Happy weekend, fellow stitchers! Today, we get to introduce our second ever Companion Palette, exclusive to Shop Aurifil… Any guesses who our second featured designer might be??
That’s right… it’s your favorite stitchy magician, Susan Ache! A few months ago, we approached Susan about putting something super fun together for August… a brand new curated palette of our 100% cotton 6-strand divisible floss partnered with a brand new, never before seen, stitchy project. Susan, never one to disappoint, create a fabulously Fall-themed embroidery sampler and we couldn’t be more excited to launch it here today. Read on for all the details and be sure to snag your set early. These are only available in limited quantities!
Oh boy, this is so much fun, I am like a regular visitor at Aurifil and I haven’t even had to bring a casserole or snacks! Hi again, I’m Susan Ache and just in case I need to reintroduce myself, I’m @yardgrl60 on Instagram. Over the past few months it seems like we have had some great fun with all kinds of new ideas and exciting color palettes for Aurifil’s embroidery floss. Well, today, I am back with another fun project and this one is all about embroidery. You know I love my cross stitch, but I am also a huge fan of embroidery. It has gotten me through many stitching moments, but before we dive into that — let’s start with what led to this new collaboration.
Earlier this year, Erin asked me if I would be interested in doing something a little different — a curated color palette that would be available exclusively on Shop Aurifil. She talked about calling it a ‘companion palette’, but honestly, I didn’t even wait until she finished the sentence before I said yes, even though I didn’t even know what she was fully asking of me. That’s how much I love to play with Aurifil’s floss. She mentioned working on something for August and I instantly thought of Fall. I don’t know about you, but the minute August hits, I am in full Fall mode. Yes, I know I live in Florida and we really don’t even get a change of seasons like that, but I truly just love the idea of cooler weather. Give me all the apple cider, the halloween mania, and all the fun stuff that goes with the season.
Now is the part I have to back up and explain to y’all… why did I chose to do an embroidery project and how did I make it so simple for myself. In the past, I have talked about the fact that I have a ton of kids – five to be precise – and as a parent, you know that means carpool lines, doctor office visits, sitting at all kinds of ball fields, waiting while band practice is over… well, you get the point. When the kids were super young, I created my own “go-bag” of embroidery. It was made up so that I could leave something in the car that I didn’t have to remember to grab before I left the house. It was just a simple zip case filled with a pre-traced embroidery, my floss, a hoop, scissors, and needles. The idea was that I would always have something to do while I waited in the car… whatever that reason may have been. Embroidery can be such an easy and simple project once traced because it doesn’t require referring to a chart and colors can be changed whenever we want. My ‘go-bag’ never came into the house until a project was complete and was ready for the rest of the finish. I never had to think if I had something to do while I waited, never had to remember to grab something else as I was leaving the house, and it was always somewhere in the front seat or in the trunk just waiting for me to stitch.
Which brings me to today… What better time to bring back a ‘go-bag’ than Fall? School is starting, there is always something we are waiting for, and this project is the perfect size to work on in the car! If you’re not a part of the back-to-school brigade, this is also perfect for dropping into your daily tote, taking it on the subway or on the commuter train… It’s on-the-go magic! I plan on framing it in a ready-made 8” x 10” frame. It’s the perfect little fall decor to tuck away after the season is finished. Who doesn’t love that kind of easy?
Oh and just for fun, I designed the embroidery and then reached back out to Aurifil to see what colors they thought would be fun for this Fall-themed stitch project. My first thought was that different people see colors in different ways and often also associate different colors with different seasons. Getting Aurifil’s feedback gave me a fun challenge to play with some colors that I might not have normally chosen (and thanks to Cayci and Claire for offering their suggestions)! I hope that you feel the same as you are stitching… whether it be from your car, a waiting room, the airport, or even comfy chair with your favorite tv shows. Truly hope you have as much fun with this one as I did!
Don’t forget, please tag me in your progress photos on Instagram when you are stitching this– I am a great cheerleader and love to see what you are up to! Until next time…