How many of you have stitchery kits for Christmas laying around? Every year, if you are like me, you find them close to the season and realize, there is no way to finish them in time for that year, so you pack them away again. This is true for the cross stitch and needlework magazines that I have stashed away with sticky notes on the projects I want to eventually do. Some are holiday themed, and again I just don’t think about them until November, too late to get them done so they just sit for another year. This year, get them out now, and lets do them together. If you pull the stitchery out, and just put in a few stitches a week, you will eventually get them done.
Remember this kit I had last year? I was determined to get it finally done. The lucky thing was running across it over the summer while I was looking for something else.
I started it in August. Some weeks I just put in a few stitches, other times during football games I did more. After a month, I had a lot done. After a couple of months they were all done.
Another afternoon to cut them out and sew to backings, stuff and finish.
Then, I added some cording around the edge to make them look even nicer.
Knowing I would want to have some inspiration this year, last Christmas I took some pictures of the little handwork ornaments I have done in the past. This little crewel sleigh was stitched years ago. It came with the tiny frame, and has been on my tree every year since it was made. It measures about 2-1/2 inches across.
I did a little wreath too. Any of your small needlework projects would do well as ornaments in tiny gold frames.
This larger Christmas Tree is a cross stitch with little French knots for the candle flames.
I framed it with a green embroidery hoop, then glued two rows of lace to the edge. The green is glued to the front of the frame and the white is glued to the back. I added a ribbon hanger, but it is a bit big for the tree. I usually hang it on a door somewhere, like the door to my mother’s antique cabinet where I store some of my tablescaping stuff.
So, now this year, I still have all these kits for ornaments and a wall hanging. I am getting them out now so I can have more done by the holidays. One thing I need to do is enlarge the charts, they are just so small and very hard to see.
I found two stitched already that I never made up into ornaments. One is the tree at the beginning of the post, and the other is this cute candy cane. Instead of finishing this one into a stuffed ornament like the kit says, I am going to make it the center of a pieced ornament.
Start by trimming the piece to a small size, I used a 3 inch square.
I just sewed strips around the edge, log cabin style, about 1/2 inch finished width. Scraps were perfect for this project. Notice I didn’t do my usual measure and cut. On this small a project, that will be stuffed, I figured I could wing it.
Square up the first border set, then add another. Position a small loop of cording or ribbon on the top edge for a hanger.
Place the top on a backing scrap and sew around the edges leaving an opening for turning and stuffing. Don’t look at my mess on the backside, OK? I never got the hang of making the back as nice as the front but no one will see it in the finished project.
Turn, iron the piece to sharpen the edges, then softly stuff it with a scrap of fiber filling.
Sew the opening closed.
Keep sewing a top stitching line around all the edges to finish it off.
It would be fine to stop at this point, and you have a nice ornament. But, I decided to quilt it a bit. I just did stitch in the ditch around the borders. I did the outer border first.
Then the inner border was stitched.
And now it is finished. Finally, I can enjoy the results of my handwork done some years ago.
This is day 5 of my 12 Days of Christmas in July event! Scroll back through the last four days for lots more projects and surprises. Seven more to come!!
Do you have stitchery kits or patterns and materials set aside for the holidays?
From My Carolina Home 
I have done quite a few small Christmas ornaments, they always look cute on the tree. Would like to try something larger to hang on my door so need to start collecting things soon. I follow your blog by email and also sometimes check directly the site. Ther is always something I haven’t seen before.
Thank you.
You and I must be twins! I think. Have some of the same project kits! This year I finally …after five years….finished the Christmas quilt for my sister! Have it in the car as I am on my way to visit her and drop it off! LOL Merry Christmas in July!
Your handmade ornaments are wonderful and inspiring!
Following your blog with email.
Thanks for the idea .know I have some of those stitching kits here from last year that someone bought me and now I can get them out and get them done in time! Thank you for the idea and thank you for your giveaway!
I am a follower too! Getting many great ideas from you! Thanks again.
Your post last year gave me the push I needed to finish a couple ornaments I started years ago. I like your idea of finishing as a pieced ornament, will try it. Enjoy your blog.
I hadn’t thought of quilting the ornaments I make with ‘stitch in the ditch’. I must try it.
Like so many of us, I’ve got that little pile of incomplete Christmas gift projects. But this year I can do this! Will pull out those items this morning and first project will be to complete the runner I started last year! Feeling excited to get going on these projects- handmade gifts are always well received and my pile of UFOs is going to be smaller!! Thank you! Barb Leggett
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I follow your blog
I don’t currently have any kits laying around but I have 13 Christmas pillow cases to sew up for this year.
Oh I think this years little fabric ornament is adorable. I haven’t even thought about Christmas. LOL!
These are adorable ♥ My most prized set of Christmas Ornaments are those that a friend hand embroidered over 40 years ago.
I follow your blog by email!
Good Morning Carole! Each of your stitcheries are lovely! I do have several embroidery projects in the works and have slowly been working on completing Christmas themed projects finished this year for gifts. I like the way that you add cording, ribbons and lace to the project. Thank you for sharing and have a fantastic creative day!
I came across ornaments to sew for my friends today as I’m packing up for a stitchery retreat. I will be starting them soon.
I have made these CrossStitch ornaments too. The package name cracked me up “QUICKIE ORNAMENTS”??????? I hardly think so though they are lovely and timeless.
Good morning. I really like the ornaments. And especially how you measured them out just like a true quilter. Years ago, I had crocheted Christmas ornaments, stars, snowflakes angels and soe others. I had written the pattern on a recipe card and stuck it in the recipe box for safe keeping and one day I went to get it out and someone had stolen my recipe box. I was so upset.
I follow you by email.
I love the little handmade ornaments. I have quite a few that my mother and I have made over the years. I follow you with email and am always so excited to see what you post next.
I loved sewing those little kits as a kid. Haven’t made any since the early ’90s.
Oh, yes I do! A large bin full of holiday fabrics, patterns and ideas just waiting for me to get “with it” and start some projects. Thank you for the inspiration. m
I follow you via email. Love your posts! m
I’ve never worked on a seed bead kit before, they look fun. It may only be July but I’m just about to start my Christmas wall hangings.
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Thanks for showing how you finished your ornament which turned out very cute. I am always wondering what to do with a finished piece.
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Yes, I have Christmas stichery kits laying in wait. Thanks for showing us how to make ornaments out of small ones.
I follow you via email.
Beading is on my list of things to try someday. I love birds so your photo inspired me to enter your drawing.
I have some old cross stitch ornaments in plastic frames that are leaching color onto the fabric. I will steal your idea to make them into log cabin ornaments to save them. Thank you for sharing your great ideas!
I am a happy e-mail follower.
The thought of Christmas terrifies me! =) You have been busy. All of your ornaments are a sight to behold. All are lovely.
I have over 20+ years worth of cross stitch magazines with sticky notes marking projects I hope to make (and I see I’m not the only one who does that, LOL!) and am now starting to realize at the age of 60 this is going to be impossible unless I discontinue doing anything else at all – like cooking, cleaning, etc….Your post made me think I need to pull those magazines out right now in the summer to have any chance of really getting something done for this coming holiday season because if I wait to be in the holiday mood it will be too late, and that is usually what happens. I have made quite a few Mill Hill kits and find them to be a lot of fun to do and they look great, too! Maybe this will be the year as well that I take some cross stitch projects that I’ve completed stitching and finally finish them into something/anything so they’re not just sitting in a plastic container. Thanks for the reminder that now is the time to get moving if we’re going to have something done in time for Christmas!
You are making me ashamed finishing off all those things! I currently have a little beaded ornament kit sitting on the worktable next to my chair in the lounge room, and also an applique which was part of a kit I bought years ago. I pulled that out recently thinking I would attack it, but have not passed Go on that. LOL
You know I follow you. Love your mysteries and will quite likely join the next one too.
This reminds me of the year when I made cross-stitch motifs for my Christmas cards….
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Of course I follow you! You are so elegantly creative. I’m more the folk art primitive type, so my house is, too, at Christmas. Doesn’t mean I don’t love seeing houses like yours, only I can never achieve that. =)
I don’t have ornament kits like the wonderful ones you showed. I have some wool ornaments, a lot actually, but I didn’t make them. I buy a few every year from an etsy shop, Rooster and Bean. She only has things up at Christmas. I do have some Christmas quilting projects and am quilting one just this week!
You’ve inspired me to take out some cross stitch kits I had put away – to finish them. Working on the becomes addictive. thanks I follow you on email
Put my crafts away for now because I’m moving. I do get back to them eventually. I follow by email.
love the little cross stitch ornaments! how cute are they and a family heirloom too! I hear you on the images being too small – even for younger eyes! Thanks for sharing at the Christmas in July party!
Gorgeous design and I like the quilted finish, makes all the difference.
Sweet little Christmas pieces. And great inspiration !!
Great photos of the process! And such lovely ornaments to enjoy!
I have some Prairie Schooler Santas that I want to start. I just bought the fabric. Now I have to kit them up. Thanks for the inspiration to get started. I think I will sew around the edges of the fabric tomorrow. Enjoy your Christmas stitching.
I absolutely love your Christmas stitching! What is truly inspiring is they different manners in which you finish them. Such treasures for generations to come! I totally understand about needing to enlarge patterns! Wonderful idea!
I am so happy to have found you . . . I love your projects. I used to do lots of counted cross stitch, but I LOVE this idea to quilt them into little ornaments. I will have my second grandson in less than 2 weeks and I could cross stitch a little something with their names on them for their Christmas tree, along with all the other Christmas ideas you have just given me. THANK YOU 🙂