Snowflake Ornament: legacy of a fanatical finisher.

The November meeting of the Embroiderers' Guild Ethnic Embroidery Study Group was a chance for each of us to bring in a beading project to work on or try out. We had been studying beaded works all year and set this meeting aside to have a go. I had planned to take in a kit to constructed beaded spiders as Christmas ornaments - spiders apparently  have an association with Christmas in the Ukraine where legend has it, spiders decorated the tree of a poor widow for Christmas. Unfortunately, I put the kit in a safe place several months ago so it would be ready for this meeting. Hunt as I might for the safe place, it eluded me. 

The best I could do at the last minute was a felt snowflake, left from my Wizard of Oz ornaments four years ago. It is printed on felt and decorated with sequins and beads. It can hardly be described as ethnic, but does have quite a cultural connotation.

At the meeting, one member had researched and reported on various Christmas ornament traditions (including the spiders!), others had brought along family ornament treasures from a range of traditions and our convenor brought along patterns, beads, threads and felt. We shared and discussed - and did a little experimenting. I put a few stitches into my snowflake.

When I returned home, the sensible thing would have been to put the snowflake away and get on with my project of the moment, but of course, my fanatical finishing instincts kicked in. I found myself with sequins and beads, stitching away, on a mission to finish an ornament for which I had no particular need or desire.









Here's the finished item, now hanging from a Yukka where it adds to the festive spirit on my balcony. Ethnicity - Metro Goldwin Mayer!

It's been a great year with the Ethnic Embroidery Study Group. We celebrated with a shared lunch at our convenor's home last week. It is deeply satisfying to belong to a group with such a shared passion - and so much knowledge. I'm really grateful.

Heart Ornaments

My final Christmas ornament project was worked on felt heart shapes that were part of the Raggetty Ann kit. I didn't much like the " I love you" message on the hearts - seemed a bit disembodied. I used the heart shapes and made my own versions.


I spent a bit of time researching Corinthians 13:13 in different versions and settled for the English translation of the Aramaic which uses 'endure'. I stitched it freehand - a mistake!

However, I got better as I went along. I stitched them two-sided, more interesting I think than single-sided. I also reversed the colours of the sequins - putting white sequins on the red felt and vice-versa.



For the second one I summarised .I also added a bell and star to this one.



I'm pleased with them as they hang on the tree. They constitute my third, and last, set of Christmas wishes.

Christmas Raggetty Anns

In the lead up to this Christmas I have also been stitching another of the Bucilla Christmas ornament kits I have accumulated. This one is Raggetty Ann.

The kit comes with two each of Raggetty Ann, her bear, a heart and a gift box. I am decided not to make the gift box at all and to change the hearts to something else.

For the moment I focused on the Raggetty Anns and bears.

I found these a lot of fun to make.  I love seeing the figure emerge from the bits of felt.

I found this particular kit not as clear in its instructions as other Bucilla kits I have made - but I have made enough to get by!

The pink sequins on her skirt should be embroidery. I fixed this on the second one and the sequins are a Christmas treat!

The bear is a nice touch and quick to make. Because one Raggetty Ann is a gift and has to travel to Canberra, I attached the bear lightly to her hands. The one for our tree balances between her hands.


Here they are, just finished. One is now in Canberra and the other hanging on our Christmas Tree.

Happy Christmas Number Two!

Gingerbread family ornaments

While making the ballet bears for the Christmas tree I was conscious that they would not appeal to my 6 year-old grandson. There wasn't a lot around that were as attractive for a boy, but  a kit for a Gingerbread Family came up on special at Herrschners, so I took a chance.

I have been working on it this week.

The figures come already cut out in three little cellophane packages, with thread included. The beads and a beading needle come in a separate cellophane bag and serve all three figures.

The fabric is stretchy teddy-bear material which I haven't worked with before. The bodies could have been stitched on the machine, but mine is packed up at the moment, as we have visitors, so I worked it all by hand. The instructions offer glueing as an alternative to stitching, but I am much more comfortable stitching!

There is a gingerbread chef-father, shown here before his second wrist was done.


There is no shortage of bling!

The gingerbread mother has a frivolous apron,a ruff and a bonnet, while the child has a spectacular vest and splendid scarf. In the pattern the child has a bow in her hair, which I managed to turn into a small cap for a gender change. My only criticism is that the vest has no back - a bit skimpy when working 3 dimensions.



They look quite jolly on the tree. Will they compensate a 6 year old boy for ballet bears? We will know fairly soon!