“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working,”
Pablo Picasso
Boom. That’s it. That ‘s the reason for showing up for this (entirely doable) 100 day discipline.
Don’t wait for ideas. Don’t wait until you feel like it. Make the time, make the space and show up and listen to yourself.
Listening to yourself is a skill. Getting unstuck requires strategy. Ideas need a place to show up. Daily practice makes that space. Keeping the practice small puts it firmly in the doable zone. Your ability to listen to yourself grows in those conditions.
That is what this challenge is about: intentionally creating an environment for creative growth.
Committing to a do-able assignment and applying small consistent effort is as close to a magic formula as there is for growing creatively and getting unstuck.
will you join us for the 2026 challenge?
To set yourself up for success on day one- Jan 16th – take some easy actions now. Download your checklist here. Then begin with the overview here.
Community helps too. Accountability, feedback, support and fellowship. All that human stuff.
You don’t need to join stitch club to participate in the challenge but it does offer the aforementioned benefits plus:
New this year – optional page prompts! If you’re feeling unsure about getting started this can be the perfect approach. Your work will still be entirely self directed but the prompts can get your wheels turning. Also, it does not have to be either/or – you can choose which prompts to use and which to skip.
Also new this year – The membership will close on January 20th. It will remain closed for the duration of the challenge.
stitch club membership is open until 1/20
What happens in stitch club? It’s the private ann wood handmade community, a great place to get inspired, share what you’re working on and make sewy friends.
If you’ve visited here before you already know that I’m a cheerleader for daily practice. I’ve just begun year 8! of a painting everyday. My ideas show up in those paintings and in the stitch book. The stitch book form has been so productive that I added similar smaller challenges to stitch club: the summer scroll and fall stitch journal. We wrapped up the fall journal in December and I’m thinking about page order and assembly now.
I approached the stitching the same way I approach the 100 day book – improvisational, yes and, see what turns up.
stitch book challenge 2026 begins 1/16 and ends 4/25
Daily practice does not always feel good. For me it is the best of days and the worst of days. The bad days are part of the good days though and that is inescapable. It’s the habit I protect and this mantra gets me through the bad days:
“Reduce the scope, stick to the schedule “
James Clear
I protect the habit because it’s easier to keep going than to start. I protect it because it supports my momentum. And I protect it because I am most creative within structure.
I’ve gathered some ideas and lessons learned from the previous years to help you get ready.
thinking of the pages in pairs
Totally optional but I have loved having a second chance at compositions by treating 2 pages as one image/idea in previous book. I mostly did not work on the two pages consecutively. When I wasn’t happy with what I’d done, putting the idea aside and letting it percolate helped a lot.
I’m also leaning towards leaving my edges raw again.
Support the 100 day stitch book project and the always growing free pattern library.
Click here to add your support.
make it easy
Make it easy to show up. Have your materials accessible and transportable. 15 minutes is even more doable if everything is already set up.
plan for the bad days
This is so important. There will be some bad days. Some too busy or sick or too something days. The secret to those days is a predetermined, minimally acceptable effort.
Protect the habit
protect the momentum and do something.
and if you do miss a day?
Keep going. Maybe do an extra 15 minutes when you can.
warm up
Putting things in a box is a great way to begin.
I’m putting things in a box now and I’ll be back on the 16th with some ideas and encouragement.
Thank you so much for the nudge! Yours is the first daily stitching adventure that I saw back in October, and although I have seen many, many more in the meantime, I am joining in this one today. I am working on having more structure and commitment in my daily doings and I know this will be a good way to find it. Looking forward to the adventure!
I’m glad to hear it Nan! This practice has been creatively productive for me in a big way each time. Good luck!
I think this may be exactly what I need at this moment in time! Thank you for the opportunity to join in!
I am thinking about diving in! I say this and I cringe a bit, because my track history isn’t very good with these sorts of things! I need something to keep occupied with, instead of mindlessly doom-scrolling the day away…
Dive in! Give it 15 minutes a day.
I’ll be starting my 2nd stitch book this year! It took 2 years to finish my first one, but I love that I stuck with it as a chronic project abandon-er. It’s so satisfying to flip through and my friends love looking at it too! Thank you for the inspiration!
Congratulations – that’s huge! And good luck this year!
This is my favorite challenge of the year! Can’t wait!
Thanks Pam! I always look forward to seeing your beautiful work!
Looking forward to dong this again this year! Thank you for all your help and advice!
Good luck with your 2026 book Rita!
Thank you for the inspiration. I think this is what I’ve been looking for! I love a challenge, I can do 15 minutes a day and I’ve been “a box girl” for quite some time. I love project boxes that keep everything organized and all in one place!
I will start gathering things today and can’t wait to begin!
Creative blessings,
Deborah
Thanks Deborah! I hope you enjoy the challenge!
I am going to join in for the first time. Have bought some of your patterns in the past and put them aside for another day. And another day has never come. So I’m hoping that doing a dedicated project I will harness my self discipline and get back to other crafting as well. Thank you I will start gathering my box now!
I will join you too. I made a book 2 years ago and it took more than 100 days because life happens.
This time I am doing it for my granddaughter so it will be representing animals and objects. The prompt for me will be the letters of her name, and as there are 9 I will have one double page per letter. Perfect.
This is year 4 for me and I can’t wait to get started!
I will be taking up the challenge. I did it in 2024 and loved every minute. Was gathering my materials for 2025 when life took over, so I’m ready to stitch it up for 2026!
Oh how I’ve wanted to join. I’ve watched from the sidelines the last 2 years… my husband and I have been taking care of his mom. She lived with us for a year and 4 months, then had a stroke and continued living with us for almost exactly another year, passing away on December 22nd. My life has not been my own for a while. It was a privilege to take care of her, advocate for her and be there for her until the end. But I am exhausted and have forgotten what regular life is. Being able to join this is a gift! To be able to make a daily commitment to something for me, will be a challenge, but I’m so excited about carving out this time, daily and see where it takes me!
I have been dreaming of making cute little flies too!! I even bought some men’s jackets from a thrift store to recycle the fabric and ordered the wire for their little beds too!! Thank you Ann for your authentic creativity that you share with us!! This will be the year I do the book, the boats the little chickens and the flies!!! You are truly inspiring!!!
Never have done this but always have wanted to give it a go! It seems like it could be a pleasant
meditation to look forward to each day, and the structure very welcome.
I am ready for this challenge. I have just started stitching and this idea is the best
I am thinking about it.
Hi – this looks just what I need to nudge me!
Do I need to subscribe and pay as I’m very wary of online payments, though really appreciate this expertise and pattern should not be given for free!
I started your 2025 stitch book challenge last Jan and then fractured my dominant wrist on the ice in Feb. I somewhat gracefully let go of the project for 2025. Hoping to finish this year and add “-2026” to the date on the back page of the one I started!
Hi Ann. I sewed the stitchbook for the first time last year, and really enjoyed having that dedicated time each day. It was interesting to see how my pages progressed and – to my eyes – improved. Will definitely join in again, and have already cut my calico pages. Best wishes, Val.
Hi Ann, excited to join in. I have cut my pieces according to your suggested size 5X7”. Should I have added extra for a seam allowance if I want finished edges? Thanks. Your videos on assembly of the book explain everyone very well.
I’m totally in! Very excited to have something cozy and ongoing to work on.