The Hometown Project (Stitching)

Monday, I did stitch a couple of sheep on This I Know but I really wantws to move on and work on something else so I pulled out Hometown by Teresa Kogut. I almost don’t like to mention this project on here because it’s for the Tier 4 members of Teresa Kogut’s Patreon group so not everyone has access to it and I don’t like that feeling but . . I understand why they have their Patreon groups. I do love Teresa Kogut’s work so I don’t mind paying for the membership. As of now, the Tier 4 level is $204 per year and with that comes three charts per month. When you figure that charts are at least $10, that makes it worth the cost, though I doubt I would purchase all 36 of them. It seems like the last two years, there may have been 5 or 6 total that I could see myself not stitching but for the most part, I love them all – just probably don’t have the time to get them all stitched.

She does a SAL for Tier 4 members. We never know exactly what it’s going to look like so it is a mystery. The first two or three lasted one year but this one (we’re in the second month) is going to last over 24 months! I started the first two SALs and didn’t finish them but I am determined to keep up (mostly) with this one.

There are other things – I think there are two coloring pages and some people use those for punch needle. There’s a discount in her Etsy shop so, I do feel like it’s a lot for the price since I love her work.

Anyway, this Hometown SAL started in mid-January. I showed this picture of mine.

I wasn’t crazy about it on several counts. First, I started it on 46 count linen. I don’t usually mind 46 count but the weave is very tight on this linen. Second, with the color of my house, that “sign board” in the front looks like a big mouth with two eyes above it. If I stitched a nose, it would look like a jack-o-lantern.

I posted all this in January so if you’re thinking . . I’ve heard this story before . . yes, you have. I stopped at that point because I wasn’t sure I was going to keep going with it.

Then February’s design came out and I’m in love with it. And, the sign is supposed to have a backstitching/outline type stitch that says “Willow Antiques” on it and each building is probably going to have a sign. People who were stitching the text on that first sign were having problems so Teresa re-charted the sign and the letters. I’m not sure if it’s the more boxy sign or my colors but I don’t see that screaming mouth in this sign like I did on the other sign.

As far as the names of the shops, I’m going to wait til all the buildings have been stitched, yes, that will be December, 2025, and then I’m going to decide if I want to go with what is charted or if I want to make up names for my own buildings. I was thinking I could use names like Chad’s Antiques or Addie’s Bakery or Granny’s Diner, Grumps’ Wood Shop, Nicole’s Decorating, maybe include my aunt and uncle (Goob and Dorothy) on buildings. My uncle was an educator and my aunt worked in the newsprint business but they also loved pets so one of them could have a pet store. If there are more buildings than I have family members to include, I could use friends or businesses from my own hometown (which Chad considers his hometown too). Any time any of us are in Lake Charles, we go to Tony’s Pizza. I have some time to think about it all.

I switched to a 40 count linen and started re-stitching. I’m using Vikki Clayton silks so I’m just pulling them as I go.

Another thing I’m doing differently – when Teresa divides it up for each installment, she may stop in the middle of a building. I’m not doing that. The first picture from the first month . . that’s where the house ended but you can see from the second picture that there was more to it. I’ve hardly stitched any of February yet. There’s also a portion of a building stitched there. I’m going to finish stitching this house/antique shop and the blue building and then stop before starting the partial building. Once I get the March installment, I will start and finish the next building so I may stay a little behind but I do love how I’m thinking this one will turn out.