Have you heard that I'm going on a little road trip in May of next year? I have to take a plane first but the rest of the trip is going to be either by bus or by rail.
Of course, I'm referring to the textiles tour I'm taking to Japan with Quilting Adventures Pro, May 28 - June 7, 2027.
I'm very excited about the trip and I'll be leading a workshop to introduce a brand new finishing technique I've developed and perfected over the last few years. The finishing technique involves products that you may already know from your quilting projects and it works with may different types of ornamental finishes, like small ornaments and medium-sized wall-hangings. And the mini pom-pom trim included in your kit adds a really unique finish.
When I was first asked to join the trip, I knew I wanted to demonstrate this technique, and we needed a small project that was portable and that could be completed by hand during short workshop sessions during the already-packed, amazing agenda while traveling across Japan.
My thinking on the trip project has evolved, somewhat, based on ideas I've had as I have been making the samples, and based on suggestions from a few folks who have signed up for the trip.
I've been doing counted cross stitch since before I knew how to operate a sewing machine, so the prequel to the finishing technique demos will be a small cross stitch project we can stitch during the trip
The first project that immediately popped into mind was this adorable baby chickadee.
However, it's somewhat easy to stitch, but it involves some different techniques, quite a few color changes.
These things may slow us down in getting to our ultimate goal of finishing the project.
The sweet chickadee isn't going away, but it's now a bonus project for the trip, included with the workshop kit. It'll be completed as time allows once we've mastered the finishing technique.
Next up, the Rosebud.
Once I finished the chickadee sample, I kept looking for something a bit less complex to stitch, and the Rosebud fit the bill perfectly.
This project is perfect--almost!
There is enough to keep any stitcher at any skill level interested. There are fewer color changes and no partial stitches, back stitches, or offset stitches to slow us down.
The rose is lovely but it doesn't necessarily represent Japan very well. When you think of Japan, images of cherry blossoms, bonsai trees, origami, and koi fish pop to mind more than do rosebuds.
The Rosebud is a keeper (it'll be in the project kits), but the search continued for an easy, Japan-themed chart to stitch.
After searching high and low and side to side, this Warbling White-eye chart finally crossed into my online algorithm.
This sweet bird, well-known in Japan (mejiro in Japanese), on a sakura (cherry blossom) branch, was a winner!
This chart is a tiny bit more complex than the Rosebud, but much simpler by far than the chickadee.
The Warbling White-eye has a few more color changes than the Rosebud but would also be a very good beginner stitch. It nicely leads the way to the finishing technique within our time constraints.
This is the final change (other than a few fun surprises planned for the trip) for the Japan workshop project plan.
Travelers will receive kits for all the materials needed to complete the project from start to finish for the Rosebud and the Warbling White-eye, along with the Chickadee as a bonus project for trip home.
I'm excited to have the project plan in place and settled - no more changes! There is still much to do to prepare the kit and the instructions before we depart, but I'll be ready.
I've never been to Japan, but Michelle, our fearless trip manager has been there a few times. I can't wait to experience something entirely new and she can't wait to show us all the best spots. I'm planning to pack very light so I can bring home some fabric! It's a textile tour, after all and I do like textiles!
There are still plenty of openings on the trip. Are you coming?
Sign up HERE, take the plunge! . . . before someone else grabs your spot!
Happy Stitching!
Head Hummingbird
Hummingbird-Highway.com
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