The red pearls are absolutely perfect in Holly Jolly! I might need to get some given how many Christmas ornaments I make. Thanks for providing us the link! 👍🏻 Chocolate Harts looks great! Your progress on AKGIT is phenomenal! The Britomart sampler continues to be absolutely stunning. I love that border. LOL at the CVS receipt comment. It’s always fun to see what your mom is stitching. The biscornu has such pretty blues. 💙 The table runner is going to be nice.
I mean, my original design did look like a CVS receipt. I wanted to do all the bands, and this pretty thing, and that fabulous thing, and then I stepped back and went yeah, that's a proportional disaster!! Pruning it down was haaaaard
What a great video! I love all your Mom’s projects as well as yours. AKGITis really spectacular. I am working on Jane Ann 1871 and it is a big one and your favorite, lots of letters, lol but I can’t put it down. Will be getting to all the motifs soon. Have fun stitching.
Better you than me!!!! AKGIT has too many letters for me as is, but it's so glorious even I couldn't resist. And several of them are so large and elaborate that they're more like small motifs than letters. It's not the stitching of letters that bothers me, it's the constant start/stop because I don't carry my threads...
I so appreciate your literary analogy relative to your exquisite Britomart sampler. It enlivens this piece with much more meaning - you are such an artist!
Everything about this was delightful and educational. Your mother is lovely and I enjoyed seeing her beautiful stitching pieces. Thank you for sharing, Katie.
I loved seeing the progress on your Britomart Sampler, and hear your enthusiasm for finishing AKGIT! You are getting so close and both pieces are going to be spectacular. I also was very drawn to the chocolate hearts piece and can’t wait to see how you finish it. Your mom is charming as always, and it was so lovely to see her. Thank you too for showing the scissors I’m so pleased you like them!!!
Thank you Susan! The scissors are just exquisite - I gave them to my mom after filming and she loves them. She can't bring herself to put them away - they've been set lovingly next to her cross stitching so she can admire them!
Such a wonderful video. Loved seeing your mom and her stitching. Thank you for your book recommendations. I really like hearing your reviews on them. Please continue to recommend good books to use. So looking forward to your next kit to come out and seeing what it’s going to be. Till next time, happy stitching. 😊🪡🌻
Hi Katie and Tricia! I pulled out my Chocolate Harts chart. You keep inspiring me with yours. All things Austen…yes, please. So fun. The B is just stunning! Love the table runner idea and execution (thanks for the shoutout ☺️).
Thank you Kim! I can't wait to see your take on Chocolate Harts, it's such a great piece. And thank you - I think you really inspire the community with your creativity and the way you make pieces your own!
Lovely program this day. I am curious about frame stitching. Would you think about doing maybe a tutorial about how you use it, when you use it, what brands you recommend, etc. I think many would appreciate it. 😃
I will think about it but for the moment, no promises! I enjoy doing tutorials and sharing what I know with others who are interested, but they are a crazy time commitment so it'll really depend.
Thank you for the story accompanying your sampler. It really adds so much and gives historical content to the physical progression of your sampler. Great see your mom too. 🩷
It has taken awhile for me to leave a comment because I’m stunned that you typically do not display your exquisite work!!! The thought of it being stored in a closet…. 😢. I would have your work ALL OVER the house! Ok, I’ve composed myself enough to say Britomart sampler is gorgeous! All your stitching is inspiring. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you for watching! The display thing generally horrifies people, but in all honesty for me it's enough to have made it. Once I'm done it's on to the next thing, and keeping them stored away from dust, light, and damage ensures they'll be beautiful for someone else to enjoy in the future...
Treasures abound! The Britomart sampler is amazing! I think you are a cross stich designer specializing in medieval designs as yet unpublished! Wonderful to see your mom and her delightful pieces, I too, prefer my santas to have dimensional beards!
Hi Katie! it was wonderful to catch up with you and also your mother! You are such an amazing stitcher, and your work is always wonderful to see! I just love your AKGIT sampler, it looks stunning! Then seeing your Britomart band sampler was amazing! I had to look up reversible stitching when you discussed it recently as I have not heard of, nor ever seen it done! I have no idea how you do it, but wow what a beautiful thing to see! I think it is sad that you don’t finish and display your finished pieces. Father the amount of time and work that you put into stitching them, it seems that you should have them out to enjoy. Your mom’s table runner is going to be stunning! Wonderful idea to use various motifs and make something totally different with them! Thank you both for sharing your talents!
Thank you! Reversible stitching isn't actually as complicated as it seems - there's a bit of a learning curve but once you get into it it's quite logical. I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would!
Wonderful video as always! So nice to see your mom today and her beautiful projects. I love the table runner idea.. it's going to be amazing! What a great idea! Katie your Britomart Sampler is just gorgeous. I love the analogy to Pride and Prejudice... it's perfect! Can't wait to see the fireworks unfold. Happy stitching!🏵🏵🏵
I look forward to all of your videos and your talent is amazing! I really appreciate the information on the silk floss and have rewatched the specialty thread video again and again :) Could you give a little more info on how you start and stop with the thicker silk floss such as Soie Perlée. I am really enjoying the difference between the Soie Perlée and Soie d’Alger. I start the Soie Perlée with a pin stitch and run under to finish. But I was wondering if there was a better way.
Thank you! I've never actually cross stitched with Perlee because I like higher counts - I use it for surface embroidery and needlelace - so I'm not sure if there's a better way. What you're doing is probably what I would do. It's a wonderful thread, and comes in a really beautiful color range.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Cissy Bailey Smith and I've seen the original of Ann Wilson! You may enjoy seeing the antique samplers (and shoes and needlebooks!) that Cissy shows on her flosstube- Cissy's Gentle Pursuit Designs. She just has a few episodes, and I enjoy her delightful personality and love for stitchery. Your mom's table runner is beautiful!
Hi Katie, I'm also stitching AKGIT and I love her! I'm also going from top to bottom, and then back to the top again for more variety. I find I often do this on samplers. I'm stitching her on 40 count R & R "Mayflower Mocha" with hanks of NPI in the color 588, a brown/black. As NPI is also constructed with filament silk, how does it compare to Soie Gobelins? I am dying to try the Gobelins and I see a kit of yours in my future!
AKGIT is an amazing piece, such an engrossing stitch. NPI is actually a low twist spun silk, it is not a filament silk, so you would find it behaves very differently to Gobelins in particular. NPI has the most in common with Soie d'Alger, which is also a low twist spun silk. Gobelins as a high twist filament silk has a great deal of shine but also more body to it - I have a short tutorial on cross stitching with it, #2 in the Simple Harmony series if you're interested in how those threads behave differently. I think Gobelins makes for fantastic cross stitch but it is a little different to stitch with.
Hi Katie and your mom Trish, the chocolate hart sewing box cover is very nice Katie. I also like the Norfolk sampler book that you showed in this video. The samplers in that book are stunning. Maybe one day you can publish a book of all of the work that you have completed one day? Have a great week. TTFN
Thank you! Yes, it's amazing how much we're alike. Back in ye olde days of the land line no one but my father could tell us apart when one or the answered the phone. The number of times I'd answer the phone and be greeted with 'oh Tricia, hi!'...
Katie, another wonderful video. This is a little off topic but a burning question: how do you store your linens? Do you fold, roll or hang? Store by color, count, maker/dyer? Please enlighten us.
Thank you! I fold them, and I have two drawers - that open mesh from the Container Store's shelving system so that the fabric can breathe. 40 and below goes in one drawer, 45 and above in the other. I hang all my good silk fabrics, carefully wrapped with acid free tissue to cushion the folds and that's taking up all possible hanging space! Linen isn't harmed by folding so it gets the drawers.
Wonderful stuff! Okay here's my dumb question about the Britomart sampler. Do you find yourself mixing up the front and back? I'm working on my first Hardanger piece and it's only fairly identical on the back but I've still had to unpick a couple times when I got mixed up!😅
Not a dumb question at all - several people have asked me that. The answer is no, but I also designed this piece so I know it inside out. I know all the orientations of motifs, because I spent so much time arranging them and working to center the bands without awkward motif terminations, etc. And I know the subtle tells on the back because I chose stitches and planned the stitch path to minimize differences between front and back, etc. At this point I know the Britomart sampler as well as I know my own hands, but I can definitely see how that could happen if you were working something you hadn't designed yourself. Practical tip - take a little length of a bright contrasting color and thread mark in the margin on one side. Place a couple of backstitches or cross stitches in a bright red on the left side margin, and then you'll always know at a glance if you're looking at front or back depending on whether that's on the left or right side. You can unpick it leaving no trace when you're done, and it'll save any confusion. It's an easy visual tell.
@@katiestrachanembroidery impressive work! You're right, a simple little stitch like that would help. I've got the center lines marked so there's a + in the center front but it's very light thread and a nice bright xx in the corner would be more clear!
A special floss tube with your Mom!❤
Thank you!
The red pearls are absolutely perfect in Holly Jolly! I might need to get some given how many Christmas ornaments I make. Thanks for providing us the link! 👍🏻
Chocolate Harts looks great!
Your progress on AKGIT is phenomenal!
The Britomart sampler continues to be absolutely stunning. I love that border. LOL at the CVS receipt comment.
It’s always fun to see what your mom is stitching. The biscornu has such pretty blues. 💙
The table runner is going to be nice.
I mean, my original design did look like a CVS receipt. I wanted to do all the bands, and this pretty thing, and that fabulous thing, and then I stepped back and went yeah, that's a proportional disaster!! Pruning it down was haaaaard
What a great video! I love all your Mom’s projects as well as yours. AKGITis really spectacular. I am working on Jane Ann 1871 and it is a big one and your favorite, lots of letters, lol but I can’t put it down. Will be getting to all the motifs soon. Have fun stitching.
Better you than me!!!! AKGIT has too many letters for me as is, but it's so glorious even I couldn't resist. And several of them are so large and elaborate that they're more like small motifs than letters. It's not the stitching of letters that bothers me, it's the constant start/stop because I don't carry my threads...
I so appreciate your literary analogy relative to your exquisite Britomart sampler. It enlivens this piece with much more meaning - you are such an artist!
Thank you so much! I'm so glad it made sense - I'm never sure if my random asides are even coherent!!!
Everything about this was delightful and educational. Your mother is lovely and I enjoyed seeing her beautiful stitching pieces. Thank you for sharing, Katie.
Thank you so much Sarah! I hope you'll meet her yourself in person one day!
I am sooo looking forward to the Britomart sampler. What you have done with it so far is gorgeous! 🤩 Nice to see your beautiful mom as well!
Thank you so much!
I loved seeing the progress on your Britomart Sampler, and hear your enthusiasm for finishing AKGIT! You are getting so close and both pieces are going to be spectacular. I also was very drawn to the chocolate hearts piece and can’t wait to see how you finish it. Your mom is charming as always, and it was so lovely to see her. Thank you too for showing the scissors I’m so pleased you like them!!!
Thank you Susan! The scissors are just exquisite - I gave them to my mom after filming and she loves them. She can't bring herself to put them away - they've been set lovingly next to her cross stitching so she can admire them!
Such a wonderful video. Loved seeing your mom and her stitching. Thank you for your book recommendations. I really like hearing your reviews on them. Please continue to recommend good books to use. So looking forward to your next kit to come out and seeing what it’s going to be. Till next time, happy stitching. 😊🪡🌻
Thank you so much! I love sharing books so I will definitely continue to do so - I'm glad you enjoy the recommendations!
Hi Katie and Tricia! I pulled out my Chocolate Harts chart. You keep inspiring me with yours. All things Austen…yes, please. So fun. The B is just stunning! Love the table runner idea and execution (thanks for the shoutout ☺️).
Thank you Kim! I can't wait to see your take on Chocolate Harts, it's such a great piece. And thank you - I think you really inspire the community with your creativity and the way you make pieces your own!
Lovely program this day. I am curious about frame stitching. Would you think about doing maybe a tutorial about how you use it, when you use it, what brands you recommend, etc. I think many would appreciate it. 😃
I will think about it but for the moment, no promises! I enjoy doing tutorials and sharing what I know with others who are interested, but they are a crazy time commitment so it'll really depend.
I love your enthusiasm for your Modern Folk Embroidery piece ❤ thank you for sharing ❤
Thank you so much! It is so wonderful, I can't help enthusing about it!
Wonderful to see your Mum ❤
She always brings joy!
I'm excited for your reveal of your spring tiny treasures kit. It was wonderful that your mother visited and shared what she has been working on.
Thank you so much - it's a lovely little piece and I am excited to share it!
Always a treat to see your stitching, and your lovely mother!
Thank you so much! It's always a pleasure for me to have her on as well!
It’s just all lovely! I enjoyed your analogy to literary structure!
Thank you so much!
Thank you for an amazing flosstube. It was wonderful to see your Mother. ❤
Thank you so much!
Thank you for the story accompanying your sampler. It really adds so much and gives historical content to the physical progression of your sampler. Great see your mom too. 🩷
Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it! There's so much rich history and context behind band samplers.
It has taken awhile for me to leave a comment because I’m stunned that you typically do not display your exquisite work!!! The thought of it being stored in a closet…. 😢. I would have your work ALL OVER the house! Ok, I’ve composed myself enough to say Britomart sampler is gorgeous! All your stitching is inspiring. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you for watching! The display thing generally horrifies people, but in all honesty for me it's enough to have made it. Once I'm done it's on to the next thing, and keeping them stored away from dust, light, and damage ensures they'll be beautiful for someone else to enjoy in the future...
Great video, love seeing you WIPs they are gorgeous. Love to see your mom, her table runner is amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much! I love the table runner idea and it is turning out beautifully!
Treasures abound! The Britomart sampler is amazing! I think you are a cross stich designer specializing in medieval designs as yet unpublished! Wonderful to see your mom and her delightful pieces, I too, prefer my santas to have dimensional beards!
Thank you so much! And yes, a wonderful textured beard adds a lot to a santa finish!
Enjoyed your floss tube and happy to see your lovely Mother!
Thank you for watching!
Hi Katie! it was wonderful to catch up with you and also your mother! You are such an amazing stitcher, and your work is always wonderful to see! I just love your AKGIT sampler, it looks stunning! Then seeing your Britomart band sampler was amazing! I had to look up reversible stitching when you discussed it recently as I have not heard of, nor ever seen it done! I have no idea how you do it, but wow what a beautiful thing to see! I think it is sad that you don’t finish and display your finished pieces. Father the amount of time and work that you put into stitching them, it seems that you should have them out to enjoy. Your mom’s table runner is going to be stunning! Wonderful idea to use various motifs and make something totally different with them! Thank you both for sharing your talents!
Thank you! Reversible stitching isn't actually as complicated as it seems - there's a bit of a learning curve but once you get into it it's quite logical. I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would!
Wonderful video as always! So nice to see your mom today and her beautiful projects. I love the table runner idea.. it's going to be amazing! What a great idea! Katie your Britomart Sampler is just gorgeous. I love the analogy to Pride and Prejudice... it's perfect! Can't wait to see the fireworks unfold. Happy stitching!🏵🏵🏵
Thank you Katherine! It's very exciting to watch the fireworks, I can't wait to share them!
I look forward to all of your videos and your talent is amazing! I really appreciate the information on the silk floss and have rewatched the specialty thread video again and again :) Could you give a little more info on how you start and stop with the thicker silk floss such as Soie Perlée. I am really enjoying the difference between the Soie Perlée and Soie d’Alger. I start the Soie Perlée with a pin stitch and run under to finish. But I was wondering if there was a better way.
Thank you! I've never actually cross stitched with Perlee because I like higher counts - I use it for surface embroidery and needlelace - so I'm not sure if there's a better way. What you're doing is probably what I would do. It's a wonderful thread, and comes in a really beautiful color range.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Cissy Bailey Smith and I've seen the original of Ann Wilson! You may enjoy seeing the antique samplers (and shoes and needlebooks!) that Cissy shows on her flosstube- Cissy's Gentle Pursuit Designs. She just has a few episodes, and I enjoy her delightful personality and love for stitchery. Your mom's table runner is beautiful!
Thank you - I will definitely be checking out her TH-cam channel. Ann Wilson is just such a lovely piece, we were both really drawn to it at the Attic
Hi Katie, I'm also stitching AKGIT and I love her! I'm also going from top to bottom, and then back to the top again for more variety. I find I often do this on samplers. I'm stitching her on 40 count R & R "Mayflower Mocha" with hanks of NPI in the color 588, a brown/black. As NPI is also constructed with filament silk, how does it compare to Soie Gobelins? I am dying to try the Gobelins and I see a kit of yours in my future!
AKGIT is an amazing piece, such an engrossing stitch. NPI is actually a low twist spun silk, it is not a filament silk, so you would find it behaves very differently to Gobelins in particular. NPI has the most in common with Soie d'Alger, which is also a low twist spun silk. Gobelins as a high twist filament silk has a great deal of shine but also more body to it - I have a short tutorial on cross stitching with it, #2 in the Simple Harmony series if you're interested in how those threads behave differently. I think Gobelins makes for fantastic cross stitch but it is a little different to stitch with.
Hi Katie and your mom Trish, the chocolate hart sewing box cover is very nice Katie. I also like the Norfolk sampler book that you showed in this video. The samplers in that book are stunning. Maybe one day you can publish a book of all of the work that you have completed one day? Have a great week. TTFN
Thank you so much! The Norfolk sampler book is just wonderful, one of my favorites
Nice to share a wonderful art
Thank you, it is!
Nice video! You and your mom are like twins…..you sure can’t deny each other 😉😁
Thank you! Yes, it's amazing how much we're alike. Back in ye olde days of the land line no one but my father could tell us apart when one or the answered the phone. The number of times I'd answer the phone and be greeted with 'oh Tricia, hi!'...
Katie, another wonderful video. This is a little off topic but a burning question: how do you store your linens? Do you fold, roll or hang? Store by color, count, maker/dyer? Please enlighten us.
Thank you! I fold them, and I have two drawers - that open mesh from the Container Store's shelving system so that the fabric can breathe. 40 and below goes in one drawer, 45 and above in the other. I hang all my good silk fabrics, carefully wrapped with acid free tissue to cushion the folds and that's taking up all possible hanging space! Linen isn't harmed by folding so it gets the drawers.
Yeah, happy to see you again
Thank you!
Wonderful stuff! Okay here's my dumb question about the Britomart sampler. Do you find yourself mixing up the front and back? I'm working on my first Hardanger piece and it's only fairly identical on the back but I've still had to unpick a couple times when I got mixed up!😅
Not a dumb question at all - several people have asked me that. The answer is no, but I also designed this piece so I know it inside out. I know all the orientations of motifs, because I spent so much time arranging them and working to center the bands without awkward motif terminations, etc. And I know the subtle tells on the back because I chose stitches and planned the stitch path to minimize differences between front and back, etc. At this point I know the Britomart sampler as well as I know my own hands, but I can definitely see how that could happen if you were working something you hadn't designed yourself.
Practical tip - take a little length of a bright contrasting color and thread mark in the margin on one side. Place a couple of backstitches or cross stitches in a bright red on the left side margin, and then you'll always know at a glance if you're looking at front or back depending on whether that's on the left or right side. You can unpick it leaving no trace when you're done, and it'll save any confusion. It's an easy visual tell.
@@katiestrachanembroidery impressive work! You're right, a simple little stitch like that would help. I've got the center lines marked so there's a + in the center front but it's very light thread and a nice bright xx in the corner would be more clear!