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Showing posts with label snowflake design with pearls and crewel yarn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snowflake design with pearls and crewel yarn. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 3, 2019


December 3, 2019 – Heart Christmas ornaments



         Our church, the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, is having their annual Christmas bake sale this coming Saturday, the 7th of December and I am making goodies for it.

         At the last meeting, they mentioned there would be a craft corner and that got my crafty/creative mind to ponder.  Last year I researched snow flake designs I could embroider with beads and then I fell out with the flu and the project was immediately shelved.

         First, I dug out the snowflake designs and then I thought about what I could make for Christmas ornaments.  I dug around in my felt box and pulled out the pattern for a “country heart” which is a lopsided type heart.  Then I dug out the beads and crewel yarn and pondered about the felt.

         AH HAH – I had been given two old wool Army blankets by a friend who indicated they were too hot for her.  They are warm, but twin size and don’t cover my bed completely.  But, I am not one to toss things out.  During one episode of the flu, I had one of them tossed over the top of my blankets for extra warmth and darn if I didn’t overturn a cup of hot cocoa, what a mess.  But, what was worse, I couldn’t get the stain out. 

         I washed the blanket a couple of times and as is the case with real wool blankets when washed, they become felted and softer.  I set the blanket away with the idea of making a vest or a jacket to keep warm – just cut around the stain – as the fabric was soft to the touch. 

         I traced a country heart shape with a pen around the cardboard pattern over, and over again along the length of one side of the felted wool blanket.  I studied my snowflake designs for a simple six-sided design and found one that would fit within the heart shape.  I sliced off the row of hearts, and carefully cut them out with fabric shears.  Amazing how lovely just the heart shapes felt and looked. 
        
         I made a template by drawing the snow flake design on a piece of cardboard and then took that to a spare piece of soft wood and pounded a small nail at each tip and the center.  I now had a snowflake template with seven holes and could lay it over a cut out heart and poke a colored pencil in the hole and twirl it to leave a small reference dot.

         One evening I affixed pearl beads in a starburst design and then embroidered between them. I stitched two of the embroidered hearts back-to-back and stuffed them, ending with attaching a hanging loop.

         That was relaxing and fun.

         I hope everyone who reads this can find inspiration or creativity to tackle a little craft project or bake some holiday goodies as that is what Christmas is all about - using the talents that God has given you.