Blackberry Brambles & Blossoms: Upcoming Stitch-Along

And it’s About Time!

I’m happy to say that there are still blackberries on the vine here in Kansas, so our upcoming stitch-along, Blackberry Brambles & Blossoms is still in season. I’m excited to get it launched!

To that end, I’ll tell you a little bit about the stitch-alongs I run here on Needle ‘n Thread, so that you can decide if you want to participate. I’ll also introduce you to Blackberry Brambles & Blossoms, let you know when the kits will launch and how that works, and share the initial timeline with you for this project.

Update Aug 5: The kits have launched and you can find them available here.

Blackberry Brambles & Blossoms is a stitch-along project that will develop here on Needle ‘n Thread over four or five lessons.

What’s a Stitch-Along and How Does it Work?

A stitch-along is a lot like an online class where you work through a project (at your own pace), referring to the instructions, tips, and techniques that I post here on the website. I will also post a Project Index, where you can easily find all the lessons as the project develops, so that you can come back to them as you need them.

We produce kits for the stitch-along project. They contain everything you need to complete the project, except a hoop and scissors. You’re not obliged to purchase the kit, but it is a great way to get all the components in one place without having to search for supplies, pay multiple shipping fees, or make substitutions that can alter the outcome of the project.

Each week during the stitch-along, I post a lesson with step-by-step instructions and tips to help you successfully complete the project. The final lesson covers our finishing process for the project. In this case, we’ll be framing the embroidery in a round frame.

For members of the Needle ‘n Thread Community over on Patreon, I post each lesson in a handy downloadable and printable PDF format, so that members can have easy access to the formatted lessons. Usually, the PDFs are a little more detailed than the lessons here on the blog, because I can include more detail in a PDF. I also offer members an early shopping event, so that they can get a kit without having to queue up for the website launch.

Blackberry Brambles & Blossoms

BB&B is designed for determined beginners and beyond. You should already know the basics of embroidery – how to separate out your floss, how to thread a needle, how to start and end threads – and you should be comfortable following embroidery instructions. The embroidery is worked with one and two strands of DMC stranded cotton, depending on techniques and stitchers’ preferences.

In BB&B, you’ll learn many useful stitching techniques to add to your embroidery repertoire:

We will do some shading on the leaves, and I’ll show you a particular way that I shaded on this project, to help make the process go a little faster.

You’ll learn how to create beaded blackberries on a built-up foundation that makes them look rather realistic and delicious!

We’ll also cover what I call “sketchy split stitch” – a very “free” form of stitching, that helps make twiggy things look a bit more twiggy and a bit less formal.

Finally, you’ll learn how to frame a piece in a round frame – although how you finish it is up to you! You might decide to do something else with it, and that’s fine.

What’s in the Kit?

In the kit, you will find the ground fabric – a natural colored, high quality Italian linen – with the design printed on it; ten full skeins of DMC embroidery floss; three types of Miyuki seed beads; needles; and a small beeswax “berry” for strengthening your beading thread.

You’ll need to supply small sharp scissors and a 6″ embroidery hoop or your favorite type of embroidery frame. We have excellent scissors and hoops available here.

I also made use of a laying tool quite frequently. While not essential, it’s definitely handy! You can find a mini awl available here, which serves nicely as a laying tool.

When, When, When?

We will launch the kits exactly a week from today, Wednesday, August 5, at 10:00 AM Central Time (I’m in Kansas). That’s when the kit will go live in the shop here on the website. Members on Patreon will, as usual, have an early shopping event so that they don’t have to queue up on Wednesday morning!

The stitch-along will begin the next week, on Monday, August 10, with the first installment covering design, materials, and initial instructions for getting started. We will begin the first stitching on Friday, August 14. At this time, there is a maximum of five lessons planned for the project, but this plan may be adjusted based on participant feedback and so forth.

Yummmmy! I do love blackberries!

Stay tuned for the stitch-along, and enjoy the rest of your week!