#the100dayproject : Inspiring Women Days 1 - 4

#The100DayProject is a *free* global art project that takes place online 🎨

Every year, thousands of people all around the world commit to 100 days of creating. Anyone can participate .

​The idea is simple: choose a creative project, do it every single day for 100 days, and document and share the process online.

2026 is my 8th year of participating. I have stitched daily observations, painted my egg cup collection, collaged postcards and envelopes, written poems, explored colour palettes .... this year I am researching, sketching and stitching 100 inspiring women.

Fortunately I purchased a piece of beautiful linen, with preprinted outlines of 100 women ... just one issue - the figures are tiny (height 6cm /2.5 ins)

My first week started tentatively ... I thought I would start with Empress Wu, after whom I named my creative activity. This is when I discovered how difficult it is to applique and stitch on these very small figures - I used tweezers to put pieces of fabric down, tried to blanket stitch around the pieces and felt I was going blind in the process.

It could only get better ? 

 Day 2 - It helped that I chose Ruth Williams Khama, a brave Englishwoman who married Seretse Khama , heir to the throne of Bechuanaland ( see the movie "A United Kingdom). She and her husband defied opposition from both their families  and  the British and South African governments to establish eventually an independent Botswana. Lady Khama's legacy " extends beyond the borders of Botswana , in a model of harmony which exposed the injustices of apartheid and colonial rule" . The dress was a simpler design and it meant fewer very tiny bits of fabric and I even managed to stitch some sort of leafy pattern on the skirt .... 

Day 3 was a surprise choice - I happened to read " who was born today" and Ettie Rout  appeared - a little known World War 1 nurse , shunned by her own country New Zealand but celebrated in France as a hero  for her  working to prevent sexually transmitted disease amongst serving soldiers. This was the day I began to doubt if I would ever make it to day 100 .... a hat and a 2 piece outfit which measured about 4cm /1.5 ins! 

From the dull "brown/beige" to the brightest colours of Yayoi Kusama on day 4. This was relatively easy - just coloured polka dots for which Kusama is most well known... 

So far this has to be one of the most challenging projects, but also one with many more layers to it ... will I manage to  research, sketch and stitch for the rest of the 100 days? 

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