our january 2018 cozyblue stitch club pattern is all about bravery, honest intentions, fresh starts, and being our best selves.

this pattern has been working up so beautifully! i've been using lots of fun stitches: fishbone, satin, colonial knots, (also colonial knots with tails), woven wheel, back stitch, and whipped back stitch.
(note: you can find tutorials for all of these on my pinterest board, here.)

one of my favorite details of this design is the lettering.
yes, it's tiny.
yes, you can totally stitch those tiny letters!

i'm using whipped back stitch to embroider my letters. whipped back stitch makes a very neat and precise line, but it's also not bulky. and since these letters are very delicate and loopy, i definitely do not want anything bulky.

i used 1 single strand of floss for the base layer, and then 1 single strand for the whipping. so the letters end up being as bold as 2 strands, but still very tidy and neat.

here are a couple of tips:

• make your back stitches very short. this will help keep the lines and tiny curves precise.
• always keep your whipping going in the same direction. if you start whipping right to left, continue with right to left for all of your lines. (it helps to turn the hoop as you whip)
• i stitched and then whipped each letter as i went (for example, i back stitched the "s" and then whipped the "s" before moving on to the "h")
• find a nice bright place to stitch. i suggest a sunny window (ideally with birds singing outside and big puffy clouds floating by), or outside if the weather is nice! basically, you need bright light to see the tiny stitches clearly.

i've also been working on the big flower in the center and i wanted to share a few satin stitch tips with you.

i used 3 strands, and padded satin stitch.

a quick how-to: roughly outline the area using back stitch, and roughly fill with seed or straight stitches. then go over all of that with regular satin stitches, using the edges of the back stitches as a guide.

another tip: when satin stitching, i like to divide the area up using a few guide stitches first, and then go back and fill in. this helps keep the stitches in alignment. if you take time to think in advance and plan what direction you want the stitches to go, it helps prevent those weird crowding issues that can sometimes happen with satin stitch.

you guys are blowing me away with all of your gorgeous stitches in the #cozybluestitchclub feed on instagram! be sure to hop over there and spend some time checking out the various stitches that everyone used. so, SO good!!

if you are not a member of my cozyblue stitch club, the pattern and kit for this design will be available in march, as part of my spring collection. the best way to stay in the loop about new products and the latest news is right here on my newsletter. stay tuned!