Crazy Patch Mitten Ornaments

 

Crazy Patch Mitten ornaments

    This year I decided to make crazy patch mitten ornaments for the adults that came for Christmas and also for my two students I still teach.  This was somewhat inspired by the leftover fabric that I had from making my granddaughter's second Christmas stocking.

Finished ornament

     I had seen on Facebook that someone else had personalized the ornament with the year (and also a saying).  I used my software to add the year to the ornament and also rearrange the order so it would sew before the finishing steps.  

Backs of finished ornaments

     The directions from Designs by JuJu are very complete so it was easy to follow along.  

Batting tacked down

Batting trimmed

     First you hoop tear-away stabilizer.  I used two different ones, the first was a little softer but the second tore more cleanly.  Since these were ornaments to hang on the tree I used the second one (Pellon 806 Stitch-N-Tear) even though more crinkly.  The first stitch line was a placement line for the batting.  I placed the batting down and then it stitched the tack down stitches.  Then I trimmed close to those stitches.

Placement line for first fabric

First fabric in place

First fabric tacked down

First fabric trimmed

     Next were the placement stitches for the first fabric.  I placed the first fabric down and then it stitched the tack down stitches.  When trimming I had to make sure I left enough around the outside for the final trimming.

Placement line for the second fabric

Second fabric in place

Second fabric, seam stitched

Second fabric flipped over

Second fabric tacked down

Second fabric trimmed

     For the second fabric, it stitched a placement line, but only where the seam would be.  I placed the fabric right side down and then it stitched the seam.  Then I flipped the fabric over and finger pressed the seam (you could use a small iron if you want).  The machine stitched the tack down stitches and I again trimmed around.

Decorative stitch with metallic thread

     Next up was the decorative stitch on the seam.  I used a metallic thread and slowed the machine down for it.  It wasn't until the last ornament or two that the thread started to give me some problems.  These steps were repeated for each of the four fabrics.

Ribbon taped in place

Backing taped in place

Ready for the final stitch

     Next up were the final sewing steps.  The machine stitched a placement line for the ribbon.  I then taped the ribbon in place on the back of the hoop.  After the machine stitched the tack down stitches for the ribbon, I removed the tape from the ribbon and then taped the backing in place.  The machine did the tack down stitching all around before it did the final bean stitch.

Tearing away the stabilizer

     The final steps were to remove it from the hoop, tear away the stabilizer and then cut around the edges with pinking shears being careful not to cut the ribbon.  This was a fun project.  I can't wait to make some of the other ornaments for the upcoming Christmases.

Violet Christmas Stocking 2

 

Finished stocking

    I needed to make another Christmas stocking, this one to hang at their house.  When I had made the ones for my grandson and mom and dad, I got a little extra fabric, just in case.  I saved it off to the side and thus was able to make a matching one for my granddaughter.

Pieced front

Ironed to fusible fleece

Pattern to cut the stocking

     I cut strips of the fabric and pieced them together.  I then ironed on fusible fleece to the wrong side of the pieced fabric and also to the wrong side of the back fabric.  Then using the pattern from Embroidery Library, I cut out all the pieces, including the lining front and back.

Lining all cut

     I ironed on Pellon SF101 Shape-Flex to the wrong side of some muslin to give it some more body.  This is what I then used for the cuff of the socking.  I used MasterWorks to get the name, using the same font as her brother's stocking.

Cuff with Shape-Flex and embroidered

     After I embroidered her name, I started to assemble the stocking.  I stitched the front and back pieces together and then did the same for the lining pieces.  I created the hanging loop from fleece backed fabric.  It made it quite thick but also very sturdy.  I placed the lining inside the stocking with wrong sides together and stitched around the top.  I basted the tab in place also.

Ready for the cuff

      I then placed the cuff inside the stocking with right sides together, name facing the lining.

Placing the cuff

     I stitched that all together and then did an edge finish stitch to make it look nicer and prevent fraying.  Then I flipped the cuff to the outside.

Edge finished top

     I like to do the stockings this way as everything is finished inside and I don't have to turn it through an opening.

Name detail

Back of the stocking

     I mailed it off and then got a picture of my granddaughter sitting on it.  My daughter-in-law said it was her way of saying she approved of it. :-)

Granddaughter approved

 

Violet Christmas Stocking 1

Violet's Stocking

     Our youngest grandchild was born last November.  Since she was still so young, our son and his family did not travel here for Christmas.  Since they were coming in this year, I needed to make her a stocking to hang on our mantel along with everyone else's.

Deconstructed stocking

     I bought a stocking at Hobby Lobby and then took it apart so I could embroider it.  I used a free design that I had gotten from Designs by JuJu. I used sticky stabilizer to hoop the stocking and placed a washaway film on top to keep down the nap.  I used MasterWorks for the name on the cuff.

Putting it back together

      After I finished the stitching, I sewed it all back together.  This may seem wasteful to buy an already made item and take it apart, but I find that easier that having to shop for fabric, cut out the stocking and then have to deal with the leftover fabric.

Detail of embroidery

 

     I did get a little bit of a pucker in the fabric of the first O because of the plushness of the fabric.  I just left it as it isn't all that noticeable.  

Our mantle

Wine Bottle Aprons for New Year's Eve

Dressing up a bottle of sparkling wine

     When I bought a bunch of designs from Designs by JuJu, one of the free designs was this bottle apron.  I figured I only had this year to use it so I decided to use it to dress up champagne bottles that I brought to the various parties we went to over the holidays.

Silver fabric in my stash

     I found this silver, stretchy fabric in my stash that I thought would be very festive.  I did iron on a stabilizer/backing so it wouldn't stretch.

Stabilizer to back stretchy fabric

     I had bought a bolt of this SF101 so I could make tree skirts, it was just right to get rid of the stretch without adding a lot of bulk.

Hooped two layers of this

     I hooped two layers of Wet N Melt and stitched the placement line for the batting and face fabric.  I placed both layers as instructed and then did the tack-down stitch.  Then I had to trim both layers.  I found that I couldn't get as close as I wanted, it was too bulky.  On the next two I did, I did one layer at a time, repeating the tack-down stitch.  I was able to trim closer and I got a better finished edge.

Face fabric stitched, ready for trimming

     After I trimmed the front, all the fancy stitching was done.  Then I placed the backing piece on the back of the hoop and held it in place with painter's tape.  After trimming the backing to size, I had to change to a black bobbin for the finished edge,  I then trimmed close to the finished edge and used a damp finger to remove the rest of the Wet N Melt.  That left a nice clean edge.

Finished apron

     I then cut open the button holes with my craft knife and threaded through the ribbons.  It was a fun project, especially after I finished changing the colors on the machine, it went rather quick with my multi needle machine.

Ribbons added