WIPW - A Good Start

The first Work In Progress Wednesday report of 2026 has several projects to report on.

Hexablooms

The flimsy is now made up of 281 hexagonal flower blocks. 12 of them are attached to each other but not to the row above. Then I need 16 more blocks to make up a full rectangle of 11 x 27 blocks. Once that is done, I will continue to add another couple of rows.

Slowly and steadily, I'm getting there.

Sunday Stitch School Indigo Sampler

I have picked up on the slack by adding #349 Lantern Stitch and #350 Over and Under Cross Stitch.

Lantern Stitch Experiment

I was trying to use the Lantern Stitch to make a white rice paper and bamboo lantern, the kind that was so popular in the 70s.

The experiment did not go altogether well - maybe I should have used plain weave for the foundation...

The Year of the Horse

I needed to stitch a horse to celebrate that 2026 is the Year of the Horse, and got started on stitching a traditional wooden horse from the northern parts of Sweden. They are traditionally painted in vibrant colours so I will have to take out everything in my thread box.

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 350: Over-Under Cross Stitch

The first stitch for 2026 will be a type of cross stitch that I found on Farzana's Embroidery. You can see her video here:

Like most of these 'short' mobile phone videos, this one is too speedy. 

For a slower step-by-step tutorial, have a look at my photos below:

First, you need four simple stitches. 

Change to a different colour thread.

After you have made three loops, 

anchor the stitch.

Come out again, to work the horisontal loops.

From now on, you need to pay attention to 

whether you have to go over or under the 

vertical loops.

Here you can see how the working thread

is weaving over and under the vertical loops.

After three loops, anchor the stitch.

The completed cross. Isn't it neat?

Homework:

Add here.

Friday Homework for Lesson 349: Lantern Stitch

 What a nice stitch to light up the world!

Aida Sampler

Aida is the perfect fabric to guide the stitch lines.

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

It was simple to mark the fabric and stitch the lanterns.

Red Kimono Silk Scribble Cloth

Here as well, a few marks on the silk and the stitching was completed smoothly.

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Tokyo

 HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2026 from Tokyo.

Wishing you all a great year with needle and thread.

I will strive to progress with the Hexabloom Quilt, learn new stitches, and embroider a Swedish Dalecarlian Horse, similar to the one I included in the Swedish Cushion in 2014.

All the best,

Queenie