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.

Penguin Bling

I have a friend who likes penguins. She and another friend from university days visit Adelaide for a few days each year. Earlier this year a kit of penguin Christmas tree ornaments caught my eye in one of Herrshner's weekly sales so I bought it and worked on it in between other projects.

I rather like these felt ornament kits - pretty simple to do, take shape in front of your eyes - and exceedingly blingy.



They are all absurd - carrying candy canes, wearing top hats, scarves and bow-ties - and hurling snowballs.

The connection of penguins to Christmas? Snow, I guess. Given that penguins are Southern hemisphere animals and snow is a Northern hemisphere phenomenon in December just adds to the absurdity - in for a penny, in for a pound of absurdity I say.

My only complaint about this kit is that it comes with a reel of nylon thread, assuming that all the stitching, not just the beading and sequins, will be done with it. I persevered with the nylon thread for several penguins before digging out some stranded cottons and using it for the remainder - much easier on the eyes, and much less slippery in the needle.

My friends were in Adelaide last weekend - and  Pat was very pleased with her penguins. I reckon anything that makes us smile as these do is well worth making.