My Ornament Tradition - 2017

In a December blog last year, I wrote about a Christmas tradition I have. When I was a teen, I made a little paper doily angel for the ladies celebrating Christmas with my family.  Then ever year I would make another ornament.  This tradition has continued all these years.  What started with 6 family friends now includes over 30 family, friends and colleagues.

While I can’t make an ornament for each of my reader’s I decided to share how I made this year’s ornament.  This year’s ornament was a felted heart with a little embroidery added to it.

Cheryl's 2017 ornament

To make this heart, I needle felted some wool in a cookie cutter (see my blog “Needle Felting in Cookie Cutters” for even more instructions.)  Start by putting some of the wool roving or batting in the cookie cutter.  It doesn’t matter if it over flows the cutter, this will felt this down.   Keep felting until it is a firm as you want it.  Add wool where  you need it to get the surface smooth.  Remember to felt both sides, this will help smooth out the felting.

roving in cutter

finished felting in cutter

                           

When you have it the thickness and firmness you want, take it out of the cookie cutter and felt along the edges.  This will give a nice rounded smooth appearance.  Now if you like it looking a little ragged, then leave it unfelted.  This is your ornament.

felting the sides

Now starts the embroidery. Use embroidery floss, perle cotton or as I did here a real thin 2 ply yarn. I put a snowflake design in the middle. But you could do whatever design you want it.  I did it by free hand but if you want to draw the design on  the wool , go ahead.  To be honest, I had a hard time getting my fabric pens or pencils to work on the wool.  I started with a dash along the center of the heart.  I made mine about an inch long.  Don’t worry about hiding the stitches on the back, when it is done, we will cover that up

start the embroidery

Then I made an X over that dash.  After the X was done. I then added a French knot at the tip of each point of the design.   

Add French Knots

Add the X

                       

                                   

                            

       

Finished snowflake

When you are done with the embroidery turn the ornament over.  Now you see the back side of the embroidery, add a little roving on it and felt it in.  If you are using a dark color thread against a light colored wool, you might need to add a little more as you felt it because the dark thread will show through.

put roving over back stitches

Back of ornament

                 

Finished back

felt roving on back of ornaments

                             

If you like how the ornament looks at this point, then stop and add a loop of thread at the top for a hanger.  I added a running stitch along the edge in another colors just to add some pizzazz to it.  Make sure you have enough thread long enough to be able to go around the heart without having to start and stop.  I didn’t felt over these stitches on the back I liked the look of the running stitch on both sides so that meant I didn’t want any knots showing.

I started at the bottom edge of the heart.  Leave a tail of a couple of inches.  I knotted the two ends of the thread when I finished the running stitch for a simple little tassel at the bottom.

 

Start the running stitch

the running stitch

                       

When I stitched around to the other side, both tails of the thread met.  And here is where I knotted the two tails, like I said making a simple little tassel.

Running stitch done

Knot at the bottom

At the top I added – in the same color as the running stitch – a loop as a hanger.  And now your ornament is ready for the tree.

Ready for the tree

©2017  Cheryl Fillion