The 2025 100 day stitch book challenge begins on 1/17 and ends on 4/26
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHALLENGE HERE
All the info you need to participate is available at the link above – please read it carefully – don’t skim! You’ll miss stuff
The 4th annual! 100 day Stitch Book Challenge begins next Friday January 17!
I have spent a lot of time and energy in life learning how to trick myself into doing stuff, getting my ideas out of my head or working past stuckness. One of the most effective ways is daily practice. Small daily practice. It’s where my ideas show up and percolate – in my daily paintings (this is year 7!) and the stitch book project.
In the case of the stitch book project, that’s 15 minutes per day for 100 days.
learn about the 100 day stitch book challenge here
The do-able chunk of time eliminates paralysis and overthinking and invites happenstance. And I love the idea of each day building on the previous.
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 2025 challenge?
To set yourself up for success on day one- Jan 17th – take some easy actions now. Grab the checklist. Then begin with the overview here.
And totally optional- join stitch club! You don’t need to join to participate but it is a great place to find support and share your progress.
stitch club membership is open now
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.
We just completed a fall stitch journal in the community. It was an excellent warm up for the big event beginning next Friday. It was a weekly commitment (one stitched panel per week) as opposed to the daily 15 minute commitment of the 100 day book. I struggled to keep up. It’s a super busy time of year work wise and I had the faceplant situation that messed up a couple weeks of my life but I think the lesson is the small daily thing really works best for me.
You can see my finished book below. I approached the stitching the same way I approach the 100 day book – improvisational, yes and, see what turns up.
Don’t see the video above? Click here to view on youtube.
The binding is “modified coptic” . There are so many cool ways to bind books- I think we’ll try another method in the next mini book.
stitch book challenge 2025
Just like the three previous years I’m excited and also nervous to start. Daily practice is hard. But I can’t resist. Can you? I’ve got 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 17th with some ideas and encouragement.
I’m excited to start this year’s 100 day book. I was a horrible overachiever with the past years. Nothing was wasted though. A lot was learned and dozens of people now own an individual page lovingly mounted in a shadow box. I did complete a miniature version and the Autumn journal. That gives me hope and encouragement that this year my book will actually become a book.
I’m in! Lat year was the first time I did it, and I loved every minute. I, too, am getting excited. It sure seems like a year flew by!
Thank you for doing this!
I’m ready. Loved last year’s.
I am going to try the stitch book. I have not done this before. I think this might be just what I need. Thank you foryour encouragement.
I want to try stitching by hand.
i canNOT resist! i’m determined to be more organized this year, and better about sharing my pages in real time. i’ve gone into my calendar and slotted each page in, to help me keep track; i usually get lost and have no idea what page number i’m on, or how many days i’ve worked on a page… probably because i generally never know what day it is already!
I’m in! My goal is to put the fall book together before next Friday. Ha, we will see how that goes.! Thanks Ann for encouraging us. Its such a lovely and thoughtful community with you as our fearless leader.
I’ve been trolling this 100 Day Stitch Book Challenge for years but 2025 is the year. I love a good challenge. With needle and thread in hand — bring it on!
I think this is the moment when I might just need a push to keep the mind focused for 15 minutes a day on some sort of stitching, as I am going through a lot of anxiety and stress at the moment.
I am sorry but I am sort of a little lost already. Do I prepare the book as in the video and then are we stitching straight onto the pages in the book or making separate 7” x5 1/2” (I’ve got to check the size to be honest) sheets to be joined together later.
Most people join the pages after they’ve done the artistic stitching. It’s easier that way. Welcome!
Hi Linda – You can find all that info in the overview and tutorials. I hope you’ll join us!
I’m in! This is the right kind of challenge at the right time for me. I like the idea of minutes per day rather than product per day/week. I appreciate all your detailed instructions and suggestions. So generous.
I did last years! I want to do this one too
I’ve been watching this project through the last two years. I’m going to do it this year! Now I have to go get some stuff together in a box!
I’m willing to try again paying attention to the tips and not to overthink stuff
Je n’ai pas réussi à suivre l’année dernière. Je dois y arriver cette année, en m’organisant mieux.
J’ai hâte de commencer
I am joining! Can’t wait
I will go at it again! Finish it this year!
I’m considering this! Been a follower for several years, and have seen 100-day creative challenges here and elsewhere, but never tried one for myself. I have scraps galore, and random-snippets-of-embroidery floss galore! It will be a challenge for me to “just see what unfolds” instead of “having a plan” in terms of how the book looks. Excited for that and how it might affect other aspects of my life as well.
This was a wonderful and satisfying project last year, if somewhat lumpy. This year I will FOLLOW the instructions I read multiple times before starting last year, that clearly stated “Do not use heavy or thick fabric for your pages.”
The work shared on instagram was fascinating! So much creativity was truly inspiring.
Last year was my first 100 day stitch book. It was a fun challenge and I look forward to doing it again this year! It’s satisfying to look through my finished book. Thank you Ann!
I would love to try this. I’ve seen other people’s 100 day or 365 day projects and it sounds so doable at 15 minutes a day. That would be the most amount of time per day at this point in my life as I am in the process of moving – packing, packing, packing. I only hope that I can find the time to gather my supplies. Thank you for doing this.
My friend and I have been eagerly waiting to join in and are so excited to begin tomorrow!
A super clever project!
Hi, I am having difficulty finding where the ‘posts’ are or ‘sign up’ to commence. I used the hashtag in instagram but nothing came up. I seem to have all the information from the website/blog but would like to know how to find the daily ‘posts’. Thank you!
My friend Mona told me about this project and I am so looking forward to it!
Ann Wood, thank you!!
I’m in, I’ve saved some scraps and I’m ready to stitch!
Hi, I’ve been watching you Ann for several years! I love all your patterns, I have several. I have made the small rag doll of my own. Then finally I bought your pattern. It was pretty close to yours! Love to hand stitch. I made my girls, each in their 50’s a Tilda doll, all hand sewn doll & clothes too! They loved them! So I’ll will try to do this 100 day challenge. I do have a problem forgetting things even when things are right in front of me. So I need to get a box & start gathering things! Thanks for sharing & teaching us these things!
I’m sorry but I can’t join I didn’t realize it costs money. So I’ll go along on my own as long as I can! Thanks anyway! Shari! ❤️