WHITE CHRISTMAS Ornaments Handmade ornaments always add a touch of uniqueness to a Christmas tree. These delightful ornaments are bound to get noticed on your tree and can easily be adapted to suit your colour scheme. MEASUREMENTS Finished size: 12cm x 14cm (4 3/4in x 5 1/4in) hexagon
MATERIALS Fat quarter lavender tone-on-tone print 30.5cm (12in) square white felt 12.5cm (5in) square each of lavender, dusky pink, sage green and mustard coloured felt 30.5cm (12in) square of low-loft batting DMC Perlé Coton No 8: ecru, light plum (316) DMC Perlé Coton No 5: light violet (553) Sullivans 4 ply crochet and knitting cotton: light sage green Anchor Stranded Embroidery Thread: 876, 887, 970 Cotton sewing thread to match the felt and the beads 4mm (1/8in) drum beads: one packet Dark Plush 10mm (3/8in) Folly bell: one gold 11mm (3/8in) grosgrain saddle stitch ribbon: 50cm (5/8yd) lavender Needles: Crewel size 8, darning size 1, chenille size 22, chenille size 13 or thick needle for pricking paper 2B Pencil Frixion pen Freezer paper Zip lock bags: three Lightbox (Optional) Scissors: fabric, embroidery, craft General sewing supplies Note: It is recommended all fabrics be 100 per cent cotton, pre-washed and well ironed. Requirements are based on fabric 112cm (44in) wide. Use the crewel needle for sewing with the stranded embroidery thread, the chenille size 22 needle for sewing with the perlé coton and crochet/knitting cotton and the darning needle for the cast-one loops. TOP TIP When tracing the stars from the pattern sheet onto the freezer paper templates, mark the position with a dot in the centre,so you don t have to trace all the small details. PREPARATION 1. Trace the three hexagons designs from the pattern sheet onto the dull side of the freezer paper with the pencil, transferring all the details, leaving 1/2in between shapes. Cut out the hexagons on the outlines with the craft scissors and set them aside. TOP TIP If using synthetic felt, use a lower temperature setting on the iron and protect the felt with baking paper or an appliqué mat. 2. Trace the small hexagon template from the pattern sheet onto the dull side of the freezer paper and cut it out. Lightly fuse the hexagon shape, shiny side facing down, to one end of the white felt sheet with a warm
iron. Cut out the felt along the outlines of the freezer paper template. Peel off the freezer paper template and re-use it to cut out two more shapes from the white felt. 3. Peel off the freezer paper template and trace three outlines on the lowloft batting, cut them out and keep them aside. 4. Trace the individual design elements for each ornament onto the dull side of the freezer paper and cut them out. Fuse the elements onto the coloured felt sheets using the photograph as a guide for colour, in the same way as the hexagon shapes. Cut them out along the outlines and store the elements for each ornament in separate zip-lock bags until needed. 5. Trace the large hexagon template from the pattern sheet, three times onto the wrong side of the lavender tone-on-tone print with the pencil, using a lightbox or a well-lit window, leaving 1/2in between shapes. Cut them out on the lines with fabric scissors. 6. Cut three 5 1/2in lengths from the lavender grosgrain ribbon. CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENT 7. Using the thick needle, prick some holes along the outline of the tree on the traced freezer paper template. Align the template with a white felt hexagon and use the Frixion pen to mark through the pricked holes, onto the felt to show the position of the tree. Peel off the freezer paper from the sage green Christmas tree felt shape, position it on the white felt inside the marked outlines and pin to secure. Whipstitch the tree to the background, taking small stitches using the matching sewing thread. Peel off the freezer paper and position the mustard felt star shape in the same way and then whipstitch it in place using matching sewing thread. 8. Prick some holes in the freezer paper template for the tree garlands and the background dots and transfer them to the background with the Frixion pen as before. 9. Work a line of fly stitch using the 553 perlé coton along the top garland, then repeat on the third and fifth garland. On the second, fourth and sixth garlands work chain stitch using two strands of 970 embroidery thread, alternating with a dark plush bead. 10. Backstitch around the edge of the tree with the sage green knitting and crochet cotton, then work two-wrap French knots outside the backstitch, see photograph. 11. Backstitch the outline the star with three strands of 887 embroidery cotton. Work two-wrap French knots for the dots in the background using six strands of the same embroidery thread. 12. Place a same size batting hexagon behind the white felt and tack around the edges using a 1/8in seam to secure. 13. Fold a 5 1/2in lavender ribbon length in half and centre it along the top of the white felt, aligning the raw edges with the fold facing towards the lower edge of the ornament. Stitch the ribbon securely in place inside the seam allowance. 14. Draw a Frixion pen line, 3/4in from the edges on the wrong side of the large lavender tone-on-tone print hexagon, using a ruler. Fold the
fabric, wrong sides facing, to meet the line on all sides, working in a clockwise direction around the hexagon and mitring the corners. 15. Centre the white felt hexagon on the lavender tone-on-tone hexagon, wrong sides facing and pin to secure. Fold the hem of the lavender print hexagon over the raw edge of the felt and slip-stitch it in place with matching thread, ensuring the corners are aligned and mitred. 16. Remove the tacking threads and the Frixion pen markings. CANDLE ORNAMENT 17. Prepare the candle ornament freezer paper template in the same way as the tree template, by pricking holes along the edges of the candle and the other design elements and transferring the markings to the white felt hexagon using the Frixion pen. Note the order for this ornament: the lavender felt shape is whip-stitched down first, then the dusky pink dripping wax shape, followed by the flame and the stars, but the holly-leaf shapes remain un-attached at this point. 18. Using 553 perlé coton, work fly-stitch along the two sides of the candle ensuring the V part of the stitch is on the white felt and the Y tail overlaps onto the lavender candle felt. 19. With 316 perlé coton work backstitch around the dusty pink felt wax shape. Work three, 5-petal lazy daisy stitch flowers on the candle with ecru perlé coton, then work a three-wrap French knot for the flower centres using two strands of 876. 20. Backstitch the outline the stars with three strands of 887 embroidery thread, then chain-stitch around the edge of the flame using the same thread. 21. Backstitch around the centre flame shape with two strands of 970 embroidery thread and attach a dark plush bead in the centre. 22. Backstitch down the centre vein of the holly leaves with two strands of 876 thread, joining them to the background at the same time, then stitch three dark plush beads in place between the leaves with matching sewing thread. 23. Complete the ornament in the same way as the Christmas tree ornament repeating steps 12-16. BELL ORNAMENT 24. Prepare the bell ornament freezer paper template in the same way as the tree template, by pricking holes along the edges of the bell and the other design elements and transferring the markings to the white felt hexagon using the Frixion pen. Note the order for this ornament: the lavender bell felt shape is whip-stitched down first, then the dusky pink bell base shape and the holly-leaf shapes remain un-attached at this point. 25. Work three, 5-petal lazy daisy stitch flowers on the bell base with ecru perlé coton, then work three-wrap French knots for the flower centres using two strands of 876 embroidery thread. 26. Using the 316 perlé coton, work loops of 10, cast-on stitches all around the bell and across the upper edge of the bell base. Attach the dark plush beads above the bell base using the same thread.
27. Backstitch down the centre vein of the holly leaves with two strands of 876 thread, joining them to the background, then stitch five dark plush beads in place between the leaves with matching sewing thread. 28. Backstitch the stars with two strands of 887 embroidery thread and attach the folly bell in position using the same thread. 29. Complete the ornament in the same way as the Christmas tree ornament repeating steps 12-16. Hang your ornaments on your tree and enjoy the season. For more information about this project contact Val on her email: vlaird@exemail.com.au or visit her website: http://val-laird.blogspot.com/ or Facebook page: www.facebook.com/vallairddesigns IN PATTERN SHEET: WHITE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS Val Laird Small hexagon template trace one onto freezer paper Large hexagon template trace three onto the lavender print Ornament 1 tree design, tree and star; trace onto freezer paper Ornament 2 candle design, candle, flame, holly-leaf, dripping wax and stars; trace onto freezer paper Ornament 3 bell design, bell, bell base and holly-leaf; trace onto freezer paper