Bride and Groom Hoop - free pattern!

So, I have a bit of exciting news for all of you - I'm getting married! And one thing I have noticed is there is a distinct lack of wedding embroidery patterns out there. I've seen all sorts of fun DIY projects on Pinterest, but very few that actually feature embroidery. Well, I'm gonna fix that!

Our wedding date is rather soon - May, but from now until then, my goal is to come up with one free project each month, to celebrate our wedding. Now I know that may be too ambitious, so I apologize in advance if I fall off the embroidery wagon, due to time constraints.

My first free pattern is a lovely Bride and Groom embroidery, to fit into a 5x9 oval embroidery hoop. I used the same stitching method on my lettering as I did with my free Vote pattern - this time I used 3 strands of split stitch for the thicker parts of the letter and 3 strands couched (how to do couching) for the thinner lines.

This is a quick, easy project that stitches up super fast, and a slightly more personalized alternative to the chalkboard signs I've seen all over the place.

I wrapped my Bride hoop in light grey bias tape to give it a more dressed up look:

I used my wedding colors as inspiration for these hoops - Navy and Ivory. I used a nice Navy linen I also used in this wedding hoop, and DMC embroidery floss in Snow White for the Bride and 822 (an Ecru shade) for the Groom.

Here is the start of my Groom hoop - instead of transferring, I stitched over tracing paper, then used those lines to embroider my design.

It would also be lovely to use a white fabric for the bride, with gold or ivory thread, and a gray suiting fabric for the groom, with black or navy thread. The possibilities to customize this project are endless!

Have fun with it! And please if you stitch up a version of this project, tag us on Instagram - #feelingstitchyIG, comment here, or email us a photo we can share on our blog!

Christmas Countdown #1: Threadhoney's Shop

Happy Holidays pattern - Threadhoney shop

Hi all! It's been a rough year, hasn't it? It's December and I thought we might all need some Christmas cheer. So I'll be counting down the days to Christmas - our wonderful friend Pam did our countdown in years past, and I'll be doing it in her honor this year.

I'll put my Wonderful Wednesday posts on pause for the month of December, so I can feature a new inspiring shop every day until Christmas. Whether you're in the market for a new pattern or not, I hope these images will inspire you!

So, first up, is Threadhoney's shop on Etsy - I love the simple style in the Happy Holidays pattern above, and the wintery blue palette.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas pattern - Threadhoney shop

But if red and green are where it's at for you, this We Wish You A Merry Christmas pattern has got you covered. Is there a shop you love that you'd like me to feature? Leave a comment below!

Countdown to Christmas: So many hoops!

Stitched by Rhapsody and Thread

I am in love with this festive group of holiday hoops stitched by Tabatha on Rhapsody and Thread. And I think it's the perfect amount of Christmas spirit - a TON - to wrap up the Countdown to Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you all - have a wonderful day with your family and friends, and wherever life may find you, happy stitching to all!

Countdown to Christmas: Mittens

Stitched by katiecanavan

I love the wintery colors on these sweet mittens stitched by katiecanavan. Adorable stuff!

Countdown to Christmas: Snow

Stitched by sarahedgardesigns

I'm loving the simplicity of this sweet design by Sarah - and she's offering it as a free pattern on her blog!

Countdown to Christmas: Little trees

Stitched by CamillaMHS

This little tree hoop by CamillaMHS is simple and sweet. I love the lightly patterned fabric background and the bright colors which provide a lovely contrast. So sweet!

Countdown to Christmas: Printed fabric

Stitched by Dawn Regan

I love this idea by Dawn Regan - using a printed fabric that is lightly embellished with stitches - so lovely!

Countdown to Christmas

Stitched by cozyblueliz

Hi all! There's so much holiday and Christmas loveliness in the Flickr embroidery pool this season that I thought I'd start a Countdown to Christmas! Every day, I'll be sharing a new pic with you from the pool until we get to the big day.

This gorgeous assortment was stitched by cozyblueliz - if you love what you see, you might want to drop by her Etsy shop.

Embroidery wall

stitched by fric_de_mentol

Wow, this embroidery wall by artist ana raimundo is just stunning. Screenprinted fabric with embroidered embellishments - so lovely. Visit her Etsy shop to see more.

The Scrappy { Hoops } - A Modern Swap

In case you don't know by now, Flickr is a hotbed of crafty swaps. I've participated in many, many great sewing and quilting swaps over there, and it seems like embroidery swaps are really gaining in popularity and momentum.

If you've read my other posts here on Feeling Stitchy, you know that I love to blur the lines between fabric, sewing, quilting, and embroidery. And if you want to see some examples of how these different elements can come together to create wonderful works of art -- all framed in a simple embroidery hoop -- look no further than the Scrappy { Hoops } swap.

The Scrappy { Hoops } a group "dedicated to creating and receiving the coolest modern and urban fabric hoops for their homes!" The insanely talented swappers in the group combine different materials and techniques to bring their visions to life.

But enough words. I've compiled a collection of beautiful & inspirational photos to give some flavor of what you can find in the group. Click on each photo to learn more about both the maker and the recipient of each piece.

Want to get involved? The group recently wrapped up round 1 of the swap, and I've heard some buzz about a potential round 2 ...

Photo courtesy of sandy (paperpoppies) on Flickr
Made by JenniferLGB

Photo courtesy of Sarah @ pingsandneedles on Flickr



Photo courtesy of Miss-Print on Flickr



Photo courtesy of Angela - fussycut on Flickr



Photo courtesy of Poppyprint on Flickr



Photo courtesy of stitches&scissors on Flickr
Made by asquared(w)



Photo courtesy of Miss-Print on Flickr
Made by {safieh}



Photo courtesy of rosaechocolat on Flickr



Photo courtesy of bearpawandbearpaw on Flickr



Photo courtesy of Aneela Hoey on Flickr
Made by sewdeerlyloved



Photo courtesy of sewdeerlyloved on Flickr
Made by yearofhandmade



Photo courtesy of badskirt - amy on Flickr
Made by creationsbyrachel



Photo courtesy of verykerryberry on Flickr
Made by safischer1



Photo courtesy of daveandsusi on Flickr
Made by verykerryberry



Photo courtesy of suzettra on Flickr



Photo courtesy of amandaquilts on Flickr



Photo courtesy of mccuisti on Flickr



Photo courtesy of sandy (paperpoppies) on Flickr



Photo courtesy of stitches&scissors on Flickr

Galleon

Stitched by Melissa Crowe

Every time I think I've seen everything in terms of embroidery and crafting, I stumble on a little amazing something like this. Wonderful work, Melissa!

Facebroidery

I am a huge fan of artist Cate Anevski (blog, Flickr, Etsy) and couldn't help but make a mosaic of her fantastic "facebroideries". This just makes me happy.

omg

Stitched by bebejack

All I can say is :)

I heart this ghost

Stitched by Katie Aaberg

Need I say more? I don't think so. Thanks, Katie!

Love your glasses

Stitched by ourcitylights

Wonderful!

Silhouette

Stitched by crazybutcute

Love it! This proves that a minimum of lines and just one color can be quite impressive.

Hearts

Stitched by good canary

Isn't this an amazing idea? So gorgeous!

Ant Farm embroidery

Stitched by Stitcher Scribbler

Love it!

Smell My Feet

It's that time of the year again. All things Halloween are showing up. Isn't this adorable? I found it on Flickr and it's by Metro-Station. Such whimsy and a little dash of color.

This from Metro-Station, also.