Orts is newsletter collecting small snippets of creativity: embroiderers, textile artists, illustrators, DIY projects, and how we can make time for our creative endeavors. Published on the weekends.
Returning to a project I started almost 4 years ago
Published about 2 hours ago • 2 min read
In 2022, I wrote a book called Threads of Treasure.
Maybe some of you even own it! Without going into too much detail, the book has a few projects that I designed. One of them was to cultivate a daily fiber arts practice for a week.
I'm a huge fan of long-term projects; I think it's the distance runner in me. I love having a big goal and seeing it come together, bit by bit. While designing this project, I had an example in mind: stitch seven animals onto the same embroidery hoop.
Working on it sparked an idea—what if I did this on a larger scale? What if I stitched a new animal each week for a year? And on a dress? What if I documented it all on social media?
52 Weeks to Ms. Frizzle was born in 2023. The idea is that I'd embroider a new wild animal on the same upcycled dress every week. For a while, I kept up with the relentless pace. I think I made it about six weeks before I started to fall behind. It wasn't just the embroidery, but the sketching, stitching, filming, and video editing. It all took a lot of time.
I never caught up. I embroidered 24 animals in 2023. Pretty good, but less than halfway through the 52 animals. The years 2024 and 2025 didn't fare much better. I think both of those years I maybe—maybe—stitched 10 animals collectively.
Working on week 38 of the project, a Steller's jay
With every new year, I had a renewed sense that I could finish the project. I started 2026 thinking, YES! 52 Weeks will be complete! Well, it's October, and I'm on week 38. I started the year at week 32.
Over the last eight weeks, I've made it a priority to work on the project and created a new schedule. Instead of pressuring myself to finish one embroidery a week, I am now aiming for every two weeks. Giving myself extra time makes it feel much more doable while still keeping it on track.
And most importantly—I'm having fun with this project again. I'm sharing it each week on my socials, and people like seeing the progress. It helps me to keep going.
If you're on Instagram or TikTok, I invite you to check it out!
It's the perfect time to make a handmade gift!
If you want to handmake your holiday gifts, I have you covered. My Custom Pet Portrait Patch Kits were popular last year, and now is the ideal time to order. You'll have plenty of time to stitch a patch for your favorite person.
I also have wild animal kits. All of my DIY kits have everything you need to stitch the animal.
📍In-Person Events
I've got some events and workshops on the calendar for October, November, and December. Join me! And if you're not local to the greater Seattle area, I ship my kits anywhere.
...currently watching: I love my reality dating shows, and Love is Blind USA is back!
...currently listening to: The Seattle Marathon is next month. (Omg.) I'm constantly tweaking my running playlist.
...currently reading: My husband and I drove to Vancouver, BC, to celebrate our wedding anniversary. For the drive, we started to listen to a mutually agreed-upon audiobook (this was a big deal for us lol): Dungeon Crawler Carl. I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would—I'm not typically a fantasy reader, but I can't stop. I just started book four. I'm thinking about making some stick-and-stitch patterns of Princess Donut for Sea-Meow next month.
... currently wowing: This 3D cross-stitch by a woman named Adi. It uses three hoops that, when brought together, create a single cohesive piece.
Sara Barnes
Bear&Bean
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Orts is newsletter collecting small snippets of creativity: embroiderers, textile artists, illustrators, DIY projects, and how we can make time for our creative endeavors. Published on the weekends.
