Show of hands

I put my intitials and a date in the bottom right corner of the work istself. I then make a label for the back of the frame with my name, the date, the designer, and for whom I stitched it.

Elizabeth

I nearly always backstitch my initials and the date of the finish onto my work, usually somewhere at the bottom. The exceptions are - I didn't do this on a reproduction sampler. The information is on the back of the framing. And small pieces don't always get the initial treatment if I think it would detract from the piece by being distracting.

I've kept a stitching journal for 12 years, though I don't update as frequently as I did. I note when I start a new piece, what it is, what changes I've made in fabric or threads. I try to write about current projects or classes taken. And I always note a finish. Some of this info has migrated onto my needlework blog, but I don't mind duplication. Because I frequently change things about a piece, it's nice to have a handy reference when someone asks what I used.

Donna in Virginia

I sign and date almost everything I do if it is large enough. One of the things in my rotation is a plastic canvas cover for kleenex. I usually won't sign something like that unless it is a gift. I don't keep a stitching journal, never have and can't imagine starting doing so now. When I "sign" my work, I use only my initials and the date is

7-6-08. I always hide this stuff somewhere in the design so that it is not obviously visible. It's there is you look but a cursory look at the piece won't show it. Of course, the exception to this is stuff that has an obvious place for it. The sampler I did for Janet for Christmas last year had two houses with our initials above each one. Then after the letters and numbers, it had the date. I try to remember to take photos of the finished pieces now instead of having a journal. I do keep all of the charts, directions and *maybe* thread samples for stuff I have finished in case I ever need it. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

Lucille

What am I stitching? On an ornament, not unless it's a swap. On most pieces, KMC 2008. On heirloom-quality pieces, I'll stitch in the margin of the fabric, so it's a surprise when someone finally decides to re-frame it "stitched by for her cousin in honor of her 16th birthday ".

I keep photos. And, of course, my sig line here changes, so I can quickly google up a completion date.

No stitching journal but I sign, date and try to get a picture of everything I make. If it is for someone in the family, I just put "Liz" and "2008". If it's for someone else, I will put "Liz H" and the year. I never bother putting the month. Where it goes depends on the design - sometimes under where the mat board or frame will go and sometimes hidden in a corner or in subtle shades but out where it can be seen. One reason I asked DH for a "regular" old fashioned camera a few years ago was so that I can have an actual photograph to put in a binder of needlework photos. It's nice to have them on the computer so I can send pictures via email or look at the quickly but I REALLY like to have a regular photograph in the book also. Liz from Humbug

I use a squiggle in backstitch for S, in which the tail of the S loops over the top and comes to the right-hand side and finishes in a tiny French knot. I only use it for largish ornamental pieces that I give away, and I certainly don't use a signature on "useful" articles, even if I give them as presents. I don't have a stitching journal as such, but usually have a few notes for new projects. For instance, I made a few purificators and lavabos for the local church, and I have these details down as I shall be doing them again when these wear out. I photograph my work if I remember to do it. I checked my "embroidery" folder just now to see what I had in it, and it seems that I was more diligent in photographing stuff when I was a beginner, as there are plenty from 2005, fewer from 2006, one or two from last year and hardly none from the last six months! So, there are countless projects of which I have no record, and when I come across one unexpectedly I'm usually very surprised!

- Shanti.

I photograph 80% of my stuff. I really want to keep a journal but haven't found a format that works for me. I will make notes on a completed chart that I might want to stitch again or has a motif or section that might come in handy some day.

I "sign" most of my work with small back stitch initials and the date. They are about 2 threads by 2 threads.

Cheryl

Yeah, what she said. And just my initials. AFAIR, I've signed everything I've ever stitched.

Joan

Sign and date with a glyph of the initials and the year. Usually put something on the back of a framed piece with some full info (back of dustcover).

Not precisely. But, I do keep some sort of project notes/books. I always think about keeping some kind of journal, and am trying to at least keep a little notebook with current project info WRT what's needed, etc.

I do admire people more organized than I in this respect.

Ellice

I do sign my work and when I was a "working" member of the EGA -2 Southern California chapters- I and the others were reminded to always date using the year as our work might be found a century or more later (!!) and the year was necessary. I usually embroider m. safier, or sometimes mss.... Some of my finished pieces can be seen in my picturetrail album but mostly they are snapped with a non-digi camera as that was before the popularity and availabity of said digi-cameras. Ergo they show up kinda small. Come to think of it, I might have deleted the "impossible to see" ones?! I'll check it out. I do not keep a stitching journal, mainly b/c I don't stitch as much as I crochet. I don't keep a crochet journal either.. I have entered a crocheted bikini in our county fair (and uploaded to P.T. album) and probably won't have time to block some doilies I finished in the last year by Weds., the deadline for dropping my stuff off to a gal who graciously makes a "county fair run" to enter things for my fiber arts guild. I have way more crochet items in the album as I believe I mentioned before that that obsession kinda took over my life-about 1997, about the time I first got online and joined CrochetPartners. OT: 3 days to leg surgery (7th one and getting very old) and getting a bit "nervous"--helps to have NW to do and "World without End" to read. "So far" (50 pages, a drop in the bucket!) I am enjoying it as much as "Pillars of the Earth".

Remember that "great philospher-Rodney King"--"can't we all just get along?" I say that very much tongue in cheek! He was a bum who got in trouble with the police for years after he was made a millionaire by the city of Los Angeles-but I veer very much OT!! May your stitches be frog-free! Marilyn