Hello all!
It's the first Saturday of the month so time for the People's Choice SAL run by Jo from Serendipitous Stitching. Continued thanks to Jo for hosting this unique SAL which has a different theme each month.
This month's theme is Designer Of The Year, as in the most projects I worked on by one designer during 2020.
Edit: I've just seen in Jo's post that this is supposed to be the designer I most enjoyed stitching in 2020. Instead of changing this post I've left it as it is, partly because I found it difficult to narrow the list down to five, let alone one, and partly because I've already written it. Oh well, enjoy this post anyway!
I think we all have designers we are drawn towards, or would avoid, because of both their style and type of stitches used. But unlike 20 years ago when choices were limited to a few companies which produced kits and booklets there are nowadays hundreds to choose from, thanks to availability of internet shopping and (my favourite) etsy.
I don't think I've ever bought or stitched a project simply because it's by 'xxx'; I buy and stitch them I because I like them. But subconsciously, I suppose the designer must influence what I buy.
In 2020 I started and/or worked on and/or finished projects by 21 different designers:
5 projects: Designer Stitches
4 projects: Ursula Michael (for Imaginating) and Valerie Pfeiffer (for Heritage Crafts)
3 projects: Fuzzy Fox Designs (etsy), Cute Patterns by Maria (etsy), Margaret Sherry, Mouseloft and Soda Stitch
2 projects: Bothy Threads, Durene Jones (etsy), Lucie Heaton (etsy), Pinoy Stitch (etsy), Susan Ryder (for Heritage Crafts) and Whispered By The Wind
1 project: Artecy, JBW Designs (24 advent pieces but one 'project'), Nandi Stitch (etsy), Satsuma Street (etsy), Sue Hillis Designs, Toni Goffe (for Heritage Crafts) and ... me!
So my Designer Of The Year is Designer Stitches. This is a bit misleading because the five pieces weren't exactly different designs, but a set of 5 Winnie The Pooh charts:
Here's how far I got with starting them during the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge:
Given the blocks of colours, none of these should take too long to finish... whenever that may be!
Designer Stitches seem to have focused almost exclusively on Winnie The Pooh, and very well they charted them too! I have a number of their booklets and a couple of kits in my stash, bought years ago in anticipation that my children may like the characters, but they never did, so nothing got stitched, not even their initials.
Actually, I tell a lie; when my eldest was just a few months old I stitched two snowflake designs; Eeyore's Snowflake and Piglet's Snowflake. I can't find either of them and don't have any photos, but I know they are around somewhere. This is what they should look like (ish):
I've also got one other Designer Stitches item which isn't Winnie The Pooh; it's this gorgeous Dolphins kit gifted to me way back in 2007. Like so many other things, one day!
I believe Designer Stitches have now stopped trading but, in the UK at least, their kits and booklets frequently appear on ebay. So if you like Winnie The Pooh you know which company to look out for.
Next month's theme is Birds. Oh goody!
Take care,
Rachel x
6 comments:
I hadn't come across this designer before. You have a good selection of Winnie The Pooh designs.
Lots of great designers on your list, Rachel.
Great post. Of course I love the dolphin piece. You did that on purpose haha.
Even if it's not quite the intended interpretation of the topic, it's still a great post and an interesting designer!
Thanks for taking part in The People's Choice this month. Your Winnie the Pooh designs are great and I'm sure you could knock them out over a weekend or two! Maybe the People should pick Bears to inspire you.
I love Pooh and his friends and think you have picked some really great designs with them. So many companies have gone out of business and it is pretty sad but with the addition of Etsy in the world we are finding more and more aspiring designers.
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