Originally, this piece was taught as an “Ornament of the Month” class at my shop, Needle Delights. At the time I started designing small ornament patterns, I never dreamed that I’d eventually be a “publishing designer” or that anyone outside my own shop would ever want to stitch this tree. I’ve been promising for years (literally) that I would sell the pattern but it required redoing the instructions – the part of designing that is the least interesting, most challenging, and most time consuming for me. Anyway, at long last the chart is at the printer and will be released on Friday, July 31st – just in time to call it a “Christmas in July” special! The pattern only will be $22 (plus $2 postage) or a complete kit with the pattern, canvas, and all the threads will be $167.95. If you order the complete kit by Friday, July 31st, the special price will be $135 and S&H will be FREE. (There is an extra $5.00 charge if you want opalescent white or metallic gold/eggshell canvas). Read on for more of the background of this design.
The tree idea was inspired by people asking if they could stitch all the ornaments on one piece of canvas (to avoid so much Finishing work). Some of the same people had stitched my first year’s “Ornament of the Month” club and were still working on Finishing them. I started stitching away on white canvas and was halfway done, trying to stay ahead of the class starting, when someone asked about stitching on opalescent canvas (a wonderful idea that turned out beautifully). Other people also used Eggshell or Sandstone canvas, depending on the look they were going for.
The piece pictured on the front was done by one of my students, Pam Burke. She graciously agreed to let me use her photograph for the front of this pattern. She attached a button she had in her stash at the top of the tree. Her piece was stitched on Sandstone canvas and we came up with a light lacy looking stitch because she wanted to fill the background.
Each diamond shape in the tree is stitched with a Watercolours, a Floss (DMC or Anchor), and a Metallic thread (Kreinik, Caron, or Rainbow Gallery). I also list colors to use to stitch it as a stand-alone ornament. You could also use threads from your stash or stitch a “set” of coordinating ornaments using the same color choices on several ornaments.
You may also choose to stitch this pattern as a geometric, leaving the tree trunk off or choosing certain patterns and making your own design. It would also be interesting to stitch it in other colors than green, although this hasn’t been done (to my knowledge!).
So there you have it – the life of the first Ornament Tree – this year we’ve been stitching a second “Ornament Tree” of circle shapes. I’m smarter now though and am writing the instructions as the year progresses and it will be available as a single pattern early in 2010 – for sure - REALLY, I PROMISE!!
