Update on Mr Christmas Present

UPDATE: For those of you waiting patiently on the Ghost of Christmas Present pattern, I thought I’d jump in here to say that despite having high hopes of adding it to the shop in time for my Thanksgiving sale, that just ain’t happening. I must accept. Hopes dashed. 

It’s just physically impossible with the samples I need to make and the photos which need to be taken. So I will let myself enjoy some turkey and my girls being home from college and I’ll shoot for releasing just as soon after Thanksgiving as I can possibly make it. That will hopefully be plenty of time for your Dickensian Christmas crafting.

In the meantime here are some supplies you might need to gather: 

All the usual items needed for my people ornaments (wool felts, wood beads, floss, cotton pipe cleaners, Sulky Stick N Stitch (2 sheets), fabric markers/pencils for faces, Tacky Glue, stuffing) but here are some others for this ornament:

1) One or two chenille stems for his twisted holly crown (I like two different colors or finishes, like one regular and one metallic)

2) Metallic or iridescent chenille stem scraps in one or two colors for the torch flame

3) Metallic wool felt for his belt and scabbard and possibly his torch

4) A tiny jingle bell (4-6 mm) as an optional decoration on the scabbard

5) A chenille stem for his beard in any shade of medium brown or red, plus a skein of matching DMC floss for his hair, plus a tiny tiny scrap of coordinating wool felt for the mustache. In the photo, you can see the reverse side of the bronze metallic felt does well for a mustache, but you can also source a brown felt from your felt stash. Another option is to cut his mustache from matching sturdy card stock if you don’t want to buy a sheet of felt just for that. In that case I recommend adding a coat of Mod Podge to make it more durable.

 
6) Metallic sewing thread for attaching sequins/beads, plus the usual seed beads and sequin array needed for the Ebenezer series. In this case you will need an 8 mm one for the belt buckle and it’s good to have both 4 and 5 mm to alternate for the holly berries if you like. Using one or the other is also an option if you don’t have both.

7) Metallic DMC Diamant is such a nice option for some of the embroidery — it just adds Victorian glam.

 
Alright! I hope that is helpful for your planning. 

(Shown above: Ghost of Christmas Present redhead in progress featuring a side part and an unfiled thumbnail in serious need of a manicure)