very artistic work here Sandra. These types of projects have been so inclusive for Covid isolated creatives around the world. My wife Jill has done a couple with a group based out of the USA. She is currently knitting, hand sewing, dyeing and designing her way through multiple works. And as for unfinished projects I assumed that is normal. They are throughout our house.
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We’ve said it before – your wife and I seem to be kindred spirits – YES – it is normal!!! 🙂
😉
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A beautiful book, well done on finishingx
I lost interest for a long while and I am just on the verge of getting back to it, but think I am too late for it to be included.
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Life has a way of weaving it’s way into things and causing ructions doesn’t it. I think you can still send anything you have done to Helen at this stage to be included in the photographs. She will return it to you in March so you might still be able to finish in time for an exhibition (who knows when that will be). I hope you find your mojo – your work is too good for us to miss it. ❤
Please send a personal message if you would like a chat over the phone – it helped me enormously to be able to chat to Cathy.
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Well done for putting your big girl pants on and getting it done! It looks fab 😃
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That genuinely made me laugh out loud!!!
Thank you Amanda! 🙂
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What a shame you had that period when you lost interest, Sandra, and felt you no longer owned it – how do you feel about it now? To an outsider, the complete book is a fascinating collection of techniques and textiles and, assuming each person got the same materials it would be really to see them all together and how individual they must surely be. Well done on completion – and now get back to your crochet!! 😁
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🙂 🙂 Thank you Cathy.
Falling out of love with a project about 4/5s through seems to be my standard creative rhythm – some things make it to the end – some not.
Yes everyone got the same instructions and materials and it has been fascinating and inspiring to see them each variation.
As you say – crochet is a safe haven to return to to recharge the batteries.
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And did the fact that you had no choice in the materials affect your creativity?
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The materials we were supplied with were just a jumping off point – we didn’t have to use them. I suppose I used about half what was provided and half my own. It was fun to use colurs I would not have chosen and see where that took me. 🙂
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Great book, Sandra! Really liked the video showing each page. Such a wonderful way to keep the year’s projects together and easily accessible for future project plans.
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Thank you Del! I really need a break from stitching for a while – thank goodness for crochet! But yes, you are right – one day I will reconnect and be re-inspired. 🙂
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Crochet! Funny you mention that…. just frogged a scarf … 😉
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It’s just fabulous, and thank you for your support especially over the final hurdle of binding and covers.
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We propped each other up brilliantly!
And once again thank you Cathy, for introducing me to Helen in the first place. ❤
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Wonderful! I, too, love the little blue heart.
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Awwww! ❤ Thank you 🙂
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Wow! Beautiful ❤️
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🙂 Thank you 🙂
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It’s beautiful Sandra. I can see lots of colours inspired by the beach, sea and sky. 😃 It must be lovely to touch and feel each page too, as well as looking at it.
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I have to admit – it is a squishy squashy delight!
Thank you Cathy – yes the beach etc creeps into so much of what I do creatively.
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What a big project! Well done for getting it finished. I do understand that ‘getting distracted’ and the slog to do the less than exciting finishing off especially when another project is luring me or I just want to go on adding to the old one.
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Yes! Exactly! You understand!!!! 🙂
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Well done! Some lovely contents and a great finish.
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Thank you – such a relief to get it done.
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Fabulous! That cover just screams “pick me up and look inside”, doesn’t it? While every page in the flip through begs you to stay and look into the creativity. I loved the peek a boo blue heart, very appropriate on Dydd Santes Dwynwen, so Dydd Santes Dwynwen Hapus i Ti, fy Ffrind.
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That’s a new one to me – Welsh Valentine’s Day – well – ‘there you are then’!
Thank you for your lovely comments. ❤ Have a happy day full of love Deb. ❤
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Bravo! Wasn’t this the project that began your love affair with rust?
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Thank you Kate. I already had a Rust Collection! and had been wanting to do rust dyeing for ages – it was this project that got me into rust dyeing and secured my undying passion for the stuff! HaHa!!!
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