Vintage Christmas Ornament #2

It’s time for Ornament #2!

If you’re just getting started, I recommend that you go back and read all the posts from the beginning, so you can have access to all the extra links and info. I won’t be repeating all that information in every post. The links are in the sidebar at right, so you can navigate easily.

First off, today, I’m going to talk about spacing. For the first ornament, it wasn’t a huge deal, because it was the first one. But now you have that first ornament in place, and you need to carefully position all your next ornaments with each other so that they look even and not crowded.

For the stitchery version of my quilt, I started at the left edge of my background fabric, and I’m adding all my ornaments to the right as we go along. Since my background piece is width-of-fabric, I don’t want to run out of room to keep adding ornaments toward the end, and I don’t want them to look crowded or uneven as I go, so I’m using my hanging strings as a placement guide.

I’m going to place all my hanging strings 3″ apart, and then place my ornaments accordingly, so that they don’t bump into each other. Note, also, that I’m not embroidering the hanging strings until the end, and I explain why in the pattern.

Here’s my two embroidered ornaments in relation to each other on the background:

For the appliqué throw quilt version, I started Ornament #1 in the center, and I’m building out to each side as I go. Also, there is a bit more room to spread out on this one, since the background is wider, so I’m placing my hanging strings 3 1/2″ apart on the appliqué version. Here’s my two appliqué ornaments in relation to each other on the background:

I hope this helps you when you decide how to position your own ornaments.  You don’t have to do them like mine; I’m just offering up mine as a suggestion.

Now for the ornament . . .

Here’s the stitchery version:

Again, in the pattern, I’m showing you what stitches and colors I used where, but it’s only a guideline.

Here’s my appliqué version for the throw quilt option:

I used rickrack on this one, too, trying to tie the look of them all together a bit. I really like the rickrack — it helps with that vintage feel!

Here’s my appliqué version for the wall quilt option:

For this one I again made bias tape strips for the accent stripes. I also fussy cut my fabric for those little medallion parts.

So again, you have lots of options with these, and I encourage you to have fun and make them your own!

The pattern is available as a PDF instant download in Hazel’s Mercantile for the bargain price of $1.75. It has all the instructions for all the versions of the ornament shown above, along with full-size templates, and all the information I could think of to include. It’s ready for download, so you can get started right away!

Again, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me and ask. I’ll be happy to answer!

Happy Stitching!