What’s that quote about “the best-laid plans”? If it’s that they often go awry, I’m walking proof that it’s true! My original plan – to share my Lowery Work Stand – went off the rails when the tech gremlins took control of my video earlier today. So, I’ll ask Rebekah to help me film a new video this weekend. And since we’re in the middle of enrollment for The Stitcher’s Club™, I thought now would be a good time to share a little about it – and the Stitch Guide Formula™ – with you here…

It’d be so amazing if you could just sit down and start stitching without having to think about anything…

and have your finished project turn out exactly like you pictured it in your head.

But that’s NOT the way it works! That’d be like expecting to be able to sit down at the piano and play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata the first time you tickle the ivories. You’re gonna need to practice – A LOT! And there are OTHER things you’re gonna need, too.

The fact of the matter is that there’s not just ONE single thing you can do to transform a painted canvas into a three-dimensional piece of fiber art. 

Writing your own stitch guides doesn’t depend on knowing a bunch of different decorative stitches…

Getting stuck and fixating on just the stitches will actually cause you more (yes MORE!) frustration and overwhelm. 

Too many stitchers assume they are struggling because they can’t pick the RIGHT stitch for a particular spot on their canvas. And that has them stitching and ripping and stitching and ripping and then stitching and ripping some more.

And when their canvas STILL doesn’t look like they pictured it in their head, they stuff it in the closet with all of their other failed (or should I say “previous”) attempts.

Then they fall back on good ole’ basketweave. It’s safe. It’s reliable. And it keeps them stuck… 

The challenge isn’t learning decorative stitches…

it’s recognizing how and where to use them! When I wrote my very first, albeit disastrous, stitch guide back in 2003, I knew A LOT of decorative stitches. The problem wasn’t that I didn’t know the stitches. The problem was I didn’t know which ones to use where! 

To be able to choose the best stitches and threads for your needlepoint projects, you’re definitely going to have to use some specific strategies. No way around that. 

But every stitch and thread you select is part of a puzzle and needs to fit into an aesthetically pleasing and cohesive plan…

Trying to figure out how to write a stitch guide by focusing on individual design components without looking at the overall composition of your project is like trying to thread a needle blindfolded. All the stitch books and needlepoint apps in the world aren’t gonna help even the tiniest little bit without something that will help you put it all together…

A Stitch Guide FORMULA Helps You Put It All Together!

Successful needle artists aren’t thinking about individual design components on a needlepoint canvas… they look at the overall picture and think in terms of a comprehensive formula that enables them to use the right stitches and threads at the right time.

They’ve shifted from thinking about using a hodgepodge of stitches to thinking about creating a piece of fiber art. 

The formula is like the recipe for a cake…

it’s the perfect mix of ingredients and techniques that come together to create a delectably delicious and decadent dessert. And as crazy as this may sound to most struggling stitchers, figuring out which stitch and thread to use will actually become an afterthought.

When you apply the right Formula… 

• You can spend more time STITCHING and less time second-guessing yourself week after week.
  
• Choosing stitches and threads will feel EFFORTLESS because you’ll have proven strategies you can pull out of your needlepoint bag of tricks.
  
• Your stitching buddies will ask YOU for advice about their projects.
  
• You’ll have more FUN than you ever thought possible – and your finished projects will finally look exactly like you pictured them in your head.
  
• You can finally stitch with CONFIDENCE!

Think about it. Imagine what would be possible for you if you had THAT kind of success with your needlepoint hobby…

Finding the RIGHT Formula is harder than you think

It’s not that the formula needs to be complicated. In fact, the RIGHT formula shouldn’t be puzzling at all. It’s just that most needlepoint teachers and professional stitch guide writers have decided that it’s easier to do the heavy lifting for you.

And, to be honest, they’re kinda’ right…

Most stitchers want a quick fix. They want the Needlepoint Fairy Godmother to wave her magic wand and transform all of their “pumpkins” into Cinderella’s exquisite golden carriage. 

We’re like kindergartners who want ice cream with sprinkles for breakfast – even if it’s not going to serve us well – when what we really NEED is to eat our veggies and drink our milk. 

So, instead of encouraging you to learn HOW to choose the best stitches and threads for YOUR needlepoint projects, most of the gurus continue to focus on cranking out new stitch guides for the latest canvases by the most popular designers. (And yes, they are doing the hard work themselves!) 

Luckily, you know someone who’s used to doing the hard work, too…

If you hang around me long enough, you’re gonna hear me say that needlepoint canvases are really just pieces of art that happened to be painted on mono canvas. That might sound a little off the wall to you. Especially if you’ve never thought about your needlepoint hobby as a form of art. 

But needlepoint is just as much an “art” as is painting with watercolors, sculpting bronze, and blowing glass. 

During my early days as a shop owner, I studied and practiced and researched and took as many classes as I possibly could so that I could learn how to write my own stitch guides – and teach my customers how to do that, too. 

And over the course of time, I came to realize that there’s a series of steps that you need to follow in order to be able to choose the best stitches and threads for your canvases so that you can get the look you’re trying to achieve.  

That’s how I developed my signature formula…

My Stitch Guide Formula™ is all about Evaluating a Canvas, Exploring Thread and Stitch Options, and  Executing a Master Plan. This formula lets me choose the best stitches and threads for my projects every. Single. TIME!! And it’s what I teach inside The Stitcher’s Club! 

Okey dokey – that’s all for now.

Until next time, happy stitching…

XOXO!!

Ellen Johnson