Weekend Review: Stitched Mixed Media

Stitched Mixed Media / Jessica Grady 
Wiltshire: Crowood Press, c2023.
111 p.

This short book of stitching was a very interesting one -- definitely a mixed media style, making me think a little bit of junk journaling! The author has a very colourful, eclectic style, incorporating all kinds of things into her abstract stitched pieces. 

It's inspiring to read this and see all the ways that she uses a variety of materials. From 'sequins' punched out of waste plastics to beads made from hollow wire casings, beach glass or porcelain, to washers, wires, soft plastics, recycled foil packaging, and much more, there are so many unusual materials and ideas here. There are some instructional pages on how to create holes for beads in things like stones or porcelain, or how to paint and punch soft plastics to make interesting paillettes. And there are many images of everything - despite being a rather small book, there is so much visual inspiration. 

She talks about colour, composition, combining materials, how to finish and display things. She shares different substrates and how to stitch onto a variety of things beyond fabric in a hoop, and how to fasten items into a piece. Even if wild abstracts aren't your thing there are sure to be some ideas you could take from this book. I enjoyed looking through it and have ideas to try out for myself now. 

It's not really project based although there are a few samplers to try out some of the techniques and materials. It's more focused on her aesthetic and all the various materials and techniques she uses that you might be interested in learning more about. If you like abstract work and lots of colour, and lots of new ideas too, be sure to check this one out. 

 

A Cloud White Cielo Top

My last project that I cut out in August is done! I bought a soft cotton duvet with a nice woven grid design since I don't have much white in my stash. I was planning to just use it for some art quilt experiments but it was just so soft it called out to me to become a top! 😄

I wanted a boxy top in white, and decided to go with a pattern I have made a couple of times before, the Cielo by Closet Core. I really like the fit & details in this one & it went together quickly once I got going. 

I used the bias binding option for the neckline instead of facings this time as there was a bit of show-through with the white fabric so binding looked neater to me. I also lengthened it by 2" (and made a hem of only one inch). The only other thing I did differently from previous makes was to leave the sleeve cuffs flat instead of folding them back and topstitching. In this fabric I liked the slightly longer and more relaxed look. 

This is a great staple pattern & I love this project. The fabric is so soft to wear & now I have a nice white top -- hopefully I won't spill coffee on it the first time I wear it 🤪

Thrifted Potential

I had a little time off recently and so of course I visited my favourite thrift stores - among other activities as well. There are  few in my area that I don't get to very often so it was a bit of  treat to browse around. 

I always like looking for older patterns and I found some wonderful Stitch & Sew that I didn't already own. I like that brand so it was fun to get another bunch to add to my collection. The Midi Dress is most immediately tempting. I also found an 80s dress (I am not capable of passing those up!) and a 90s "Western style" blouse pattern with really interesting details. 

I also gathered a handful of buttons all quite different from one another. Some sets large enough to actually use for a project! 

And since my stash is getting a little unwieldy I have been careful not to add too much lately. But I found this print (a single duvet) and just couldn't resist it. It's a bit more muted than my usual colours but I like it a lot - hard to capture the colour well, it's a greenish grey/blue. Looks a bit too green in the picture but best I could do!

I have had a lot of fun at the thrift store this summer but my shelves suggest that maybe it's time to send some things in the opposite direction 😄

Weekend Review: Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery, Vol. 2

 

Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery, Vol. 2 /Sharon Boggon
Lafayette, CA: C&T Publishing, c2026.
192 p.

This book was recently published and I was lucky to be able to read it right away. It's just a gorgeous and useful as Volume 1 by the same author! 

And all the things I said about Volume 1 when I reviewed it in 2021 apply here as well -- this is a great resource, a clearly photographed guide to 114 stitches (in addition to the 120 in the original) with clear instruction on how to make them, use them, alter them, and so on. Lots of wonderful examples of projects using these stitches in combination, and ways to add to them with unusual threads or objects like beads or textile ephemera. 

I enjoyed the ideas shared here, and I also like the way that this book is published in exactly the same format as the last one - they make a great matched set. The book is a usable size, with easily read photos, and is bright and glossy but also flops open easily so that you can leave it open at a page that you're trying out stitches from and it won't constantly close itself. Thoughtful! 

Anyhow, not much to add to this except to say check it out if you can, it is a super resource for any stitcher. 

All Day Culottes: a free pattern from Matchy Matchy Sewing Club

In August, a sew-along focused on culottes was happening on PatternReview. At the same time, I noticed a new free pattern from MatchyMatchy Sewing Club, the All Day Culottes. Since I have been wanting to try making some more pants to try to find a pattern I can actually wear, I thought this was perfect! I did get them cut out in August, at least 😉

There are two views in this free beginner's pattern, and I liked the one with three rows of tucks at the bottom. It adds a nice touch, even if you can't see them really clearly in black unless the light is right. They are wide legged culottes with an elastic waist all the way around, and really great deep pockets. I really like them! 

 I chose to make the Large size, and used a mystery fabric I found at the thrift store a while ago. It is clearly some kind of poly blend, but it's actually fairly nice despite that. It has good body and a nice texture as well. I think it really worked for this pattern. These would look different in a drapier fabric for sure but I like the structure here. 

Even though it's a beginner friendly pattern there are great details and instructions. These are cut-on pockets, not side seam, are made in one piece, folded and French seamed along the bottom of the pocket bag before being inserted - I've never done that before but I really like it. I prefer this kind of pocket and these ones are the perfect depth and size. 

The waistband is just one row of wide elastic, mine was just marginally smaller than the waistband once sewn down and I had to struggle a bit to get it all threaded through. Should have taken a slightly smaller seam allowance at the waistband seam since I was just using the wide elastic that I had in my stash which was fractionally wider than called for. It worked in the end, though! 

I am really pleased with these. I wore them to work with my bright stripy Blaine blouse, which kind of picks up the pleats at the hem. But I think it also looks nice with a softer blouse, tucked in. This was a surprisingly fun pattern to sew, and I am happy with the results. Pants I will actually wear!

Patchwork Trio Top

Another item I finished in August (at the very end of the month!) was this quick little top pattern. It's the Trio Top, a pattern from the Matchy Matchy sewing club book. 

There was a scrap sewing challenge on IG in August, & that along with a couple of other stash sewing initiatives, inspired me to try to make something scrappy. I decided to use a handful of small leftover bits from various projects to make the central panels of the top - which is simple enough to let the patchwork shine. 

The squares incorporate pieces leftover from 3 tops, 4 dresses, a skirt, vest & 2 accessories I have made previously. The black bits are the more narrow leftovers from a pair of culottes I cut out recently but haven't finished yet!

I cut 3.5" squares for a finished size of 3" but ended up adding the small elastic casing at the top of the centre panels using bias binding. The pattern has you fold over the top but I hadn't accounted for that in my patchwork & didn't want the top row to be noticeably smaller than the rest so a bias binding to the rescue! I actually really like the accent of black at the top & feel it pulls it all together.  

This is a simple pattern but I did make a couple of small adjustments. I cut a medium but lowered the neckline & added 1.5" to the side panels to make it all even. I would probably only lower the front panel if I made it again as the back feels a bit weird at this level. But the front is definitely better for me this way. 

I used up a few of my very small leftover pieces & some of the larger bits & had fun putting them together. This isn't my usual kind of thing but it was a fun project to make. It's a cute pattern & with fabric that's a bit drapier I think it would be a softer look. I was quite impressed by the way my red/pink leftovers all went together for this one!

Weekend Review: The Embroidery of Mexico

The Embroidery of Mexico / Gimena Romero
Tunbridge Wells, UK: Search Press, 2026.
192 p.

I am back to regular blogging & to start off another year of Weekend Reviews I am sharing this amazing book on the embroidery of Mexico. This is a translation of a book by Gimena Romero, a Mexican textile artist & researcher. Her connection to her material makes every page sing -- such a cultural journey is shared here, alongside multiple stitches. I loved it! 

The photography is also stunning. Rich, bright, lots of close-up images of both the front and back of stitched pieces to inspire & instruct. (Photos by Pedro Aragon). 

The book includes a section of instructions on tools, transfer methods, stitch technique etc, also illustrated. And then Romero takes the reader on a journey around Mexico, covering eight traditional & modern styles of stitching. She shares the region, the parameters of each style & how to create something in that style. From more familiar kinds of Mexican embroidery to a tradition of stitching with hair, and modern street style, or her own recognizable stitching, she covers a lot. It's fascinating - where these traditional styles came from & how they were maintained, the language of stitching which is tied to the location and Indigenous language, the kinds of threads, colours, patterns- there is so much variety. She also includes 8 pages of templates of motifs you can trace & use. 

This is a beautiful & unique book, perfect for a coffee table read or some actual stitching inspo. I would say that beginners might not find this the best starter book as it contains a lot & assumes a bit of familiarity but for visual inspiration & cultural exploration it can't be beat. Loved this one, highly Recommended!