WIPGO 2023 – Week 28.5 – Denim Band Sampler

Since there are 6 WIPGO projects for July with #13 called (the traditional Bingo “free space”), I have extra entries. This is the last feature for July.

There is no finished sample for this piece – Denim Band Sampler was a mystery weekly release sampler from 2022 in 30 parts, starting in January and ending in August. I was great for the first six weeks, keeping on time… moving right along. And then something happened, either illness or work related, and I fell off the wagon. I’m on week… 7… I think… at the moment.

Denim Band Sampler by iStitch Designs as of July 1, 2023 – stitched 2 over 2 on 28 count banding with random blue chosen floss.

I am doing my sampler in a big mix of floss from Mo’s Sale on Facebook and HandDyedbyRolanda on Etsy. I have no specifics about what floss is going where. I just start the next band with what feels right at the time, and how I personally interpret the pattern in each band. It’s charted as just block stitches with no recommended color. My only goal was to introduce blues that fall on the “denim” spectrum. So that gives me a lot of flexibility to stitch.

iStitch has put out a yearly themed band sampler for the past several years. I’ve watched my stitching friend, Becky, finish all of them so far. My friend Amy has also finished one. They’re not complicated bands, and approximately 30-40 stitches in height is added on every week. This is one of two iStitch band samplers I joined. The other one, the Jade Band Sampler, will be coming up later this year in WIPGO. I decided not to join the 2023 one, even though it’s quite pretty, since I had two of them on the go. I can always go back and purchase one of the others if I feel the need to do another. I think two will likely be my limit, though.

Since I’m stitching this over two, the final piece will be exceptionally long – the banding is 2 meters in length! For now, the planned finishing is to gently wrap it around an antique wooden factory bobbin and place it under hurricane glass to show off some of the stitching. BUT… if we’re ever in a house that has a high enough wall (up stairs, for example), I might finish it as a bellpull for length. The Jade one will be of similar length. They could be striking pieces on a long wall!

I plan on putting a bit more effort into this one next year, since I Love New England is the current “must get done” focus. Between Jade and Denim, I should get at least one of them done next year.

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1 comment

  1. These band samplers are really cool, but sooo long! I already have a difficult time finding ways to display ‘regular’ band samplers, like Just Nans, because they are so skinny in a regular frame.