Each month, I send subscribers to the Hopebroidery Box a pattern and full-length, step-by-step video tutorial for that month's project; subscribers to the big box also get all the supplies they'll need for their project, including full skeins of embroidery floss, fabric, embroidery scissors I curate specifically for that project, and more. You can take a look at past boxes that have been sent out by visiting the "kits" section of my shop (I keep up the "sold out" kits so that you can see what sorts of supplies and designs have come in past boxes, even if they're no longer available).
I've been writing about how I design each month's project because I think it might be interesting (even if you're not interested in a kit!), and also because I think it's helpful to see the different ways I go about designing the sample hoops themselves.
Today, I'll share the process of creating the sample hoop for the December 2021 box, a snowflake sampler featuring bright white snowflakes and winter-inspired foliage on a deep green fabric.
I'm not sure if I've ever created a winter-themed hoop for the box - and that's because I'm not a huge fan of winter! But when I was shopping for fabric and saw this deep green cotton, I felt inspired to give a new-to-me, wintery color palette a try.
My first step for this project was to sketch out a potential design and color scheme using the Procreate app for the iPad; you can see a timelapse of what that looked like in the video below:
Next, I printed my design and grabbed a handful of colors from my Sublime Stitching embroidery floss pile that I thought might look nice with the fabric I had chosen.
In the photo below, you can see that I've begun to transfer my design using a pencil, and have my pattern notebook ready to go - I take detailed notes on my patterns as I stitch because I find it helps me to create more accurate patterns later on in the process! bYou can also see a portion of a page from my sketchbook, where I had previously spent some time doodling out different types of snowflakes (on the same page where I started doodling the November 2021 space hoop, too!).
After stitching a few of the initial snowflakes, something just didn't feel right about the direction I was going - so I started over! This happens quite a bit, and it's a chance for me to remind you that it's a totally normal part of the process!
I decided to start over and use the initial pattern as a general guide for the composition of the hoop, versus an exact and ready-to-stitch pattern.
I used the pink circle stencil in the photo below to help figure out the size of each snowflake, and the inner part of a three inch embroidery hoop to help with creating the lines that would turn into the surrounding foliage.
Pictured below is the hoop before adding additional and final embellishments; I was happy with the color story so far, but wanted to add in a bit of blue and deep red as a way to add interest.
After adding in a few embellishments and backing my hoop, I was finished with my sample!
As I'm working on the sample hoop, I'm also doing other things for the box, including ordering the scissors (you can find extra box scissors in my shop!), cutting fabric, purchasing and bundling floss, and so many other steps!
The process for putting together your box projects each month involves so many steps, but the best part is creating something that you might want to recreate with me! It's such a great feeling knowing that this snowflake hoop won't just live in my home - but in yours, too!
Subscriptions for the December 2021 Hopebroidery Box are open throughout the month of November, and boxes will be in the mail the first week of December! If you're here late, you can always check to see if I have extra boxes available on the "kits" section of my shop! Happy stitching!
