Use the gold sparkle 2 strands around both tree cookies. Couch it down with 1 strand of the gold sparkle. Use 1 strand of green pearl cotton around the tree frosting. Couch it down with 1 strand of green. This image shows that part completed up close.
Draw in garland path with white chalk. Begin at the bottom with red, sew palestrina knots leaving a gap of slightly more than one knot’s width between. (like the image above) Using white, sew a Palestrina knot between each of the red knots. Take a bite going under the red strand between knots. Go under both red and white and pull through. Go under the side tail and the red and pull through.
Rather than just stitching the next white stitch in place, weave the needle under the next red knot going from bottom to top. (See photo) this will keep the knots lined up properly.
Mark the trees for ornaments. The circle ornaments are ¼ inch woven circle 5 spokes. (use a #8 or #10 or even wool matching thread to stitch the 5 spokes.) You see them marked here for the 5 spoke stitches.
The wrapper twists are buttonhole stitches (to the same center point) with white. Log ornaments are over wrapped bullion stitches. Add stripes and wrapper twists with white.
Applique the girl’s bow next: Cut a rectangle 1 inch by 1 ½ inches. Turn under scant ¼ inch on all 4 sides, ironing very well. Place a pin in the middle to imitate the gathers. Place it on the girl’s head with the “knot” ¼ inch down from the top of her head. Applique in place.
Stem Stitch around the gingerbread people. (not the dress). For the boy’s scarf, 2 long bullions for the scarf wraps around the neck. Over wrap the two bullions together for the knot. Satin stitch the hanging tail adding straight stitch fringe.
Add two french knots in white on the boy’s tummy for buttons. See pattern for # of wraps. Satin stitch 5 stitches over the girl’s bow for a knot. Backstitch around her dress and bow. For the lace on her skirt, Mark line and back stitch. Add bullion knots with enough wraps to make it swoop. Tack down each bullion knot with a pistil stitch Zigzag straight stitches on the ginger people’s ankles and wrists.
Gingerbread people faces: the cheeks are ¼ inch woven 5 spoke circles. The nose is satin stitched. The eyes are french knots and the mouth is backstitched.
The snowflakes should come pre-cut with 1 or 2 extras. Scatter them and appliqué them down. Pistil stitch, fly stitch, and straight stitch the various patterns on them adding seed beads as desired. I repeated at least 2 of the designs.
For the tiny snowflakes, stitch 3 straight stitches forming an asterisk. Take the stitches together in the center. Also stem stitch the snow bank where it meets the sky. Now sit back and admire your work!!!
For the binding I decided I wanted to use a 1/2 inch red and white striped cotton. Cut on the bias it makes perfect candy cane stripes. However, the stark white of the cotton next to the natural “white” of the wool made my snow look like it had been peed on. LOL! So I dyed my red and white stripe. I used 1 tsp of tan Rit dye in my large pot. My water was nearly boiling and it left it in for about 3 minutes stirring constantly. I was dying a piece 36×22 for the back and a smaller piece (half of a fat quarter–but I wouldn’t recommend that small–my binding has 5 pieces!). I put it straight in my washing machine on a rinse and spin cycle, then through a regular cycle. Dried it. And ironed it. You wouldn’t know it isn’t perfectly white from looking at it, but it coordinates with the wool now perfectly. (here is a before & after)
My project was quilted by the fabulous Amber Cullumber. Email me if you want her contact info.
