Saturday 9 November 2013

Inside The Craft Cave This Week --> I Started Christmas Crafting!

This Embroidery Hoop Christmas Tree is a project that I am SO enjoying making for Christmas this year. I absolutely love working with embroidery hoops and I was inspired to make this shape after I saw a similar looking decoration using silver rings in the Spotlight catalogue.

I rummaged through my hoop collection and came up with this layout, using 125mm and 200mm circular hoops and a 200mm x 300mm oval hoop in the centre.

Embroidery Hoop Christmas Tree by Rhapsody and Thread
The hoop layout for my Embroidery Hoop Christmas Tree project

I wanted all of the hoops to have a linen background, to keep with my rustic Australiana Christmas theme we're doing this year. And I dug out all of my Liberty of London fabrics that had any red or green in them.

I started with one of the large round hoops, and decided to make a fabric scrap Christmas tree. It was fun to make and looks great - but it needs a trunk, which I think I'll make out of twine...

Embroidery Hoop Christmas Tree by Rhapsody and Thread
The mini Christmas tree hoop

Next I did the other large round hoop and I used one of my favourite tools - my alphabet stencil! I picked the ribbon look Reuben print and I think it worked out really well. I might still satin stitch a border if I have time.

Embroidery Hoop Christmas Tree by Rhapsody and Thread
The HO! HO! HO! appliqué hoop

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I'm also working on a Christmas Burlap Table Runner for my hall table in the entry. This was actually a project that I've had on my mind for ages - ever since I bought the scarf kit from Calico and Ivy... gosh, it must have been at least 12 months ago! I had seen the scarf on display in the store and loved the look of it (Liberty of London fabric scraps sewn in stripes on burlap - very rustic and pretty at the same time) and the simplicity of the project. But when I got home and got out the burlap out, I didn't like the stiff texture of the burlap and decided that I would never wear it so I added the fabric scraps to my collection and stored the burlap for my future table runner project. And so this is it!

I picked the stripy Reuben print again because I love the colours and the look of how the stencil worked with the HO! HO! HO! hoop above. And I stencilled Merry Christmas on to Vleiseflix to help iron the words into place on the burlap. I haven't decided yet whether I'll do a continuous border around the edge or maybe separate the words with an embroidered picture of some sort. Again, it will depend on time.

Christmas Table Runner by Rhapsody and Thread

This is how the letters turned out once cut out.

Christmas Table Runner by Rhapsody and Thread
Christmas Table Runner by Rhapsody and Thread

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And the third project I'm slowly nibbling away at is the family Christmas stockings. As you can see, I've picked my fabrics, traced my template and decided on linen for the tops. At this stage, I'm planning on embroidering our names... but I'm not sure if I'm going to have the time. I might appliqué the letters using my trusty stencil again!! So much easier.

Family Christmas Stockings by Rhapsody and Thread

I did manage to get the front of my 'stockings' cut out this past week. From left to right, the stockings are for Dad, Mum, Isla and Logan and I've used (don't know yet), Garla, Emma and Georgina, and Reuben prints respectively. And I've since decided that I need to make a "Nanna" stocking as well. So I'll get my hands on some more of Nanna's favourite Liberty fabric at the moment - Betsy Ann (red) - and make one for her too. It will save me wrapping her bottle of scotch! LOL

Family Christmas Stockings by Rhapsody and Thread

So yeah, that's kind of it. I've been collecting gum nuts and leaves, and thinking about what to do with the other hoops in my tree.. We'll just have to see how productive I am next week!

 

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