1/15/2026 – My embroidery guild January’s meeting did a simple Bargello square. I always forget how fun and easy canvaswork is. I’ve never had the opportunity to use stretcher bars before, so that was an interesting new skill set. Before hoops and scroll frames have been my go-to. I do like the bars for canvaswork. The guild provided the canvas and thread from its stash. The provided thread was variegated, and I chose two skeins from the mass of randoms passed around: a blue-green mix and a purple-yellow mix.
1/18/2026 -Oh, oh!!! I know what I want to do with this random learning piece. I want to make a BOX!!!! The top is done. Now I just need to do it four more times. (The box doesn’t need embroidery on the bottom.) This project is going to take major scrounging. I have three stretchers frames and begged two more off the teacher with the canvas already attached! Five frames in hand, I managed to find two more canvases of the same grid count – same of the canvas is white and some ivory, but I’m covering it up, so that should be fine. Now for the thread, because what I snagged during the lesson won’t be enough for four sides. Found some. I took a picture of the label that came with one of the overdyed threads. I think I am good. (Six hours on the project so far.)
I like the concept of the box, but my autistic side does not like working with variegated threads (no control over the color change). The original concept for the project chosen by the teacher was to use the variegated threads to highlight the textures used, so I am stuck with that. It looks great as a finished project; I just hate WORKING with them.
1/26/2026 (10.75 hours; total hours 16.75)– The first two sides of the box are complete. These used the same skeins as the top. A golden-yellow-to-light-lilac mix and a blue-to-green mix. The next two boxes are using two different skeins, but with the same sorts of colors. In this case the green-blue mix is darker and the yellow mix is more chaotic. I started working on them.
2/3/2026 (4.5 hours; total hours 21)– All five sides are now complete. Next up, I need to create narrow strips for the lips that will go on the side of the box. I am out of this particular type of canvas, so I need to take the canvas off the frames, cut and finish the sides and assemble the bottom of the box and hopefully enough of the canvas will be viable to make the edges for the lid. Then I will need to design the edges and sew those with the scrounged thread which is beginning to run low. The hardest part, as always, is cutting the embroidery ground cloth to make the final project.
6/13/2026 (1 hour; total hours 22) – Remove the embroidery from the frames. Cut out the excess canvas. After that fold over the canvas edge and secure it to the back through sewing. (You can see how this looks in Bargello Box 2.) Pictures of the front and back.
5/17/2026 Bargello Box Part 2 – I ordered needle cases. When they arrived, I realized they would be the perfect size for the Bargello Box (whenever I finish assembling it) – three in a box. I had six needlecases.
Oh.no. I need to embroider another box.
I took the old sides off the frames and added canvas to work the new sides. The original box was worked in Watercolor (a type of thread), but I don’t have enough of it laying around to make a complete new box, so instead I will be making this box out of ThreadWorx variegated thread. Canvas stretched; colors chosen. Everything is now ready to rumble!
5/21/2026 All the embroidery will be done in ThreadWorx colors, where the original box had been done in the Watercolor brand. Watercolor is three-strands and the embroidery was worked one strand at a time. While cotton, it acted large and wooly. ThreadWorx is an overdyed cotton brand with six-strands, and I am working the embroidery with five strands for the stitchwork, except for the cross-stitch edge which will be worked in four-strands.
The colors used:
one) Internal lines and cross-stitch edge – Morning Glories 1080.
two) The red/blue sides – Lipstick Red 1090 and Natures Berries 10261.
three) The brown/blue sides – Kaleb’s Cherry Patch 10372 and Midnight Skies 1140.
four) Top will have the mix of these colors.
Today’s picture has all the Internal lines done for all five sides, plus 3/4ths of one of the red/blue sides. This is four days of work, including two meeting nights.
5/25/2026 Continuing a little every day. Five more days plugging along, for a total of nine day, completing one square and starting the next, plus some special work on the lid.
5/30/2026 Four more days working on this project. The second square is not complete; I still need to do the cross-stitch edge. Since I am avoiding that, I instead am working on the third square and continue to work on the multicolor top.
6/6/2026 Six more days completed. The second square is now complete with the cross-stitch edge; I got it done while talking to a friend on the phone. Now one to sides three and four, completing one color for them and adding it to the top as well. Onto the final color of the project except for the cross-stitch edging.
6/13/2026 Six more days completed. All squares are complete including the cross-stitch edges. I removed the embroidered sides and lid from their frames, cut the excess canvas off. From there I have folded over the sides on four of the five pieces. Pictures are of the front, back, and how the sides will be assembled.
6/14/2026 Final day, the box has been assembled. The “lid” ended up being the bottom, so it is more a cup than a box.
6/17/2026 Final day, the box has been assembled from the yellow/green panels.
