Welcome to day 3 of my fun 12 days of Christmas!! I hope you are having as much fun as I am!!! 

I'm not really a planner…well, I plan, but I usually wait until the last minute to execute, so this has been a wonderful time of learning how to really plan ahead! I love learning new things, don't you??? 

So, in preparing for day 3, I reverted back to my favorite self-soother: Embroidery!

Today's project that I'm going to share with you is my sweet Christmas Cardinal Embroidery Hoop:

If you are a regular reader of the blog, you know that the cardinal is a special bird in my family! It was my father's favorite bird! and at Christmast time, somehow they get the spotlight!

I've created a special pattern for you to recreate this project! 

DOWNLOAD your PATTERN HERE!

Now, let's make this baby!

Supplies:

Bleached muslin & quilt batting

Different colors of embroidery thread (your choices of green, red, black and light grey)

Light table (or bright window)

pencil

embroidery needle and hoop

wooden embroidery hoop (7") for your final decoration

antique lace

Tacky Glue (I use Aleene's)

 

How to put it together:

1. Using a light table (or a bright window), trace your pattern onto a piece of muslin. Go ahead and trace your circle. This is a 6" circle that you will use to guide your antique lace!

2. Add the batting to the back of the muslin, grab your embroidery hoop (I use a Morgan hoop…doesn't slip at all!!), and get to sewing!

3. Add your little snowflakes! I didn't draw these on the pattern so you can use your own design eye! Another tip is to add Krenek metallic embroidery thread to make your snowflakes sparkle!! so fun!!!

4. Pin your lace just inside your circle!

5. Zigzag around the inside of the lace circle. 

It's time to get the glue out!!

6. Put the glue on the OUTSIDE of the SMALLER inner hoop! Place your embroidery on top of this hoop and push the sides down. It probably won't stay, but it will start the process while you are hurridly getting the glue on the INSIDE of the outer hoop!

7. Put that glue all over the INSIDE of the outer hoop! (this is the hoop with the metal screw on the top!)

8. This is the fun part…when putting the hoop on the top of the embroidery material, make sure your lace is up so the hoop goes under it. This will get glue on the underside of the lace, which is GOOD! When you have set the hoop evenly around your artwork under your lace, make sure your artwork is taut and that the lace is laying flat on the hoop. 

9. Let it dry upside down! (Pay no attention to my crazy embroidery thread pattern on the back of my project! If you want to make sure no one sees the back of your project, add another piece of muslin on the back after you embroider right before you glue your hoops onto your project!

10. When your project is dry, cut all around the back of the wooden hoop to rid your project of all of the excess material around it!

and Voila!! There you are…you have a beautiful project! yay!

I hung mine up in my new fun dining room!! 

so fun!!!

Let me know if you whip one of these babies up!! I love it!!

 

Love this quote:

{everything from Leora Sanford's Cozy Christmas Kit at Oscraps}

Are you an embroidery fan??? Want to know even more???

Check out Bari J's new blog, We Love French Knots! I love how she posts with new embroidery inspiration each day!

Here's a sample of a picture she posted on her Holiday Patterns post on Nov 22nd!

{from Tasha Horsley from A Little Sweetness: Christmas Deer Embroidery Pattern}

For each post you comment on (one comment per post, please!), you will be entered into my grand prize drawing!!! And I will have a bevy of fun stuff to give you!!

Here's the first part of the grand prize!!!

a 6" embroidery hoop, two skeins of silk embroidery thread, an embroidery needle and a little patch of bleached muslin!! How fun is that???

I appreciate all of your comments, and I hope to respond to each of you during this fun season!! 

Stay tuned tomorrow for a quilt!!!!! Yep…a FREE full quilt pattern! yay!!