Yesterday marked the ninth anniversary of our first sale at Broiderie Stitch. Fittingly enough I spent it embroidering an updated version of one of our very first designs - the rose. Nine years ago I never could have imagined how far Broiderie Stitch would come. From those first sleepless nights cross-legged on the floor to a lovely warm studio (and a best friend) it's been a wild ride.
Because of you, Broiderie Stitch has allowed me to expand my knowledge of craft in general and embroidery in particular - temari, sashiko, huck embroidery, stumpwork, goldwork, spinning, dyeing, pigment making, book binding - as well as introduced me to so many wonderful friends over the years. Creating, especially embroidering, is often a lonely job. Knowing that there were others who understood (whether down the road or across the world through a computer screen) helped the long hours go by a little easier.
In nine years we've come very far, but I'm much more excited for what the next nine will bring. We'll be focusing much more on sharing what we've learned. I'm self-taught, and in so many ways the lack of a mentor has made my progress slower than it could have been. I see my friends and students learn in an afternoon what it sometimes took me weeks or months to figure out. Sharing this knowledge has always been a core part of what we do, and this year we were able to start sharing in a much larger way with our first digital tutorial (). We’ve got more in the works - by this time next year we hope to inspire even more people to pick up the needle.