A second 100 Day Project for 2026: A Daily Scrap

I’ve decided to do a second 100 Day Project to introduce a co-worker to this wonderful, creative, art practice. So, in addition to The 100 Day Stitch Book, this 100 Day Project—A Scrap a Day—will coincide with the global 100 Day Project that begins today, February 22. 

A Scrap-a-Day 100 Day Project for 2026 

For my second 100 Day Project for this year, I’ll be collecting one scrap per day from found objects: fast food wrappers, receipts, packaging, bits of paper, daily detritus—items usually tossed or recycled without a second thought. It will be fun and freeing to work with items that already exist. Trash will become texture. Packaging will become pattern. These fragments and tiny artifacts of daily life will be put into a small junk journal—an appropriate vessel, it seems, for a collection of the mundane. 

Junk journal for my 100 Day Project 2026: A Scrap a Day.

This junk journal is 4.25” x 5.625”, a good, pocket size for the project. It has 

• three signatures, 4” x 5.5” in size,
• a paper cover with a 1/2” spine,
• is pamphlet stitched. 

Three signatures pamphlet stitched to a cardboard journal cover.

I’ll be using a 1-1/4” square paper punch to fussy-cut the paper scraps. This square shape and the 1-1/4” size will be the unifying factor for the collection. But this will also be the challenge of the project—to capture a daily theme, idea, or event in that small format. I’ll see how it goes.

My new 100 Day Project junk journal and the 1-1/4” paper punch for the daily squares.

By using a junk journal for this project, the goal isn’t to make something polished. It’s building a record of days as they actually unfold. 

A sample of what the daily 1-1/4” square will look like on a page.

Do the 100 Day Project 

If you’ve ever thought about joining The 100 Day Project, this is your invitation! Pick something small—like this. Creativity doesn’t require new materials—just a little attention and commitment. Show up and let repetition do the work. 

One scrap at a time, I’ll be building a book of days. 

The history of the 100 Day Project 

Michael Bierut, once a professor at the Yale School of Art, started The 100 Day Project as a project for his graduate students with a simple but powerful idea: choose a creative act and repeat it every day for 100 days. No perfectionism. No overthinking. Just show up, do the work, and learn from the practice. 

Artists, designers, writers, and makers around the world have taken part each year, using the structure to build momentum, experiment, and reconnect with their creativity. Showing up daily can shift something in you. Even if the act feels small.

100 Day Project, Stitch Book 2025: a Make Nine finish

In January of 2021, I discovered the 100 Day Project. Since then, I have successfully completed eight of them—including this year’s 100 Day Stitch Book 2025 with Ann Wood. I am counting this project as a Make Nine finish.

100 Day Stitch Book 2025.

Slot-and-tab book binding

The 4-page slot-and-tab signatures are finished and the Stitch Book is assembled. The cover (which was not part of the Stitch Book instructions but was added) was embroidered with “100 day Stitch Book” and the year to document the project. Here are few of the inside page spreads, starting with the first page.

Inside front cover and page 1 of the Stitch Book 2025.

I think a few of the spreads look very cohesive, especially those that had the same background fabric.

Two-page spread of the 100 Day Stitch Book 2025.

As the 100 Day Project progressed, I referenced previously stitched pages and began thinking about side-by-side pages (page spreads). Even though these pages were stitched at different times (not consecutively), the page spread looks intentional.

Two-page spread of the 100 Day Stitch Book 2025.

Two-page spread of the 100 Day Stitch Book 2025.

Two-page spread of the 100 Day Stitch Book 2025.

Here is the last page and the back cover.

Last page and inside back cover of the 100 Day Stitch Book 2025.

Things I learned from making the Stitch Book

The assembling of the pages into the slot-and-tab book structure was quite interesting but somewhat challenging. Were I to make another book with the slot-and-tab construction, here are tips and things I would consider:

• Leave more unstitched margins on the page perimeter. The pages with appliquéd fabrics added to the bulk—especially at the gutter—causing a few pages to not lie as flat as they could have.
• I think less pages would make a better, flatter book. I think an 8-page or 12 page book would be good to try. Or a book with a larger page size.
• Thankfully I added 1 inch to the width of the front and back covers. This allowed the covers to extend past the interior pages. Note: the front and back covers actually wrap around and create the spine of the book, so extra fabric is needed.

View of the slot-and-tab book spine.

View of the stitch book spine.

• For a future book, I would make the “tab” pages with a slightly deeper tab, and the “slot” pages with a slightly larger slot. The initial page assembly of my book was tight and I unpicked a few stitches to accommodate a little bit of “wiggle room.”
• This is a fun scrap buster project. I used four different fabrics I had in my stash for the base pages. With planning, it would be interesting to use the same fabric for all of the pages.
• I would also plan to have front and back covers for the book and incorporate this into the initial design of the book.

A perfect improvisational, stash-busting project

The 100 Day Stitch Book was a good project to use up scraps and random bits of fabric cut-offs. Since this was an “improvisational” themed project, I used scraps specifically from my improv quilts over the years (I’m glad I saved cut-offs from those projects). In addition to scraps from my improv quilts, I incorporated students’ scraps from the “inventory department” of my recent Intro to Improv Quilting class as the Folk School. 

I also used random lengths of embroidery floss, yarn, and perle cotton for the improv stitching and enjoyed researching potential stitches from embroidery books in my library.

Top view of slot-and-tab fabric stitch book.

Make Nine finish: a Wild Card prompt

My 100 Day Stitch Book is fulfilling one of the Wild Card prompts for Make Nine 2025. It was a great 100 Day Project and I would do it again.

Make Nine 2025 Wild Card prompt.

This is the 4th documented completed project for Make Nine 2025.

Make Nine 2025 tracker. 

Assembling the 100 day Stitch Book with the Slot-and-Tab binding method

Last weekend, I completed the final page—number 20—of the  100 Day Stitch Book 2025, a 100 day stitch challenge with Ann Wood. The next step was to use the slot-and-tab binding method to put the stitched pages into book form.

Twenty hand stitched pages for the 100 Day Stitched Book 2025.

Pagination for the Slot and Tab binding method

As someone who studied printing technology, publishing, and bookmaking, I quickly noticed the slot-and-tab binding method does not follow the standard page imposition like traditional book signatures. The number of pages does need to be a multiple of four, but the 4-page folios do not follow the traditional pagination scheme. Slot and Tab binding… a new bookmaking method for me to learn! Ann provides a pagination guide for the Stitch Book challenge on her blog.

Individual pages for the Stitch Book 2025 with the pagination guide.

For the pagination, I considered keeping the pages in the date order of when they were created. But upon laying out and examining all the pages together, several of them lent themselves to cohesive 2-page spreads—which I found more appealing.

Determining page spreads.

As recommended by Ann, I used painter’s tape to number each page as it would appear in the book sequence.

Labeling the book pages.

Adding a cover to my stitch book required a new folding dummy

I also wanted a cover for my book. I had large scrap of a cotton/linen fabric (white fabric with blue rings shown below) from this Berwick Street shirt that I made. It was large enough to cut out covers for the Stitch Book. The covers were cut about 1” wider to accommodate the book’s spine and to make sure the inside pages of the book were covered when the book was closed.

White and blue cotton/linen fabric cover for the stitch book.

With the addition of four more pages—the front and back outside covers, and the inside front and inside back covers—the pagination scheme needed to be updated (my book has 24 pages instead of 20). I made a classic folding dummy (with paper) to determine the page sequence and accommodate the extra four pages.

Using the paper folding dummy to determine the slot-and-tab folios.

Sewing the slot and tab folios

Following Ann’s instructions and using her page template, the pages were sewn into either a slot or tab format.

Sewing the four-page tab and slot folios.

The next steps are turning the signatures right side out and assembling the book. Stay tuned for more Stitch Book assembly.

Day 30 of the 100 Day Stitch Book project

We’re 30 days and 6 pages into the 100 Day Stitch Book with Ann Wood. This stitch Challenge started on January 17.

Pages 1 and 2 of the 2025 Stitch Book.

Using fabric scraps and leftovers

It’s satisfying for me to pair my leftover scraps from various improvisational patchwork projects with improv hand stitching to create these small 5.5” x 7” pages. This project is giving purpose to my improv scraps. I thought these scraps might find their way into another improv patchwork project, but in this little stitch book, they are the stars of the show. It’s so fun!

Pages 3 and 4 of the 2025 Stitch Book.

I’ve got a mix of fabrics for the base pages—a blue cotton/linen blend from Art Gallery Fabrics and a few 100% cotton yarn-dyed wovens from Diamond Textiles.

Pages 5 and 6 of the 2025 Stitch Book.

The threads I’m using consist of variegated cotton sewing thread, perle cotton, embroidery floss, and an 80 wt. soft poly for the appliqué. I’m using basic, familiar stitches: running stitch, blanket stitch, French knots, seed stitch, feather stitch, back stitch, and an invisible appliqué stitch.

The backs are colorful and interesting as well.

Backs of pages 1 and 2.

Backs of pages 3 and 4.

Backs of pages 5 and 6.

This is the start of page 7.

Page 7 of my 100 Day Stitch Book 2025.

I’ll work on this page for five days and then start another one.

A new 100 Day Project: Stitch Book 2025 with Ann Wood

This year, I’m doing the 100 Day Stitch Book Challenge 2025 with Ann Wood for my 100 Day Project. I was debating whether to join this Challenge (that started January 17) because I’m also working on Junk Journal January this month. After realizing the stitch book pages were only 5.5” x 7” in size, however, I thought the two Challenges would be manageable for the remainder of this month.

Day 3 of the Stitch Book Challenge 2025

Stitch Book supplies

The supplies for the Stitch Book Challenge are minimal, easily accessible, and the options are flexible:

• fabric(s) for twenty 5.5” X 7” book pages (this is the base fabric)
• threads for hand stitching
• fabric scraps

Improv patchwork scraps (left) and cotton/linen pages for a stitch book.

I’ll be using a cotton/linen blend fabric from Art Gallery Fabric’s Ink Perfect collection. It’s a remnant from a top I made last year. I was able to cut 12 pages from it.

The scraps I’m using are mostly patchwork strings and trimmings from various improv patchwork pieces I’ve created over the years. I have a small “inventory” of these pieces that I use for improv compositions should a piece require a “spark of something different” or to make a piece of patchwork larger. 

Day 2 of the Stitch Book Challenge 2025.

Improvisational Stitching

The Stitch Book Challenge encourages spontaneity in the stitching process. Starting without knowing, and working without a plan. I think my improv patchwork scraps will be an appropriate complement to the stitching on the pages. 

It will be good to get into a free-form stitching routine for 100 days with this Stitch Book 2025 Challenge. 

100 Days of Paint, Paper, Stitch—a recap

100 days. 40 watercolor compositions. This year’s 100 Day Project, Paint Paper Stitch, is finished.

My stack of watercolor and stitched compositions from The 100 Day Project 2024.

My 2024 100 Day Project involved watercolor painting on watercolor paper with the addition of hand stitching and some slow drawing. I participated with my quilting friend, Tari, who worked on mixed media compositions with a “leaf” theme. We kept each other on task with weekly reviews and photo exchanges.

Tools and supplies

Most of the tools and supplies needed for this project I had on hand. I did purchase a jumbo tablet of watercolor paper, but found a spiral sketchbook worked better as I was able to turn the sketchbook orientation as needed during some of the painting exercises. The thick tablet was more cumbersome. 

Willa Wander’s “Watercolor for Relaxation” course was the perfect starting point to learn about watercolor painting and I found her class exercises so helpful and informative. I took one of her other online courses and would highly recommend her classes.

Stitching and painting supplies and tools.

The frame jig I cut from a piece of cardboard (shown below on the right) was so helpful. I was able to line up the square frame on a page, draw a light pencil line for the painting boundary, and I was ready to paint. This kept the composition size consistent and the square format was conducive for posing online. 

The plastic drafting templates—tools from my days as a paste-up artist—resurfaced in the toolbox and were used for various painting exercises and as a guidelines for punching holes for stitching.

Various templates used for painting and stitching.

My process

I started with the painting exercises—loading brushes, color mixing, creating a color palette—to learn how to work with the watercolors. 

Color mixing with watercolor paints.

As the project progressed, I began to add stitching to compositions. The stitching started with simple lines following the painted shapes. 

Days 38 (painting) and Days 45, 92 (stitching added).

Days 14: drawn flowers with a background wash. Day 73: petals were painted.
Stitching on Days 74 ,75, 84.

Once comfortable with stitching through paper, I started to think about using the stitching on its own as another layer of design. 

and Day 89

Layer upon layer

Many compositions entailed multiple days of both painting and stitching. Some of the painting exercises required drying time before the next technique was added to a piece, so spanned over a day or so.

Day 32. Painting shapes and then learning background flat washes.

Later in the project, I began to revisit earlier compositions to enhance them: stitching, drawing, and adding depth and texture.

Days 64, 69, 70,71, 93. Adding stitching to the painted compositions at different stages.

Drawing and stitching were added to this painting.

Days 48 (painting), 50 (drawing), 79-82 (stitching).

Beneath the Surface

The following composition, called "Beneath the Surface," was worked on the most number of days. It started as a painting exercise (Day 6) and got more complex with each day of stitching. This composition taught me the most about different weights of thread, using stitch patterns, and reusing holes.

Day 6 (left) ad Day 99.

I used Floral Stitches by Judith Baker Montano as inspiration for trying different stitches on this composition.

Using Floral Stitches by Judith Baker Montano for stitch inspiration.

Below is the final composition. It was started on Day 6 with a watercolor painting. Stitches were added on Days 46 47, 49, 90, 91, 94. On Day 95, I went back into the background and painted more shapes. More stitching was added on Days 96 - 99.

"Beneath the Surface" Day 99.

A few close-ups of Beneath the Surface.

Detail of "Beneath the Surface."

Detail of "Beneath the Surface."

And here is the back view.

"Beneath the Surface," back view.

Threads

I used various threads for stitching: embroidery floss, perle cotton, a few yarn scraps, and tested two new threads from Scanfil (a 4-ply cotton and a wool/nylon mending thread).

Days 76 and 83 using a cotton mending thread.

Days 77 - 78 using a wool mending thread.

Day 100: the final composition

For my final composition, I went back to the beginning of my daily process and pulled a color mixing exercise (3 primary colors) from Day 5. A successful flat wash was painting in the background (a technique I’ve been steadily improving on). Then, with whatever threads were left in my working needles, I stitched a sampling of patterns in circular motifs on the painting. 

Threads remaining in the working needles and pre-punched holes ready for stitching.

Day 100, final composition.

A wonderful learning experience!

With this 100 Day Project, I learned more about watercolor painting and practiced many techniques through the “Watercolor for Relaxation” course with @willa.wanders. I discovered the challenges of and learned the differences between stitching through [watercolor] paper vs fabric. I found ways and tools to adapt to this technique and have the results feel like it was successful. 

Things I learned about the stitching on paper

• pre-punching the holes is a must! At one point I found a awl tool that helped with this.
• stitching through paper is not like stitching on fabric. I had to turn the paper over when sending the needle and thread back to the front of the work.
• use a needle "just big enough" to handle the thread. It will minimize the holes in the paper.
• the same hole could be used for multiple passes for the same or different motifs.
• once a hole was punched in the paper, I was pretty well committed to the stitch path (unlike on fabric).
• I found the combination of the watercolor, drawing, and stitching, very interesting, different and rewarding.

Future explorations include trying different threads, yarn and silk ribbon.

Day 86

Watercolor painting techniques I learned

• color mixing
• how to make the colors in a color palette relatable
• flat washes and glazes
• "more water, less paint"
• There is no need to clean the palette after every painting session. Watercolor paints can be rejuvenated and used for future sessions.
• Watercolor painting is very frugal… a little goes a long way.

My 100 Day Project for 2024 resulted in 40 watercolor compositions/exercises. Some are on loose sheets of watercolor paper, a few are in a spiral sketchbook, and many are in a perfect bound watercolor tablet. 

I still have opportunities to continue this practice and I'm confident I'll use these techniques in various ways in future art. Thanks to everyone who cheered me on with "likes" and comments on my posts.