Holding a Year: Stitch Journal 2025

The stitch journal for 2025 is finally done and dusted.

Throughout the year, I worked on two long horizontal strips of fabric, each one holding six months of stitching. The linen came from a vintage tablecloth, worn soft with time, and finished with the most beautiful crocheted edging. I loved that detail so much that I kept it intact and let it become part of the work.

At the end of the year, those two stitched strips came together as a textile book.

The covers were made from the same vintage linen. Along the bottom edge, I added a strip that included the original crochet edging, then stitched vertical rows of running stitch across the surface. The edges of the book were bound with blanket stitch, a quiet way of containing the year.

I also made a label for the cover. Using a font I liked on the computer, I printed “2025,” traced it onto a small piece of the same linen with crocheted edging, and stitched it in place. I used one corner of the fabric for the label and added an extra corner on the opposite side, a small detail that felt right.

Inside the book, January is stitched onto the inside of the front cover. The remaining months run along the spine, with December stitched into the inside of the back cover – a full year held between two covers.

March and April show stitching representing events happening at the time: a “J” for the trip to Japan, “K” for the day we arrived in Kyoto, the Tori Gates, cherry trees in bloom. In April I have a plane ride to Australia, travelling by tram, visiting the kangaroo sanctuary … and three candles for my grandson’s third birthday. Plus an “N” to commemorate the trip to Nantes, France. Two very busy travel months :)

The process of making the book was more convoluted than I expected. The stitching caused the cover fabric to shrink, which meant I had to wet it and gently stretch it back into shape. It was one of those moments where the work pushes back, reminding me that fabric has its own opinions. In the end, though, it worked.

As the year came to a close, I found myself hemming and hawing about whether I would commit to another stitch journal for 2026. But I had enjoyed this one so much that the answer became obvious: of course I would.

Once again, I purchased two of Karen J. Turner’s calendar templates – 2024 and 2026. I ultimately chose the 2024 design, drawn to the shapes of the days. This time, Karen’s layout offered a kind of map: the entire year designed to live on a single piece of fabric.

I’m using another vintage linen tablecloth for this journal, a damask with a beautiful but challenging texture. I transferred the months using a light box. I initially tried a pencil, but it kept catching on the weave, so I switched to a turquoise washable pen – an admittedly nerve-wracking decision. Thankfully, it worked.

Once everything was transferred, I outlined each month with running stitch, using a different colour of No. 8 Eleganza variegated cotton perle by WonderFil. When all the outlines were complete, I gently washed the cloth in the bathtub under running water, watching as the turquoise lines disappeared.

Daily stitching has become the way I end my day. I look forward to sitting down with a cup of tea, something familiar playing on the television or a bit of quiet, relaxing music, and stitching the evening away. That small ritual signals a closing – an intentional pause that marks the end of whatever the day has held. Over time, slow stitching has taught me a great deal: how to slow down, how to reflect, and how much more important steady action is than perfection. Showing up, needle in hand, day after day matters more than getting anything “just right.”

And now, I am happily stitching the days away.

I’ll be sharing glimpses of the 2026 stitch journal as the year progresses.

Thanks for reading. Until I write again …

Ana

Stitching the End of 2025