Add an elegant, vintage look to your Christmas
decorations with freestanding lace ornament covers! Project instructions below
demonstrate how to find the right size design for your ornament, how to
embroider the lace, and how to join two sewn pieces together to make the
ornament cover.

To begin, choose the right size design
for your ornaments. Here are the sizes:

For an ornament with a 4″ height or a 12.5″ circumference, choose the large size
of the lace designs.

For an ornament with a 3″ height or a 9 7/8″ to 10 3/16″ circumference, choose
the medium size of the lace designs.

For an ornament with a 2.5″ height/or a 8″ circumference, choose the small size
of the lace designs. Note that the small size will also work if the bulb is 2.25
inches; it will just be a little looser.

Need help in determining the height? Stand the ornament on a flat service, and
place a ruler next to it. Measure from the base to the bottom edge of the cap.

Some embroiderers have reported difficulty in finding the right size bulb for
the medium size cover. We were able to find the 3″ height bulbs at Michaels (the
brand is Handmade Holidays), Joann’s (the brand is Holiday Inspirations), and
Target (brand unknown). The size that the manufacturer lists on the packaging
may be misleading; it’s best to measure the bulb rather than trust the labeling.

Here is an example of how you measure the
height of the bulb. This bulb is four inches tall, so we’ll use the large size
lace ornament cover.

To measure the circumference of the bulb,
wrap a vinyl measuring tape around the widest part of the bulb.

Supplies needed:

• Glass ornament — large is 4 inches in
  height, medium is 3 inches, small is 2-1/2 inches

• 1 yard of ribbon, 1/8 inch wide

• Water-soluble stabilizer (WSS)

• Bobbins wound with embroidery thread

• Tapestry needle with a large eye

Instructions:

Hoop one layer of heavy weight WSS in your
hoop. Sew out two of the designs on the WSS. We use Sulky Ultra Solvy and a size
11 sharp needle when embroidering freestanding lace.

After the embroidery has finished, unhoop
it and trim the excess WSS away.

Soak the two embroideries in water to
remove the stabilizer.  We soaked them for about 15 minutes. Refer to package
instructions if using a different brand of WSS.

After soaking, remove the embroideries from
the water, and blot off the lace with a paper towel.

You can handle the lace right away. And,
the lace will mold itself better to the ornament if it is still damp.

Place the two embroidery pieces together,
with the right sides facing each other. At the widest point on each side of the
embroideries, hand stitch the pieces together so that the pieces will form a
circle. Turn right side out.

Position the circle of lace  around an
ornament The straight ends of the lace covers will go on the top of the
ornament.

Thread the tapestry needle with the narrow
ribbon.

Using the needle, weave the ribbon through
the top openings (or loops) in each section of the ornament cover.

Place the ornament into the center of the
ornament cover and tighten the ribbon through the segments.

Pull the ribbon tight around the top of the
ornament, and tie in a pretty bow.

You have finished your half ornament cover!
For further embellishing ideas for the half ornament covers, go to the bottom of
this page.

The next steps will pertain to full
ornament covers.

Full ornament covers

To make a full ornament cover, you will continue from this point in the
instructions, just a few more steps, to complete the bottom.

Gently pull each bottom point toward the
center bottom of the ornament to help it stretch.

Use the rest of the threaded ribbon to
weave through the loop on each bottom point.

Draw the ribbon tight to bring the points
together at the bottom. Tie a knot, and snip off any extra ribbon.

Here is a view of a completed full ornament
cover. The beauty of lace is rivaled only by the numbers of creative ways you
will think of to use these outstanding ornaments.

If you would like to further embellish your
ornament, look below for some ideas to get you started. They’re fun and easy!

Dangling beads add sparkle and movement.

Stitch beads or pearls to the bottom ends
of the half ornament covers, or at the bottom circle of the full covers.

Weave a little wonder

Thread another colorful ribbon in the
tapestry needle, and weave it through some of the open spaces in the lace. This
is a quick and simple way to add extra color and dimension.

All the drama of a movie star!

Glue a length of marabou feather boa around
the ornament, and affix hot fix crystals right onto the glass ornament. That’s
right!  Hot fix crystals stick to anything that can take the heat of the
applicator tool.

Your creativity will know no bounds!  And,
your tree will be absolutely stunning.

Download all free embroidery designs from all our sites …

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Enjoy Them All For FREE …  Merry Christmas !!

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Used Designs :: 01 - 02 - 03

This in-the-hoop stocking, with its chilly snowflakes, is just one of many design styles ready to sew for this easy and unique holiday project.

Make one for everyone on your “nice” list. This one’s just the right size for small trinkets and gift cards, and light enough to hang on a wreath or tree. Easy to do and a great way to use the fabric scraps you’ve saved in your stash!

Supplies needed:

Scraps of fabric for the stocking top, body, and backing
4″ of narrow ribbon for hanger

Instructions:

Make the applique pattern pieces by hooping 3 pieces of regular printer paper, and sewing out the die lines without thread. The needle perforations work great as cutting lines.

Note: The stocking top and the stocking body pattern pieces overlap each other.

Unhoop the papers, and, from each piece of paper, cut out one applique pattern.  Here you see the stocking top, stocking body and stocking back pattern pieces.

Use the pattern pieces to cut out your fabric applique pieces: 2 back pieces and one each of the front pieces.

For the back, we used the 2 pieces of fabric and spray adhesive to make a fabric sandwich so that both the back of the stocking and the area that shows at the top of the stocking will look finished.

Hoop an appropriate-sized hoop with one piece of tear-away stabilizer.

Now load the embroidery design into your machine and start embroidering on the stabilizer. The first thing to sew will be the die line for the stocking body.
After the die line is sewn, spray the back of the stocking body piece lightly with spray adhesive, and lay the piece down within the die line. Sew the zigzag color stop around the stocking body.
Sew out the die line for the stocking top, and place the stocking top piece in place in the same manner as the stocking body. Sew the zigzag color stop around the stocking top.

Continue sewing out the stocking embroidery.  The decoration on the stocking top and stocking body will embroider next. Embroider until the end of the die line color stop for the stocking back.

Remove the hoop from your machine, but do not unhoop the project.

Lightly spray the side of the back piece that will face the front of the stocking with spray adhesive, and stick the back to the stabilizer side of the embroidery, using the die line as a guide. Turn the hoop over and press gently to ensure the back will not come off.
Now is also the time to put matching bobbin thread in your machine.  Having matching bobbin thread will make the back of the stocking look matched and finished.
(If you don’t have a bobbin winder, sew the satin border with white top thread–its a great way to “cheat” and have a nice finished back side.)

Return the hoop to the machine. Before you resume sewing, fold the ribbon in half, and place the ends so that they will be stitched over by the zigzag stitches. Trim any stray ends before sewing the final satin stitches.

Finish sewing out the embroidery.

Remove the stabilizer from around the outside of the stocking and from the top opening.
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Make ornaments for gifts, match to them to a favorite color scheme, or create one for everyone in the family.

Used Designs :: 01 - 02 - 03

Supplies needed:
1/4 yard of each of 2 fabrics
18 white pearl-headed pins
2 Tidy pins
Sequin pins
1 yard of 1/4″ wide ribbon
3″ head pins from the jewelry findings aisle
Assorted beads for bottom tassel
4mm beads
3″ Styrofoam ball (can be found at any craft and hobby store)

Instructions:
On the first fabric, sew out three ornament embroideries for your ornament.
Placement: They should be embroidered so that the design is at a 45 degree angle to the grain of the fabric (in other words: on the bias).
Print out the ornament die line template that comes with the design.

 Cut out the ornament template and trace it onto tracing paper.
Place the tracing paper template over the embroideries. You can see from the photo that the embroidery can be seen through the tracing paper.
Center the embroidery within the template and mark the fabric around the outside edge of the of the template. Repeat for the other two embroideries.
Use the template as a pattern piece and cut out three pieces on the bias of the second fabric.

The 6 ornament pieces will be applied to cover the Styrofoam ball.
On each of the 6 ornament pieces, make five 1/4″ cuts on the curved edges. The cuts should be about 1/2″ apart.
The cuts will help the fabric to curve around the ball without puckering.

Pin one end of an unembroidered piece to the ball with a sequin pin, and stretch the piece slightly so that it reaches the opposite side of the ball. Pin the opposite end with another sequin pin.

Repeat with the remaining unembroidered pieces, so that the pieces are at equal intervals around the ball.

Remove as much stabilizer as possible from the back of the embroidery. (The fabric will be easier to stretch.)
In the same manner as the unembroidered pieces, pin and stretch the embroidered pieces so that the ball is completed covered with fabric.

Use a sequin pin to secure one end of the ribbon at one end of the ball, where the pieces meet.

Bring the ribbon around to the other end of the ball, laying the ribbon just to the inside of the outer edge of an embroidered piece.

While holding the ribbon in place with your fingers, slide the ribbon toward the edge of the embroidered piece until the ribbon just covers the raw edge. Pin the ribbon in place at the opposite end and repeat the process until you have all the raw edges covered with the ribbon.

To change direction, pin the ribbon into place, and fold the ribbon over to the angle needed for the next edge.

If you end at the top of the ornament, pin the ribbon into place and leave a 7″ tail on the ribbon.
If you end at the bottom, pin the ribbon to secure it into place, then trim the ribbon close to the pins. Cut a 7″ piece of ribbon to make the hanger for the ornament.

Make a circle with the 7″ ribbon by overlapping the ends by about 1″.
Secure the hanger into place by inserting a Tidy pin through both pieces of ribbon and into the top of the ball.

Use one pearl headed pin at the center of each ribbon to hold them in place around the ball.

Making the beaded dangles:
Stack pretty beads onto 3 head pins. Fatter beads should be toward the bottom of the dangle.

Use a needle-nosed pliers to bend an eye in the pin at the top of each dangle.

Thread the dangles onto a tidy pin, using the eyes that you just made, and insert the tidy pin into the bottom of the ball.

Put one 4mm bead on each of the remaining pearl headed pins, and insert around the top hanger and bottom dangles. Use 6 at the top and 6 at the bottom.

Now your ornament is ready to place on the Christmas tree, or to give as a beautiful, handmade gift.
Everyone is sure to love this unique ornament.

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Cut your design out using the template as your guide. Trace around the template on the backside of the material. Also use the stocking template to cut out a piece of fabric for the back panel. The back of your stocking can be the same material you sewed the design on, or a complimentary fabric.
If you’d like, you can also use the template to cut out a lining for the inside of your stocking. The lining should be lighter-weight material such as cotton or polyester. Cut two pieces of lining.

Take a look at our completed stockings!  They are so full of energy and action.  Santa’s Team stocking  gives the illusion that the reindeer are flying all the way around the stocking.  The Elves are busy  decorating a tree, and the Snow Pals are snowy and cute and filled with personality.

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Used Design: 01

Begin by selecting your base fabric.  Allow room for the design, and extra for finishing.  Find the center to begin sewing.

Hoop the base fabric with a sheet of cutaway stabilizer.

Make a composite of applique fabric and stabilizer.  Adhere together with a quick shot of spray stabilizer.  Cut the shape from the paper templates, and then use that template to cut the shape from the applique fabric and stabilizer composite.

Begin sewing the design.  The dieline will sew first - that will show you where to place the cut applique fabric.  Spray the back of the fabric and stabilizer composite with a quick shot of spray adhesive.  Place the fabric in the dieline.  Then sew the zig zag, or tack down stitch.  Next, the satin stitch border.

After sewing the torso, you can sew either the arms, head, or legs - the order does not matter.  Remove the top/inner hoop, and slide the up, down, left or right, depending on the next piece that you will sew, being careful not to rotate the fabric.  Rehoop the fabric. You may wish to use the paper templates as a guide when rehooping the fabric.

Using the paper templates, cut the fabric for the next portion of the scarecrow from a fabric and stabilizer composite.  Sew the dieline, place the fabric in the dieline, sew the tack down and satin stitch.

Repeat the above steps, sewing each portion of the design.

Raffia can be inserted into the scarecrow wherever you choose.  Raffia, also known as “Hollywood Ribbon” is available at most craft and paper stores.  Cut Raffia into desired lengths. After the dieline has sewn, place a few pieces onto the back of the fabric and stabilizer composite.  The spray stabilizer that you used should be enough to hold the Raffia in place.  Place in the dieline, and sew the tack down and satin stitches.

Once you are finished, you’ll have the beginnings of a flag, wall hanging, seasonal window treatment, jacketback, or bags.  Add text or other complementing designs for a bold, colorful statement.

The snowman is in four pieces.  Begin by sewing the snowman’s head and hat.  The design will end in the center.  Remove the fabric from the hoop and slide it straight up.  The second piece, the snowman’s scarf, right arm, and right torso, will sew second.  It will start at the juncture at the right side of the scarf, near the buttons.

Then, slide the fabric straight up and get ready for the third section.  The third section is the left part of the snowman’s midsection, left arm, and buttons.  It will begin sewing at the point where the scarf meets the midsection.

Then, the fourth section:  the snowman’s lowest section.  That will begin to sew  where the snowman’s middle and lower sections meet, in the right corner.

Add snowflakes and text to personalize this design!

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Used Design :: 01

Hoop the fabric with the appropriate stabilizer.

Begin by sewing the head.  The design will begin and end in the center of the design.

Remove the outer hoop and slide the fabric up, being careful not to twist or rotate the fabric.

Rehoop the fabric, and load the midsection into the embroidery machine.

The midsection will begin sewing on the top of the midsection, in the center.  Position the needle so that the midsection overlaps the head by about one-quarter inch.

After sewing the midsection, remove the outer hoop and slide the fabric up to make room for the bottom section.  Be careful not to rotate the fabric.

Rehoop the fabric, and load the bottom section into the embroidery machine.  The bottom section will begin at the center of the top of the design.  Position the needle so that the bottom overlaps the midsection by about one-quarter inch.

To make a mix-and-match playbook with individual pieces, begin by sewing all of the pieces.  Cut all of the heads to the same size; all of the midsections to the same size; all of the bottoms to the same size.
When cutting, leave an extra half-inch of fabric to the left of each design for the book binding.

Remove the cat from your work area.  This step may need to be repeated over and over again, depending on the persistence of the cat.  Of all the steps involved in making a playbook, this step is the most tedious one.

You can use any materials for your book covers and binding:  fabric, cardstock, cardboard, thread, yarn, rings, etc.  For our book binding we used craft foam, available at craft stores.  We used pipe cleaners to bind the book together.
Cut two holes on the left side of the snowman piece, and two coordinating holes in the book covers.  Because we used pipe cleaner to bind the book, we slid the swatches onto the pipe cleaner and cover at the same time.  If you are using yarn or rings to bind the book, you may use a different process.

We decorated the cover with an assembled snowwoman, a pipe cleaner frame, and tiny wooden snowmen.

Now you can flip through the book and mix-and-match the sections to come up with some fun and interesting snowpeople.  This arrangement features a cowboy hat, sports jersey, and Scottish kilt.

This combination features a scarf and mittens, and tutu!

This combination features a Santa cap, floral shirt, and patchwork bottom.

Enjoy It …

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Nativity Calendar

Countdown to Christmas with this charming Nativity calendar! Each day of December you can remove a character from the calendar
and place it in the stable.
There are dozens of ways for you to make a Nativity calendar. The below instructions are how we made ours, but feel free to explore different ways to count down to Christmas.

Sew out the stable, characters, and numbers. We sewed everything on felt, but you can use any fabric that you like. We chose felt because it’s durable and sturdy, and will last for many years. Also, we use the hook part of Velcro to affix the characters to the calendar and stable area, and Velcro clings great to felt. You can also use a temporary fabric adhesive, such as Aleene’s Tack-it-Over & Over. Looking for a place to purchase Tack-It-Over & Over? Search at www.google.com to find a variety of sources, or you might try your local Jo-Ann’s.

The stable consists of two parts: the main structure, and the lean-to. Sew the main structure first. Then remove the outer hoop and slide the fabric straight across. Rehoop, and load the lean-to embroidery file.

Forward to the first stitch, then move the hoop until the needle is over the common start point. For this design, the common start point is 1/4″ down from the juncture where the roof meets the wall of the stable, as indicated by the blue circle. Then sew the lean-to portion of the design.

Sew the numbers 1 through 25 so that they are in 2.5 x 2.5 inch boxes.

Mark the grid between the numbers and sew narrow trim over the grid marks.

Trim the fabric for a .25″ seam allowance around the perimeter. Cut strips of coordinating fabric. Two should be the width of the number grid piece, and two should be the height plus five inches. Stitch the top and bottom pieces first, then the side pieces.

Trim the stable piece to 22″ x 14″. Join the stable piece to the assembled grid piece.

Sew the characters, and trim around them closely. Use permanent fabric adhesive to affix Velcro to the back of all the characters. Adhere only the hook part.  Or, use Aleene’s Tack-It-Over & Over on the backside of the pieces.
If you would like a finished back, and ribbons to hang the calendar by a dowel, then follow these steps:

Cut backing fabric the same size as the calendar. Cut 10 inches of 1/12″ wide ribbon in half, and place at the top of the calendar. Put the backing over the top of the calendar, right sides together, and sew the backing to the calendar using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Leave a 5″ gap for turning. Turn right side out, press, and sew gap closed. Add fringe to center and outer perimeter if desired

Place characters over each number. Each day in December, move a piece to the stable to create a beautiful Christmas scene. Enjoy!
 

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Add an embroidered clock face to a clock for an extra-personal touch.
Great as gifts for new homeowners, newlyweds, anniversaries, and holidays — and also perfect for dressing up the wall decor of your own home!
Supplies
**Clock
**Medium weight fabric (denim, canvas, duck cloth)
**Masking tape
**Temporary spray adhesive
**Permanent spray adhesive or double-sided tape
**Screwdriver

Designs used : 01 - 02 - 03

You can find clocks at most home furnishing stores and discount chains — like Target or Walmart.
First, measure the face of the clock to determine which size of the design you will need

Prepare the fabric and stabilizer.
When selecting fabric, choose something sturdy, like denim, canvas or duck cloth. Back the fabric with a piece of medium-weight cutaway stabilizer.
Spray a quick shot of the temporary spray adhesive onto the stabilizer.

Smooth the fabric on top of the stabilizer. This helps to keep the two together nice and tight during the embroidery.

Hoop the fabric and stabilizer.

If you’re working with a clock design that is not split, then embroider the design as usual.
If you are working with a split clock, then follow the next six steps:
1.  Embroider the left side of the design. At the end of the design a cross mark will sew. We will use this mark a little later on for aligning the right side of the design

2.  Remove the hoop from the machine. We’ll rehoop the fabric to embroider the right side.
To do this, lay masking tape on the inside of the hoop along the top and bottom.
Leave a few inches of excess tape on the right side

3.  Unhoop the fabric and lay the tape flat.

4.  Rehoop the fabric with the crosshair close to the center of the fabric.
Use the masking tape to align the top and bottom of the hoop when rehooping the fabric.

5.  Attach the hoop to your machine and load the right side of the design. Move the needle over the crosshair and lower it so that it’s perfectly aligned over the crosshair.

6.  Begin embroidering the design. Another cross mark will sew directly over the existing cross mark and then the rest of the design will sew.

Now, take the clock apart.
On the backside, you will find small screws–unscrew them, and gently remove the clock face from the outer frame.

Then remove the clock hands. They’re pliable, so to avoid bending them, apply slow, steady and even pressure to the hands. Pull them gently straight away from the face.

On the embroidered piece, remove the crosshair stitching by cutting it and pulling it away.

Now we will mark and cut a hole in the center of the fabric to allow the stem of the clock to poke through. Measure the width of the design, divide by two and make a mark.

Measure the height of the design , divide by two and make a mark.

With a small scissors, cut a small hole in the fabric.
If you’re working with a clock that has a satin ring in the center, you can trim the inside of the ring, rather than finding and marking the center.

Align the hole in the fabric, right side up, with stem on the clock.

Flip the clock and the fabric over and trace the clock shape.

Remove the fabric from the clock and cut out the shape.

Use double-sided tape or permanent spray adhesive on the back side of the embroidery and smooth it over the old clock face.

Carefully add the hands back onto the clock.

Add the clock face to the outer frame and screw it back into place.

And there it is, a new and improved clock face with your very own personal touch.
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Used Designs: 01 - 02 - 03 - 04

Countdown to Christmas with this
Christmas Tree calendar!
There are dozens of ways for you to use these designs to create a Christmas countdown calendar. This page shows you how we made ours, but deviate from them to make your own countdown creation!

The Christmas Tree comes in three sections. Begin by sewing the bottom section. Then, remove the outer hoop and move the fabric straight up. Rehoop, and load the middle section of the embroidery file. Forward to the first stitch, then move the needle until it is over the top right corner. Sew the second section of the tree, then repeat for the third section.

If you are making double-sided ornaments, then sew the numbers on a large piece of fabric. Print the dieline for the ornament from your embroidery software, and cut around it. Trace around the number using the dieline as a template. Then, cut around the number.

Sew the ornament and stop before the last color stop - the satin stitch border. Remove hoop from the machine.

Apply adhesive to the backside of the number. Lay it on the backside of the ornament embroidery. Put the hoop back on the machine, and sew the last color stop - the satin stitch border.

You will have a double-sided ornament, with a number on the back, and the ornament feature on the front.

After embroidering the tree, cut around the fabric so that it is 14″ x 17″, centered.

Cut festive, holiday fabric is 2 1/2″ wide strips. Two should be 14″ long (for the top and bottom) and two should be 22″ long (for the sides). Sew the strips to the top and bottom first, then the sides.
Measure your assembled calendar and cut a backing piece.
We used #1 size hook and eyes to attach the ornaments. After sewing the hooks to the calendar (wherever we wanted an ornament to hang - on the tree and along the border) we placed the backing piece over the calendar front (right sides together) and sewed around the perimeter, leaving  a 1/4″ seam allowance, and a 5″ gap for turning. Turn, press, and sew the gap together.

Then we sewed eyes on all of the ornaments, and hung them around the border. We added decorative buttons found at a local sewing supply store - reindeer heads, bells, holly, and mistletoe.

Each day in December we’ll remove an ornament from the side and hang it on the tree. On Christmas Day our tree will be fully decorated!
Remember: you can sew a Christmas Countdown calendar in many different ways - this is just one example. We can’t wait to see how you sew yours!

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Wine Bags
Dress your wine collection or a host and 
hostess gift in an embroidered wine bag
with these quick and easy instructions.

Used Designs : 01 - 02 - 03 - 04

Gather your supplies!  We began with 20″ x 14.5″ of fabric.  We embroidered the design using tear away stabilizer.  The kind of stabilizer that you use will depend on your fabric choice.  
Cut the fabric into a Y shape.  Extra fabric at the top allows it to pleat nicely when tying at the bottle’s neck.

Place the two right sides together. If you want to line the bag with a contrasting color, do so now.

Sew a seam on all three sides, leaving the top open.

Hem the top of the bag.

To attach the rope, mark a spot approximately 3″ down from the top edge of the bag.

Tack the rope to the bag.  
Insert bottle of wine, and tie .. Enjoy It.

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