Here’s what subscribers to the Hopebroidery Box are stitching with me in April! The “Sun Kitten” hand embroidery project will be available as a beginner-friendly kit to non-subscribers in my shop once subscribers’ boxes are in the mail. New subscribers have until the end of March to subscribe to the box in time to get this project sent to you in April.
[Image description: Hope holds up an embroidery project at an angle and above a dark green background. The project features a green cat sleeping in a field of orange-pink flowers on a bright, sunny day.]
April’s “Sun Kitten” project is inspired by my nearly 17-year-old cat, Fritz! This project features a cat sleeping in a field of orange-pink flowers on a sunny day, with birds flying above him.
What supplies are included in your embroidery kit?
Your “Sun Kitten” embroidery kit will include the supplies you need to recreate this project with me, including:
Floss
Fabric
Hoop
Needles
Threader
Marker
Pattern
Scissors
[Image description: Overhead photo of an embroidery project surrounded by embroidery kit supplies, on a dark green surface. The project features a green cat sleeping in a field of orange-pink flowers on a bright, sunny day. Scattered supplies in this photo include: skeins of Sublime Stitching embroidery floss in green, orange-pink, yellow, and purple; a folded cut off off-white cotton fabric; black and white pattern for transfer featuring the drawing used to create the project itself; a metal needle threader attached to a Kraft brown card with blue washi tape; green and white marker; blue embroidery scissors with heart-shaped handles; brown burlap bag; and two embroidery needles stuck through a piece of soft, mustard-colored fabric.]
Embroidery Floss
You’ll receive four full skeins of Sublime Stitching embroidery floss. This project requires just three colors; the fourth color is included to allow you more options as you stitch up your project with me! You’ll also have plenty of floss left over for other projects.
Cotton Fabric
We’ll be stitching this project on Kona brand cotton fabric in the shade “Bone.” I include enough fabric for you to use two layers of fabric, but you should also feel free to use just one layer and save that extra fabric for another project.
Bamboo Embroidery Hoop
You’ll receiver a four inch bamboo embroidery hoop for this project. I do enjoy using wooden hoops in many of my personal projects, and will sometimes include them in other kits. However, I prefer to include bamboo embroidery hoops in my kits as I’ve found they’re easier to use and tighten than more expensive beechwood embroidery hoops, while also being less likely to break or “snap” than cheaper wooden hoops on the market.
Two Embroidery Needles
I provide you with two embroidery needles for your project, stuck through a soft piece of fabric to help prevent them from going missing on your floor, couch, or bed!
My Favorite Metal Needle Threader
I nearly quit embroidery before I got started because I just could not get my needles threaded! This is why I love to include my favorite metal needle threader in your kits–just in case you need that process to be easier on your hands and eyes, too!
Washable Transfer Marker
You’ll receive a green washable marker for transferring your design to fabric. This month, we’re using a green “Super Tip” marker from the Crayola brand to transfer our patterns to fabric. This washable marker is super simple to use on this fabric (and rinses away with plain water quite nicely, too!).
Black and White Pattern for Transfer
Your kit includes the black and white pattern for transfer already pre printed for you within the box itself. No need to print anything out– unless you really want to, of course!
Heart-Shaped Embroidery Scissors
This month’s kit includes a pair of blue, heart-shaped embroidery scissors from Kelmscott Designs. Embroidery scissors aren’t necessary for hand embroidery, but they sure do make the process just a bit easier–and more fun, I think! I chose this pair for our “Sun Kitten” project because I love cats, and because the scissor’s blue color makes me think of the implied sky in the project itself.
If you don’t have embroidery scissors (for example, if you purchase the kit in my shop as a non-subscriber and elect to get a box without this project’s scissors), a normal pair of “junk drawer” scissors will do just fine!
What instructions are provided for the project?
In addition to the supplies listed above, your “Sun Kitten” kit also includes access to the digital portion of the project, which includes a video tutorial and digital pattern.
Video Tutorial
You’ll find the video tutorial for your project linked on the very first page of the digital portion of this month’s box.
I film a thorough and beginner-friendly tutorial for the box projects, where I take you through the entire process from start to finish. You can use this video tutorial in a few different ways. For example, some people elect to watch the entire video from start to finish, pausing and rewatching portions of the tutorial as needed. More seasoned stitchers prefer to watch it on an as-needed basis, jumping around with help from the included video tutorial timeline.
The box projects are meant to be for absolute and total beginners. If you do have more experience, and prefer to stitch this without the video, you’ll be able to do so using the digital pattern itself.
Digital Pattern
The bulk of the digital portion of this month’s box consists of the digital pattern itself, which includes:
Reference image
Pattern for transfer
Color guide and codes
Step-by-step instructions
Already have plenty of your own supplies, but want to stitch this or another box project with me? No problem! You’ll find this and past box projects’ digital patterns in my shop. I include color codes for both Sublime Stitching and DMC brands of embroidery floss in these patterns, but you should also feel free to use whatever colors you think might work best for your chosen project!
Get your hands on this "Sun Kitten" hand embroidery project!
New subscribers have until the end of March to subscribe to the box in time to get this project sent to you in April.
If you’ve stumbled across this project after that deadline, or perhaps you aren’t interested in the subscription model itself, you can totally still stitch this with me! The “Sun Kitten” hand embroidery project will be available as a beginner-friendly kit to non-subscribers in my shop once subscribers’ boxes are in the mail.
I'm so excited to see what you make!
If you’d like to receive updates about this and future projects, as well as tutorials, blog posts, and more, be sure to sign up to receive email updates from me–it’s the best way to stay in touch, by far!
[Image description: Graphic in the style of old school “as seen on TV” ads with a photo of the sun kitten embroidery project in the top left corner. Text appears in crass, bright colors, and reads, “The sun kitten embroidery project, special subscriber rate $45.00 plus free domestic shipping! Supplies are limited! I cannot guarantee anything in this life–let alone “satisfaction,” but I am more than happy to help you with your project, or with any other questions you might have about the box in general! I am more than happy to help, and I love seeing what you make! As seen on this email, and in Women’s Day, Better Homes and Gardens, Teen Vogue, Buzzfeed, and USA Today! New subscribers have until the end of March 2024 to sign up in time to receive this project at the special subscriber rate. Boxes are set to ship the first week of April.]
The above is the graphic I included in a recent email update regarding this project in particular. If it doesn’t convince you to “act now!,” I hope it can at least make you laugh!
Happy Spring, and happy stitching!
