December - Jeans (Week 4)

And so we've come to the last post of the 2023 stitch journal project. It's crazy to think that 2024 starts tomorrow. Where did this year go? 2023 was a weird year and I'm not sad to see it go. I am sad to end this year's stitch journal project. This year's project was a lot of fun and one of my favorite things I've done creatively in a long time. Revisiting my old clothes and doing something with them was very empowering and sometimes, a little sad. I definitely had favorite pieces from the year and at least one I wasn't sure was going to work (but it did). 

The last part of December's journal is focused on Pocket 2. I used a mandala stencil to create the design and opted to fill in the flower petals in shades of pink. I used six strands of thread for all but the satin stitch; I rarely use six strands on projects but it looks better with the thicker thread. This was a great way to end the project.

Below the final recap are some photos of the entire year's journals. I don't have anywhere to display them on hangers, so I opted for my bed. It reminded me of when I go through my closet and my bed is full of clothing and I keep asking myself, "why did I buy this?" or "did I ever wear this?" 

Here's the final recap for 2023:

December 24

December 25

December 26

December 27

December 28

December 29

December 30

December 31 - French and bullion knots

All 12 months - I split them into January-June and July-December to take the pictures.

January-June

July-December

I have to buy some storage boxes for the finished pieces. This is them all folded and hanging out in the studio.

I accomplished what I set out to accomplish. I repurposed fabric/clothing, used some techniques and new stitches, and created something very autobiographical. It was also a lot of fun, and that's the important part for me. I enjoyed working on this project and sharing it with whoever wanted to follow along. 

More to come on next year's project next weekend. I'm going to stick to posting a recap blog post each Saturday. I'm creating a new piece each week, so I'm probably going to skip the monthly wrap up post or use it for showcasing a non-journal project. I'm looking forward to getting started tomorrow. 

Some Inspiration from New York

I spent most of this week in New York with my aunt. We decided to check out three exhibits: Judy Chicago: Herstory at the New Museum, The Dinner Party at the Brooklyn Museum, and Ed Ruscha/Now Then at MOMA. All three were absolutely amazing. If you can get to NYC before January 13, go see the Ruscha exhibit. The Dinner Party is a permanent exhibition and Herstory is open through early March. All three have inspired some ideas for the 2024 stitch journal project. 

We also saw Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre. It was so good. I hope it comes back through DC so I can see it again. And of course, we ate all the food. I brought home bagels from Russ & Daughters and some cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. I'm set for the next few weeks.

Thanks again for following along for another year! I hope to see you around the blog and Instagram in 2024! Happy New Year!

Details from The Dinner Party:

Some pictures from Herstory:

From Now Then:

When I was little, I made my aunt watch Annie multiple times when she was babysitting me (I was sick and cranky). It's been a running joke with us ever since and Ed Ruscha has several pieces that reference Annie.

Wicked - the set is amazing.

I love fire escapes - this is definitely going to be a piece in the next stitch journal.

A beautiful DC sky while waiting for my Uber. I want to try to replicate this color palette for a piece in 2024.