The Stir-Crazy Crafter

04/05/2026

April ended up being such a sad month. 😭 If you’ve been following me for an extended period, you’ll know that I tend to be quite good about posting my Embroidery Journal updates around the last day of the month. But this is probably the latest I’ve ever posted an update.

While the first half of April was great, I did some baking, celebrated Easter, went to Pitlochry where I did some archery and tasty food, I really struggled halfway through the month. My absolute darling of a cat, Jess, that I had to leave behind with my parents in California passed away, which came as quite a shock. He was 16, but I was always convinced that he would live to be in his 20s as he had always been such a healthy and active cat. So the rest of April was spent trying to improve my mood. I spent a lot of time in the garden, ate a wonderful ice cream sundae, and somehow amongst all of this, I passed my theory driving test.

May has already started off on a very good note, so I’m hoping that’s an upward trend for the rest of the month.

27/04/2026

Behind the Icon(s) - April 27th 2020 - 2024

2020 - A total pandemic activity - My mum, brother, and I completed a puzzle featuring hot air balloons in a day. We didn't touch another puzzle for the rest of the pandemic.
2021 - I went to Barnes & Noble with my younger brother and best friend.
2022 - I worked the overnight shift at a hotel and dealt with a guest complaint about a closet being infested with moths.
2023 - I batched filmed a series of videos to post on social media.
2024 - I started my house hunt by touring a home. While I liked the house, it was a bit small for the price and there was steep competition.

Do you have any questions about any of the other pictured icons?

18/04/2026

You know how Facebook has that Memories feature where you are able to look back on what you what you posted in previous years? I thought it might be fun to look back on some of my previous Daily Embroidery Journals to find out what I was doing on April 18th!

2020 - I watched several episodes of What We Do in the Shadows
2021 - I had a very hectic day in the hotel I worked at and ended up having to call the Loss Prevention Team (LP) several times on guests. This is just a fancy name for Security!
2022 - I bought myself tulips
2023 - I went to a charity shop and apparently bought some sort of bowl?
2024 - I watched a really depressing show with my flatmate
2025 - I had swapped to my Micro Embroidery Journal at this point and didn't stitch anything for 2025!

What do you think? Would you like to see more posts like this?

13/04/2026

Are you wondering how to get started on your very own Embroidery Journal? Well did you know that you really only need to know one embroidery stitch? For most of my icons, the only stitch that I use is a backstitch! Once you're confident with this stitch, then you can branch out and try other stitches like a whipped backstitch, french knots, or a couching stitch.

03/04/2026

March was an absolute blur, I can’t believe it’s already April! I stitched 12 unique icons onto my Micro Embroidery Journal over the month representing the most memorable things to occur!

- Rocky - I watched Project Hail Mary twice in the cinemas this month!
- Bus - I had to take a 90 min bus ride to and from work. It actually took 2 hours coming back!
- Cinnamon Roll - I picked up an amazing cinnamon roll from a farmers market.
- Learners Placard - I had my first driving lesson in the UK, it went really well and I’ve had 3 more since!
- Fire - I couldn’t stop watching the news when a large fire broke out near Glasgow Central Station
- Arrow - Had my yearly review at work
- UGH - I felt horrible halfway through the day and spent the afternoon in bed.
- Croissant - My partner and I had croissant sandwiches for lunch.
- Tick marks - I attended a charity quiz at work
- Fried Egg - I went out for breakfast with my partner
- Destination path - I drove on a main road for the first time!
- Circle with a slash - this one doesn’t get to be disclosed!

As you can see, it was quite an eventful month! I have a trip planned next weekend, so I’m sure I’ll have some nice icons added throughout April!

01/03/2026

What a month!! February was absolutely jam packed. If you have kept an eye on my stories, you'll probably have seen photos of our new cat Burrito, but that's not all that happened! I stitched 13 icons throughout the month. Here's a few highlights:
- Vine: I went to dinner at The Ivy in Glasgow with a friend.
- Tiara: I read a few of the Dungeon Crawler Carl books.
- Balloon: I attended my office Holiday party.
- Tooth: I went to the dentist for the first time in 4 years - I don't have any cavities!

That's just a few of the things that occured this month. Hopefully March is just as exciting!

19/02/2026

"The number one thing I have learnt from starting an embroidery journal is the importance of taking time each day to relax and be creative. A few years ago I would have never described myself as a creative person. It has been really nice to actually see how creative I can be and how I can turn a piece of Aida into a year at a glance. "

In this 2023 interview with Rebecca Lush, we chatted about her Cross Stitch Journal - her favourite icons, how she first learned to cross stitch, and all sorts of advice that she has for someone wanting to create this type of project.

Learn more by reading the interview!

Rebecca Lush cross stitches an icon a day that represents her day. Learn everything that goes into this practice alongside tips & tricks.

14/02/2026

Happy Valentine’s Day! Despite only stitching four icons so far this month, I’ve been quite busy. The most notable icon of note is the fact that we’ve had our new cat, Burrito, for a week now! He’s still quite skittish, but he’s made himself right at home. In order to recognize us picking him up, I have of course stitched a small orange cat muzzle on my Micro Embroidery Journal. 🐈

11/02/2026

An Embroidery Journal is kind of like a diary - every day you'll embroider an icon that represents your day. Whether that be a coffee because you went to a cafe with friends, a flower because your bought yourself a bouquet, or even a tear because you had a tough day. At the end of the year you'll have a collection of thoughtful icons that represent your year as a whole.

If you're looking to start your own this year (even if you're a bit late!), I answer a lot of the most common questions that I'm asked in this post.

For those looking to start an embroidery journal in 2023, I've answered some of my most frequently asked questions.

06/02/2026

“I’ve learned that documenting my life in embroidery form kind of enhances my mental state exponentially. Trying to keep up with stitching semi-nice memories through a tough year made life feel infinitely more difficult, but creating a record of the absolute delights of 2025 has made it one of the BEST years of my life.”

A Stitch A Day is back! Our first interview is with , someone that I’ve admired since I first followed her back in 2020 when we were both creating our very first Embroidery Journals.

In Lindsay’s interview, she discusses what keeps her motivated to continue her embroidery journal, her favourite icons, and her thoughts and feelings on her past embroidery journals.

If you’re curious about creating your own embroidery journal, I think you’ll really enjoy reading Lindsay’s interview and seeing all of the amazing photos of her project.

Lindsay Andrew shares her journey in creating Embroidery Journals since 2020. She touches on her favourite icons, supplies, and the future.

01/02/2026

What a month! In January I embroidered 11 icons representing my month:

- Rose: On New Years Day I watched a live stream of the Rose Parade all the way in Glasgow!
- Teapot: On a trip to Telford, I had afternoon tea with my aunt.
Bridge: My aunt and I visited Ironbridge for breakfast and a wander.
Snowflake: We had a light dusting of snow in Glasgow.
Puzzle: My partner and I started a colourful pink and purple puzzle.
Mouse: We had a slight rodent problem.
Monstera leaf: I bought my first Monstera.
Moon: I had a tough night of sleep and ended up being awake until 5AM.
Happy face: I was in a great mood.
Spaceship and Planet: We had our office bookclub to discuss The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers - This was our highest rated book yet as a group!
Pizza: My partner’s sister and boyfriend came to visit and we had dinner at !

January was such a great and exciting start to the year. Follow along to see what I get up to throughout the rest of 2026!