Pretty much all my crafting falls into two catergories – very fast and very slow. Sweaters probably fall somewhere in the middle, but I don’t make too many of them…
It’s working well for me just now. Keeping a balance seems key – if I’m working on a slow sewing project like Swoon I can pick up a quick hat to knit for relief. And when the Beekeepers Quilt or those massive colourwork socks get too much I stitch up a quick potholder, or spin a little sampler. Its helping to keep me sane and focused right now, which is just what I need.
Finishing Swoon gave me a little more confidence in my ability to actually finish big, long-term projects. So I started another –
The first patchwork I ever did was paper-pieced (and small), and this is the first time playing with it since. I even managed to find my old hexagon templates, though, um, I’ll obviously need a few more. This one is destined for another family member, and one with an extremely large bed. I’ll need to get some sneaky measurements of it… Just as Jules said in the comments on Swoon, one stitch at a time is the best way to undertake big projects. I’ll do this the opposite way to Swoon – hand pieced and then machine quilted.
I’m in a kind-of methodical mood at the moment, taking my time with things and being thorough. I did a little spring cleaning (including cleaning and oiling my sewing machine – eww), and came up with a little giveaway. In my embroidery box I found two of the same Dropcloth samplers – the original one shown here. I’ve decided to give one away, and will throw in some hand-dyed silk from the Yarn Yard. It’s lovely, dyed just a few miles from my house, but is a little thicker than I like to use for my embroidery (but is loved by others, I’m sure.) If you’d like these threads and the sampler just leave a comment letting me know, and on Tuesday night I’ll pick someone at random.
I might dig around in my stash and see what I can add in too. Have a good weekend x
sazmakes 
What a lovely give away. I haven’t done any patchwork for a long time but reading your posts recently has made me think I might like to do some more. Thanks for the inspiration. x
Oooh, I would love to win this! I’ve been thinking that I need to try my hand at embroidery for a while now… I did a little bit of it a loooong time ago in school and I think it would be fun to go back! Hand-sewing is definitely not for me, I’m way too impatient for it, but embroidery, that’s something different, it’s such a soothing, quiet activity : )
I am in total awe of your patience! Even though I am a quilter and knitter as well I seem to have become more impatient over the years. At the moment I started to seriously consider machine-quilting….a no-go for me years ago!
I love your giveaway and your beautiful projects!
Greetings from Germany
Sabine
Fun! I have dabbled a little in embroidery in the past. I’m not too good at it yet, but I’ve been thinking of getting back into it!
BTW, have to say, I love the quilted piece in the picture above. It’s beautiful!
whooops, I read dig around in your ‘trash’ not ‘stash’………. wherever it comes from would love to have those threads.
I just returned for some spring stitching and this would be a sweet inspiration!
I would love the chance to stitch such a great sampler. Your photos are always so beautiful, thanks for the continuing inspiration.
That would be a wonderful gift! I was thinking about trying paper piecing for the first time, and it is nice to have familiar embroidery to go to when the new project overwhelms
I’d love to try my hand at a sampler and that yarn looks magnificent. Thanks!
Wow those colours, on a dreary day in snowy Yorkshire they just ping off the screen, Id love to be entered in the giveaway, they’d be just the thing to add a bit of springtime optimism to an endless winter 🙂
Such a generous giveaway! I hope that I win.
I would love to win this so I could embroider it for my daughter who is sadly having to undergo lots of tests for a heart problem at the moment 😦
Oh, I love dropcloth samplers! I, also, adore handmade quilts. My favourite craft book that I own is Quiltmaking By Hand by Jinny Beyer. The fabrics you’ve chosen for your paper pieced quilt are lovely, I especially like the chicken one.
What a great giveaway. I hadn’t come across these samplers before but they are adorable. I love slow sewing and actually prefer making quilts by hand…I’m currently embroidering squares for a Hello Kitty quilt for my little girl. It’s such a wonderful way to pass time.
What a beautiful giveaway! Count me in!
It would sure be fun to pick up embroidery again—my grandmother taught me back in the 60s/70s but I haven’t picked up a needle for a long time. That’s a lovely sampler. And thanks for making the giveaway!
Ooooo…embroidery has been on my mind a lot lately. Very beautiful.
Thank you for the giveaway! I’d like to be included.
That’s the one you saw at mine and sad you didn’t have, when yo had two, OOPS.
Learning to embroider is on my “must do” list. Please and thank you for including me in
your giveaway!
I am inspired by your beautiful pictures and projects. Thank you for letting me peek at your crafting. Looking at your giveaway bundle I see you in it.
You inspire me to try some stitching again after many years when knitting has been my first choice …
That sampler looks really beautiful. I’d like to throw in my hat 🙂
i love reading about your crafty life (and seeing penny here and there). would love to try my hand at embroidery. thanks for the inspiration and sharing all that you do!
So pretty! I’ve been wanted to improve my embroidery skills for a while now and the sampler would be the perfect thing. Fingers crossed!
I’m loving your balanced approach to crafting, need to give that a go myself.
I have also been having a bit of a spring clean in my workroom. I found some iron -on embroidery transfers which belonged to my mum and it has put me in the mood for sticking again.
I meant stitching – sorry!
Lovely quilting and I’m very greatly inspired to try the stitch samplers after seeing them on your blog before.
ohmygoodness! that dropcloth sampler is STUNNING! i would LOVE an opportunity to try that! beautiful! also. spring cleaning in the crafting area is really so important. so many treasures to be found! xoxo
I haven’t paper-pieced for so long, nor embroidered…. But your post has made my fingers itch for both.
Over the summer I practiced learning new embroidery stitches on a little piece of linen. I would love to give the sampler a try!
what a beautiful and bright colours! I also love the lovely exis in your basket, those bits and bobs are so cute. have a peacefull week end. xo, Giusy
What a beautiful picture! It looks like a lovely sampler!
Can I beg? I go to dropcloth’ s website everyday, follow her on Facebook, and sink into her instagram pics. I would love a chance to work on one of her samplers. I’m new to embroidery so I would love to see the other types of thread people are using. Pick me! Please.
I would love this!! Also I am in envy of your sewing skills! I am still too scared to try a quilt, maybe one day!
Just came across your blog via Dropcloth on Facebook, great giveaway! I’d love to stitch up a storm with this sampler. Adding sazmakes to my rss feed!
lovely giveaway! thanks for sharing!
I would love the chance to stitch such a great sampler. Your photos are always so beautiful, Thanks for the chance 🙂
I love that variety of projects in process – something easy and mindless, something mechanical and slow, something interesting that takes more time. Thanks for the giveaway!
I have been fortunate to have one of the dropcloth samplers, but not this one! Please include me in the giveaway. Love the threads!! Sharon
I would love both the sampler and trying the hand dyed silk thread thanks for the giveaway and in link to yard yard
I have been wanting to better my embroidery! This sampler sounds like a perfect giveaway!
This is a rad giveaway– I would love to win! I’ve got one of those samplers on my wishlist!
The sampler looks like fun and the silk thread is so pretty.
You always have such nice projects and FOs.
Well, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you picked me ! I adore your space here in the webnet… and you are Queen Crafter if there ever was one !!!
Count me in!
Thank you for such a lovely thought.
I absolutely love your blog. I met you once at baa ram ewe (but I don’t expect you to remember!) and have been a reader ever since. You’re so good at everything you try. You really have made me want to learn quilting but there are no courses available where I am. Are there any books you would suggest?
Count me in for the giveaway! I love having lots of different projects and different types of projects in my ‘knitting basket’ (which is not actually a basket and, in addition to several knitting WIPs also features a sewing project, a sock to darn, and a recent effort to re-learn crocheting…). Also, I’m with everyone else above — those colours and patterns in the quilted piece are just beautiful together.
The threads are really great! Love em!
Would love to win. lindagerig@ sbcglobal.net
Beautiful thread. I love and stitching. By the way your spinning has inspired me; its so pretty and functional. I just got a spindle recently and I’m spinning away!
I love the hexagon quilting! I still have the hexagon quilt bag I made at school a loooong time ago. Most my quilts now are from the “quilt in a day” books, I’ve made three windmill quilts. Anyway…. I love your crafting and would love to be in with a chance to win x
One stitch at a time – I like that! I too prefer to have a couple of WIPs, small and quick ones as well as more demanding long term projects.
I haven’t done much embroidery but I really admire your sampler and would enjoy to make one of my own.
I love your fabric choices in your project, lovely bright fresh colours. Thank you for the chance to win a drop cloth sampler, the embroidery floss looks yum off to have a look at the yarn yard website now!
very generous!! i’d like to drop my name in the giveaway hat please 🙂 i just got my first sashiko kit yesterday & am totally hooked – i’d love more supplies to try some more stitching!! i dream of making a big proper quilt someday, yours are so lovely 🙂
My projects fall into similar categories; I always have at least one on the go and some take forever, while others may be finished in a productive Sunday afternoon. I always thought it was my inability to focus, but maybe it’s the opposite.
Having just finished two large projects I’m ‘rewarding’ myself with a nice short one too! I would love to have a go at the sampler too.
This is a lovely give away. Very generous of you. Love it. Thank you.
I am not a crafty person, sadly. I was Googling stitching, because I feel like that might be a good place for me to start, and ran across your blog. I look forward to going through your archives. Thanks for this giveaway!
Those thread colours look amazing!
I would love to win the sampler! The colors look gorgeous!
Wow Saz, spring cleaning mixed with altruism – what a lovely person you are 🙂
I always find your projects, both knitted and sewn, beautiful and inspiring.
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If I’m lucky enough to win your generous giveaway, then I’ll share it with my daughter and you’ll have made 2 people very happy in this neverending winter
i love hand-stitching! my first embroidery picture is framed and still hanging in my house!! stitching a sampler would be a change for my hands from knitting!! thanks for the giveaway!!
^)^ linda
count me in
thanks
I have thoroughly enjoyed your blog and following your amazing,productive creative life. I will join in the fun. Thanks
Those threads are gorgeous! and the sampler too 🙂 Thanks for having the giveaway. Very generous 🙂 Avis x
The threads and sampler are gorgeous. please count me in and thanks for your generosity.
This is so nice! Id love to win!
I’ve been wanting to get one of her samplers! Would love to win! Thanks for the giveaway. 🙂
silk is lovely to work with. I’d love to be included in the giveaway.
What a beautiful collection! I love silk and beautiful embroidery threads. Thanks so much for the opportunity, and for your inspiring blog!
Stitching a pretty sampler? I would definitely love to give it a good home.
Thanks!