Kris Kringle Wrap Up!

It's always great to actually FINISH a project...

Especially when you are 11 months ahead of schedule!

Those of you who know us realize we let our Christmas stitch-a-longs carry over into January. Usually it's so fun just to stretch out that holiday season and get through a month of bitter winter. This January has been so WARM with temps frequently in the high 40s, so we have to admit we're not feeling as Kringly as usual!

So let me ask... the point is, that NO ONE is embroidering by the time we would logically end a Christmas stitch-a-long, which is by December 25th. So do we try starting in September next year, to finish by Thanksgiving? Comment below if you an opinion.

Because it's just really hard to rationalize 

hanging these up right now. LOL.

Usually our finishing kits end with a border treatment--

this year, we decided to surprise you with a fabulous center medallion. The theme was "Christmas Carols," so the lyrics we picked for the middle kind of draw that idea all together.

Here's an early photoshopped comp of the final piece.

That's what we used to call the mock-ups we would make of brochures back in the day, in the world of advertising. 

"Comps." 

I was never sure what that was short for-- "composite"  maybe?

but here I am years later still calling them comps.

T

So the challenge of the center medallion idea is the same one we machine embroiderers face everyday-- how to fit it in a hoop?

(we know you all hate re-hooping, hee hee)

Working with Aida cloth sparked the answer.

 Multiple hoopings are just that easy with stiff fabric!

We just cut the cloth to size and made a couple of EASY markings on it. Stitch the middle lyrics, then load the border design. The first color change is a guideline that shows EXACTLY where to place your fabric. The second color change bastes it down, and off you go.

This was sew easy to do! If you are using soft fabric, just fuse it down to a layer of stablizer to make it stiff. You could probably just frame this as a gift-- it's big! about 10" x 10." Expect to see this multiple hoopings idea in more future pieces-- because contrary to what they say-- bigger IS better!

Now here's a tip to get your border embroideries to line up when stitching this all together.

Put the two pieces to be sewn face down on each other.

Stick a pin down in all four corners through both pieces-- don't secure them. Now you know that both pieces are perfectly aligned no matter how out of whack your cutting job may have been!

 With those four pins still in, take a couple more pins and secure the pieces together along the side that will be sewn... the stitch away!

Our rows came out super accurate and straight this way.

Aida is stiff, and this is the first time we've ever sewn it together. The seams are heavy, so we pressed them open-- the holes don't match. We love the way this piece is coming out, so we decided to it was worth the time to cover them up with a pretty ribbon.

We found a beautiful ivory ribbon, 1/2" wide, at Joann Fabrics. First, we glued them on and next we're going to take a little running stitch alog both sides to really smack those seams down. 

Someone asked us the question-- when do you decided to stitch these cross stitch design on fabric and when on Aida?

This is new to us as well, but my personal thinking is that I would use Aida for a piece I intended to frame, but cloth if was intending more of a quilt.

So it's off to the framer's for both of these, 

as we say goodbye to Kris Kringle!

Be sure to buy any missing charms or 4x4s soon for your collection! We're wrapping them all into one downloadable package this week and there will be a price increase on singles.

Click the link below.

Kris Kringle's Cross Stitch Carols

Here's a sneak peek of this week...
Valentine's Day coming soon!

xox

Carol