Summer is here and that means it's time for Summer Reading Stitching Club! When you were growing up, or maybe even as an adult, did you participate in a summer reading club at your local library? I LOVED it as a kid and I'm bringing that to my new Wild Olive Stitching Club.
This year, summer reading clubs will feel different in many communities, but that doesn't mean we can't have our own version online...with embroidery and English paper piecing! I chose 12 classic children's books to embroider on little hand-pieced books, which will then become a quilted book bag. If you'd rather, you could also make them into a mini quilt.
Each week, club members will receive an embroidery pattern PDF by email, along with some other fun along the way. The patterns represent key elements or characters from books, but the books will be a surprise each time (though you can probably guess a few from the photos!). Taking a cue from illustrated classics, these patterns are all stitched in a single color. It makes stitching them fast and easy while giving them a bold look!
Summer Reading Stitching Club combines several needlecrafts that I love. Embroidery (all simple stitches), English paper piecing (all the instructions come with the club), and sewing (all straight seams, but it will help if you know your way 'round a sewing machine).
If you've ever done one of my paid stitching clubs in the past, you'll be familiar with the process and format of this club. The Summer Reading Stitching Club will run from June 2 to August 25. That's 12 weeks of patterns, plus time for finishing.
When you sign up, you'll get a PDF welcome kit with a supply list, EPP templates, and instructions for getting ready.
The cost for the entire club is just $6.00 if you sign up by June 8. After that, the price will go up to $8.00.
The club starts June 2, so be sure to sign up early so you can stitch along with us!
Note: All of the books represented in this stitching club are considered classics, but a few contain views and character portrayals that are problematic at best. Rather than avoiding these titles completely, I see them as opportunities to think and talk about what makes these themes wrong then and now, where the beliefs still exist, and how we can do better going forward.
Questions? Ask in the comments and I'll get back to you right away!
Looks like fun. Can I give a gift membership?
ReplyDeleteYes! Just leave a note in the message to seller and I'll send the welcome PDF to the recipient with a message letting them know that it's from you.
DeleteThis is my first stitching club. Will the first pattern have tips for placing the design on the pieces? Should I stitch first and then cut out the shape, or pre-cut the book pieces and then stitch on them?
ReplyDeleteThere are a few tips, but definitely do the embroidery first so you can work in a hoop. Then you can center the design with the template before you cut the shape.
DeleteSo cute! I have bought the club. If I buy a 5" square charm pack, would that be a big enough piece of fabric to make the book sections from? I'm looking at the pattern and it looks like it would be? It would be nice to order some new fabric and have it co-ordinate, rather than just picking through what I already own.
ReplyDeleteYes! That will work. Just be aware that some charm packs don't have two matching squares of all the fabrics, which you may want for your front and back covers.
DeleteThanks! I ended up ordering one yesterday on etsy. I did wonder the same thing about how much the patterns would repeat, but it looks like they had the same colour with just a different pattern, so I think that would work too. It should look better than just all the random fabric I already own. :)
DeleteJust signed up last night! So I'm a bit late to the party ;-) so I'm wondering, was anything sent out for Week 1?
ReplyDeleteI think that I deleted the June 2 e-mail, is there a way to get it resent?
ReplyDeleteEach weekly email has links to all the previous emails. If you would like me to send it as a separate email so you can keep it in your email archives, hit reply to the next one that comes and let me know.
DeleteHappy July 1! I'm also registering late for the book bag party! Will emails for the following week's patterns be sent automatically or do i need to do something special so you know i'm in the club now? Thanks! Can't wait to start!
ReplyDelete