new month, new year, new stitch club pattern!
our new design for january 2024 is 'birch forest' and i am looking forward to stitching these simple lines and working with these calm colors.

i'm starting mine with these spots and stripes on the tree trunks, using a single strand of DMC 3799. i'm using a combination of back and straight stitches to fill these areas.

because no tree is perfectly shaped and shaded, it's totally ok to be imperfect and a little messy with these stitches. (and since the floss is so dark, it's harder to see the stitches, so they end up being a little messy anyway!)

next, i will move on to the outlines of the trunks. i am using 2 strands and a basic back stitch. i'm leaving the top/bottom edges unstitched because that part will be tucked inside the hoop when it is framed.

all stitch club patterns are sized to fit in a 6" hoop. i usually use a 7" when i'm stitching (that's why you see so much margin space on my works-in-progress) and then i'll use a 6" hoop to frame and display it.

and here we are, all framed up! 

happy stitching! i hope you are staying warm and cozy!
💙