What happens when you combine an embroidery journal and a book tracker? You end up with Anna Short’s Embroidery Journal! Anna’s embroidery journal not only includes icons from her day-to-day life, but around the centre of her hoop, you’ll see a series of books in a variety of colours which track her books read throughout the year.
Anna has such a unique embroidery journal and I’ve adored seeing her posts pop up in the Embroidery Journaling Facebook Group over the course of 2023. Follow along as Anna shows us photos of her embroidery journal, divulges her favourite tips and tricks, and even discusses some of her favourite icons.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I live in North Carolina and am a high school English teacher, Yearbook advisor, a wife, and a mother of three small children. My two oldest kids are five (twins – son & daughter) and my youngest son is three. I love sewing and quilting, but it was too cumbersome to do with two small babies, so I was thrilled to discover embroidery which is so small and portable and beautiful!! I also love planning and journaling, so this project was perfect for me! My family, faith, and work are all very important to me and make up the bulk of my icons.
What supplies do you use for your embroidery journal
I use a really heavy duty 12” hoop and a Duo pen & eraser set. Sometimes I use stencils for the icons. I often use Flat Icon or Noun Project for icon inspirations.
What tips do you have for someone wanting to start an embroidery journal?
- Do it!! It is so rewarding and helps you value the little things in life.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself and create a journal that works for your life and schedule. I knew that I had no intention of doing an icon a day because some days, there’s nothing to report and other days, there’s lots!
- Don’t beat yourself up if you get behind. I’ve found that it ebbs and flows and sometimes you just need one icon that you are excited about to get you back in the game.
Can you tell us about the book tracker aspect of your embroidery journal?
I LOVE my book tracker! I was really looking for a way to combine an actual book tracker and my embroidery journal, and I LOVE the look of lots of books lined up together. I already had a big circle around the year in the middle, so I just used a tumbler that was just a bit bigger than that as a guide, and it was ready for the year. I stitched a book icon for each book I read every month. It averaged about 6-7 books. The individual colors do not represent anything significant. I tried to keep a general color scheme while also keeping the colors of the month. All of the colors of the books were oneI had used throughout the month. In my opinion, what really makes it come together is the “binding” on the books for which I did a mixture of black and gold. It also kind of makes it look like skeins of floss which many people mistook it for. Oh well!
How did you learn how to embroider?
In November 2022, I was wishing I had a small, portable hobby that I could do while traveling, relaxing in the evening, or playing with kiddos,, and for some reason I was not feeling knitting or crocheting. Then one day I was walking through the dollar store and found an embroidery starter kits for $5 of the cutest llama and flamingo I had ever seen. I knew it was something I wanted to try, and I figured the price was right. It also opened up my eyes to how fun and modern embroidery could be when I didn’t know much about it before.
I took it home and started to learn, looking up each stitch online as I went. It all happened at a great time because it was right before Christmas, so embroidery supplies became my wish list, and I got well-stocked. Not long after that, I saw the embroidery journal project and knew it was the thing for me. The rest is history.
Do you repeat icons?
I try not to, but am not overly critical of myself if I do. I usually do some kind of variation if possible. For example, my five-year-old daughter is obsessed with Frozen, so there is a snowflake icon for her Frozen-themed birthday party, Elsa Halloween costume, and our first ever family movie night: Frozen. Sometimes the repetition is the story.
What made you decide to go with your current embroidery journal layout?
Umm…it was the first one I saw? I was brand new to the project and saw this online and I decided to roll with it. It wasn’t until later when I realized how many variations are out there. Absolutely beautiful!
What is your favourite icon on your embroidery journal?
Hard to pick, so I’m going to pick two months: April & December.
April: My dad passed away last July, so this was his first birthday without him. He would have been 70, so I did a black heart with a Roman numeral 70. I also did lilacs because I have very fond memories of riding around on our lawn mower on his lap when I was little and driving past our lilac tree. I’m really proud of the way it turned out. I’m also obsessed with the Winston Salem skyline as I had a great night out on the town with my husband for our date night.
December: I’m loving the pink Christmas this year so I went a little overboard with pink icons, and after Christmas we visited my mom in Florida, so I stitched a palm tree with Christmas lights and a flamingo wearing a Santa hat. I LOVE them!
What has been your most memorable event represented on your embroidery journal this year?
The adoption symbol with a 4 in it found in September. We adopted our twins through foster care and this year marks four years officially together as a forever family. We were fortunate to have them in our home as babies, and we officially adopted them when they were just over a year old, and I was pregnant with my youngest son. 🤍
How have you managed to stay motivated throughout the year?
They always say, “The days are long and the years are short.” I know that I have very few precious moments with my babies at this age and stage, and I want to remember every single one! Also, there is no way I can leave a project like this half-finished.
How do you track your days?
Officially, I have a Google Doc that I use to track everything, and it includes room to actually tell the story of the icon and the titles of the books I read; however, most of my planning actually gets done in a journal where I practice sketching the icons since I’m already recording the day’s events.
What do you plan on doing with your embroidery journal once you finish it?
It’s going to a pride-of-place somewhere in my house. I definitely want to keep it in a hoop, but I will probably transfer it to a more decorative hoop since I need my heavy-duty one for 2024’s journal.
Are you working on an embroidery journal this year?
Yes! I know it’s a big commitment, but I love it so much I can’t imagine not doing it. This year I am excited to try a dark fabric and a more specific color scheme. I will definitely be keeping the book tracker. I’m also considering doing fewer icons and having fun with really embellishing fewer/bigger icons. We’ll see how it goes.
Do you have anything else that you would like to share about your embroidery journal?
I may have already said this, but my favorite thing about this is the very tangible way it records very precious moments that would otherwise have been forgotten. I try to write it down in a journal, but that usually captures the big things and how often do I really go back and read them? This project lets you see it all at once and remember all of the little moments. For example: My daughter helped me wind my bobbins out on my patio, and she leaned back under the lights and said, “This is so lovely.” It was such a sweet moment to share with my daughter, so I stitched a pink bobbin (she only wanted to do the “pretty” colors) and the word “lovely.”
I appreciate the marking of the passage of time. All of these things happened in 2023: 4 Years of Forever Family, 14 Years Married, 18 Years Teaching, what class the kids were in in preschool, and what the kids were into this year, Halloween costumes, and family vacations. It’s an amazing history-in-the-making project that I will always cherish!
Where can we find you online?
I really only have the Facebook account that I use in the Embroidery Journal, I have no other social media presence. I used to have an Etsy account, but not so much anymore. Hit me up anytime in the group!
Enjoyed this post? Then check out some of my other blog posts or purchase the in-depth embroidery journal guide. You can also join the free Embroidery Journaling Facebook group to chat with others working on Embroidery Journals. Follow me on any of the following social media websites: