Labor Day weekend always marks the official end of summer in my mind.
Given the fact that the summer temperatures still soar here in Kansas until well into September, I’m not really sure why that is. I suspect that it has to do with the fact that, when I was growing up, the new school year started after Labor Day. And then there was the “white shoe rule,” that unwritten rule (or maybe it was written?) that said you shouldn’t wear white shoes after Labor Day, since it wasn’t summer anymore. Remember that?
Both of those points are pretty much defunct now. Schools start well before Labor Day and white shoes seem to be fair game any time.
Still, I like to have something to officially mark the end of summer. And this year, that something is the End of a Project.
What project? It’s this stitch sampler alphabet – 26 letters worked with almost 30 different stitches and stitch combinations. I did hit the original goal of at least 25 stitches and combinations, and in fact went beyond it! I love it when that happens.
There are two stitches and combos that I still want to incorporate into the alphabet, and since I have to re-stitch two more letters for photographing, I may still work those in.
But officially, with all 26 letters complete, the alphabet is finished!
You’d expect the Z to be the final letter of the alphabet, but in fact, it was the O. For some reason, when I originally transferred all the letters, I missed the O. Poor O!
One thing that made this project move along with relative speed was the pre-packaging of each letter into its own “kit” so that it was ready to grab and start on when the previous letter was finished. Although I pre-selected most of the colors to make up the kits, admittedly, there were changes along the way.
Along the way, I kept notes on the threads and the stitch combinations used for each letter. All the notes are on 3×5 index cards, so that I can easily put them in order and use them for reference while writing.
The next step: the project will be made into an e-book, much like Lavender Honey and Other Little Things, providing patterns with step-by-step instructions for embroidering the letters, a stitch index that covers every stitch and stitch combination used with tips on making up your own combinations, and all kinds of other stitchy tips throughout that can be applied in general to other embroidery projects.
The Stitch Sampler Floral Alphabet, suitable for beginners and beyond, is highly customizable, so that each embroiderer’s finished letter – whether you stitch one, or the whole alphabet – can be unique. At the same time, for those who like to follow a set pattern and color scheme, all the information to do so will be there.
Making up the ebook will take a little time, but look for it in the near-ish future!
I hope your summer (or winter, depending on where you are!) was a fantastic one, and that the next season is just as glorious!
