For the past two years, I’ve been tracking the books that I read on my Cross Stitch Reading Goal Tracker. After I finish a book, I fill in a small section of my cross stitch project. Each section is a book on a bookshelf representing one book of the year. I fill in the book with a colour of thread that corresponds with a genre of book. For example, bubblegum pink is romance, light blue is fantasy, so on and so forth. It can actually be a bit tricky to track these books on my reading tracker and I was using a popular book review site to do this. However, I’ve spent some time developing a new way to track books using Google Sheets. I created a spreadsheet specifically for this project.

My Reading Goal Tracker Spreadsheet includes a section to fill in the title of each book you read, the author, what genre the book is, what colour floss you used, a checkbox once you’ve added the book to your tracker and so much more. The best news? It’s available for free. Granted, it won’t be much help unless you already own one of my cross stitch reading goal patterns.

Track by Genre

While there are a few different fields on this spreadsheet, my favourite section is the Genres dropdown menu. I’ve added even more genres than my cross stitch pattern includes. The new genres include: Chick Lit, Comics, and a few more.

There is an additional tab that includes a colour code for tracking by genre that mirrors the Cross Stitch Reading Tracker Pattern. However, you can easily add additional colours of thread to the drop down menu. See instructions on how to do this later on in this post.

Star Rating

I don’t really take rating my books seriously. I’m pretty quick to DNF a book that I’m not enjoying, so my star ratings tend to skew on the higher end, typically 4 or 5 stars. But for those that do seriously enjoy rating your books, I’ve included a drop down menu that includes half stars.

Format

I most read eBooks, but you’ll have the option of selecting: eBook, Paperback, Hardback, and even audio books for the format you read the book in.

How to add additional items to dropdown menus

You can even add your own items to dropdown menus! Do this by clicking the arrow of the dropdown menu and clicking on the pencil at the bottom. A menu will appear on the right hand side of the screen. At the bottom of the menu, you’ll be presented with the option to add a new item to the dropdown menu. You can actually do this with any of the dropdown menus.

But why is it free?

Now, there is a caveat to spreadsheet. I am not a Google Sheets expert. I am certain there are ways to improve this spreadsheet by adding analytics, but I’m not an expert. Instead, you’re getting a free and decent spreadsheet, capable of containing a ton of information for your reading goal.

While I am happy to answer any questions about how to use this spreadsheet, I might not be able to answer the more technical questions, but I will do my best to help.

There are also plenty of people who have already purchased one of my Reading Goal Tracker Patterns and it didn’t seem fair to make this only available for future buyers.

Can it be used on other spreadsheet platforms?

While I have designed this spreadsheet in Google Sheets, I unfortunately do not have access to Excel, so I’m not able to confirm whether or not it would work.

Can I purchase a reading goal tracker pattern?

Absolutely! I have a variety of patterns for both 2023 and 2024 for reading goals of 12, 24, 50, 100, 200, and up to 366 books! You’re able to track your books in a variety of ways like genre, the format you read them, and more. For the smaller reading goals, you can even turn them into a bookmark.

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:

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Congratulations on finishing an embroidery piece! Now, let’s get started on getting it finished in an embroidery hoop. It may seem tricky, but I promise you – it’s not at all!

Do you like this embroidery pattern? You can find it as a kit in my Etsy shop.

Supplies

• Your finished embroidery piece
• An embroidery hoop
• Scissors (preferably fabric scissors)
• A hot glue gun

Step 1

Place your embroidery piece in your embroidery hoop. Make sure your piece is positioned in a way that you like. After this step you won’t be able to adjust it any further. It may take a few tries to get this right.

Step 2

If you used one sheet of fabric – Using your scissors, trim the excess fabric left around your embroidery hoop. I recommend leaving about a half inch of fabric.

If you used two sheets of fabric – cut the bottom layer of fabric as close to the embroidery hoop as you can. For the top layer, cut so that there is about a half inch of fabric remaining. This will make it easier for you to glue down both sheets of fabric at once.

Step 3

Next, cut slits every inch or so of the excess fabric. This will make it easier for you to glue down the fabric. It won’t bunch up as much in the next step.

Step 4

Using your glue gun, place a small strip of glue on the inside of your embroidery hoop, enough to glue down a few pieces of fabric at a time. Continue doing this the entire way around your embroidery hoop.

That’s it! It’s so easy to finish off an embroidery piece. Now your finished piece is ready to be hung on a wall or displayed in a stand.

Do you like this embroidery pattern? You can find it as a kit in my Etsy shop.

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:

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I recently found myself itching to make a quick embroidery pattern, so I ordered myself some mini embroidery hoops and set off to create some cute patterns. At the end of this blog post, you’ll find three individual patterns that you can use to make your own finished artwork, but I also have embroidery kits for each of the patterns available in my Etsy shop.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• a 1 inch mini embroidery hoop
• standard embroidery hoop
• 100% cotton fabric
• embroidery floss
• embroidery needle
• scissors
• water or heat soluble pen to transfer your pattern
• hot glue gun

Step 1: Create Your Embroidery Piece

At the end of this blog post, you’ll find the instructions for all three of the included patterns. Embroider your designs, then use the following instructions.

Step 2: Cut out your artwork (instructions for mini embroidery hoops start here)

Now that you’ve finished and cleaned your work, you’ll want to cut out your artwork. Leave about a half inch allowance around your finished artwork.

Step 3: Assemble your mini embroidery hoop

First, if your hot glue gun takes time to warm up, you may want to start pre-heating it now.

Take the smaller of the inner discs and centre your artwork over it.

NOTE: These mini embroidery hoops are so delicate, it’s important to be careful during these steps as the hoop can easily snap.

Next, pop the outer portion of the embroidery hoop over the set that you assembled previously. This is a bit fiddly, so it may take a few tries to get it perfect. Once you’re happy with how you’ve lined up your artwork, thread the included screw through both of the holes on your mini embroidery hoop. Then, screw on one of the nuts to secure the hoop.

Step 4: Finishing off your mini embroidery hoop

You’ll want to be quick during this last step. Have the remaining outer disc included with your mini embroidery hoop ready.

Flip over your mini embroidery hoop and see if you can position the excess fabric to sit neatly in the well of your hoop, If not, trim some of the excess fabric off. Take your hot glue gun and glue down the remaining fabric in the well of your embroidery hoop.

Lastly, using your hot glue gun, place a ring of glue around the surface of the back of your mini embroidery hoop. Be careful not to use too much glue, you don’t want it to overflow. Quickly place the outer disc onto the back of your mini embroidery hoop.

Get a Kit

Looking to get the supplies to make these mini embroidery pieces? Each of these pieces has an embroidery kit available in my Etsy shop.

Get the Free Patterns

These pieces are so easy to complete in an afternoon. I love to create a ton of artwork and finish all of the art in the hoops at once. It’s so satisfying!

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:

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As a self-taught embroiderer, I’ve learned a lot over the past few years, mostly through trial and error. With that, I’ve compiled a list of advice that I wish someone had shared with me back in 2019 when I picked up my first needle and thread.

1. YouTube is a great source for learning new stitches.

This is my absolutely biggest piece of advice, don’t forget about YouTube. There are so many creators making short clips showing off how to do every embroidery stitch under the sun. I really don’t learn well from just reading instructions on how to stitch, it just doesn’t work for me. So take to YouTube and search “How to backstitch” or even “How to make a french knot”. You’ll be met with so many helpful videos.

2. Try not to compare yourself to others.

Social media is a blessing and a curse. You may have learned about embroidery through Instagram, but there are so many amazing artists that sometimes you may find it difficult not to compare yourself to them. But hey, we all learn at our own pace. Personally, I would love to be able to be an expert in thread painting, but I need a bit a lot more practice until I’m there.

3. Give it time.

I remember when I first started to embroider, I just could not get french knots right. The beginner kit that I started with had a section filled with roughly a million french knots, so I had the time and space to practice. Somewhere, probably around the 80th french knot, it clicked.

If you don’t get something right on the first, tenth, or even 50th try, don’t be disheartened sometimes it just takes time and a bit of practice.

4. Start with an embroidery kit.

Embroidery can be a daunting hobby to start if you don’t own any of the supplies like fabric, embroidery hoops, thread, needles, etc. So if you’re just looking to dip your toes into the hobby, I really recommend looking through Etsy for beginner embroidery kits made my independent artists. They’ll do the legwork of sourcing all of the materials for you and you get to end up with a nice little starter kit. I even sell a few kits in my Etsy.

5. Start an ort jar.

An ort jar is a place to store leftover useable threads. Who knows, maybe you’ll find some way to incorporate these into a future project? Maybe even an embroidery journal?

6. Splurge on decent quality floss.

Avoid using cheap floss, and by cheap I mean a bundle of 200 for £10. I promise you, it’s not worth the savings when you’re left with ruined embroidery pieces. Reputable brands like DMC and Anchor are known for being colour fast, meaning that their their floss won’t bleed when wet.

7. While on the topic of floss, don’t forget to split your floss.

Most embroidery floss is comprised of 6 strands that you are able to split. You’ll find in most patterns that they will require you to use, 2, 3, or even just 1 strand of thread. If you use the entire 6 strands when not required to, you’ll be left with quite a chunky look – if you’re able to thread your needle that is.

The easiest way that I’ve found to split thread is to first cut off a length of thread (usually I aim for about 12 inches). Then divide out the amount you need from the top of the bunch. From there, pinch the remaining threads and slide them down the length of the rest. This should separate your threads.

8. Untangle your thread.

You may find, especially with a long strand of thread, that it may begin to tangle and knot. So how do you do untangle it? Well, simply put, I tend to push the needle to the base of the embroidery piece and lift up the piece. From there, I pinch the thread between my fingers and run my fingers along the entire length of the thread. This should allow you to resume your normal stitching with less tangles.

9. Invest in a soluble fabric marker.

The most popular types of fabric markers are water and heat soluble pens. You can find these pens in most craft stores. You’ll use these for transferring over patterns to your fabric. It’s also best to test your new pen on the corner of your fabric or even a piece of scrap fabric. I learned the hard way that one pen advertised as being water soluble, was in fact not.

Just please don’t use pencil. It will be quite difficult, if not impossible, to remove from your fabric.

10. Have fun learning a new craft.

Feel proud of yourself for attempting a new craft. If your skills aren’t quite where you want them to be right away, that’s perfectly okay. Developing your skills will take time when it comes to a new craft. With time, you’ll see your skills begin to improve. For now though, just take it day by day and enjoy the process.

With these words of advice, this is where I leave you. I sincerely hope that you’ve found some of these tips & tricks helpful in starting to pick up this new craft. Best of luck!

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:

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Embroidering on clothing is a great way to turn a plain shirt into something a bit more unique. Throughout this tutorial, you’ll learn what supplies are required and what steps are needed into order to add a unique spin to your boring old t-shirt.

You’ll watch as I embroider a tortoise onto a shirt for my boyfriend as a gift. This isn’t my first time stitching a silly creature on a shirt. A few years back, I embroidered myself a shirt with an armadillo on it, and he stole it from me ages ago. So here’s hoping that I might be able to get my armadillo shirt back. I also designed my possum pattern specifically as a gift for a friend that I ended up stitching on a shirt.

Supplies:

• Your desired article of clothing made of 100% cotton
• A design of your choice
• Fabric stabilizer
• Sticky Fabri-Solvy or a heat soluble pen
• Embroidery floss
• Embroidery needle
• Embroidery hoop to fit your design
• Scissors

For this project, I used a cotton shirt as my article of clothing paired with an original drawing of a tortoise.

Step 1 – Transferring your design

There are two ways of getting your pattern onto your shirt. You can either use transfer paper or freehand your design directly onto the shirt using a heat/water soluble marker. I opted to trace my design onto sticky fabri-solvy and placed it directly onto the shirt.

Step 2 – Stabiliser

Flip your shirt inside out and lay it flat. Place a sheet of stabilizer where the design will be and carefully secure your embroidery hoop between the layers.

Try not to pull the fabric too tight when securing your embroidery hoop. You don’t want to cause any wrinkles in your finished design.

Step 3 – Get stitching!

Start embroidering as you normally would. I tend to opt for simpler designs when embroidering on clothing. I usually avoid using satin stitches when embroidering on clothing as it can be difficult to keep the tension the same while making satin stitches throughout an entire project. Then once you remove the embroidery hoop, the inconsistent tension will really show.

Step 4 – Finishing Touches

Once you’ve finished embroidering your design, remove any excess stabiliser. Do the same for the sticky fabri-solvy, if you used.

Next, soak your shirt in a bowl of warm soapy water. If you used sticky fabri-solvy, gently rub at the areas containing it until it dissolves. Next run your shirt under cold water. You can now wash your shirt as normal.

And that’s it! It’s so easy! Best of luck in embroidering on your clothing.

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:

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As an avid reader, I love to collect bookmarks. So what could possibly be better than a cross stitch reading goal tracker that doubles as a bookmark?

So how does it work?

Each pattern allows for a different reading goal, anywhere from 12 books to 200 books. You can fill in your books by the genre of book, how you read the book (physical, audio, ebook), how you rated the book, the month that you read the book, or even by the colour of the book’s cover.

In 2022, I used the 100 books tracker to track my goal of 70 books. You can see that I didn’t fill up the entire bookmark, which I expected. For any remaining books, I just used white thread to fill them in.

You can find PDF instructions and kits for this project in my Etsy shop.

But how do I turn my finished art into a bookmark?

It’s actually easier than it sounds, it just takes a bit of patience. These instructions will work for any cross stitch piece that you want to turn into a bookmark, not just a reading goal tracker.

Supplies List –

• Finished cross stitch piece
• A second piece of fabric, I used a piece of pink aida
• Needle
• Thread, I used three strands of pink DMC 6-strand embroidery floss
• Scissors
• Iron + ironing table

Step 1

Once you have finished your piece, wash, air dry, and iron the fabric.

Then take your bookcase and trim the fabric down. I left roughly around .75 inches around the perimeter of my bookcase. Take your second piece of fabric (I used a piece of pink aida) and trim it down to the same size as your stitched on fabric.

Step 2

Next, fold in each of the sides of your bookmark and iron down the creases until they sit flat. You’ll want to leave a slight border around your bookcase of at least 4 squares. If either pieces of fabric have a fair amount of excess fabric in the corners, you can trim it down. In the above photo, you can see I did this.

Repeat this process with your second piece of fabric. Both pieces of fabric should be roughly the same size.

If either pieces of fabric have a fair amount of excess fabric in the corners, you can trim it down. In the above photo, you can see I did this.

Step 3

Finally, place the two together pieces of fabric together, folded sides facing each other. Using a blanket stitch, stitch the two pieces together.

That’s it – you’ve finished your bookmark! I’ll be honest, this process is a bit time consuming, but it’s worth it in the end.

If you’re looking for more information regarding my Cross Stitch Reading Goal Trackers, you can do so here:

• Cross Stitch Reading Goal Tracker Patterns on Etsy
• Google Sheets Companion to Track Your Books

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:

• Etsy
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