'Twas the Night Ornament Series

Samples shown made with the Benzie Design 'Twas The Night Classic palette

My 'Twas the Night Ornament Series is a set of heirloom hand-sewn ornament patterns which are inspired by the classic 1823 Christmas poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas, by Clement C. Moore. Most folks know this poem by its famous first lines:

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

(If you have completed my Twelve Days Ornaments, you are ready!)

PATTERNS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE:

Pattern No. 5: Not Even A Mouse

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

This tired little mouse has climbed into a teacup to sleep on Christmas Eve. He is snuggled on his pillow with a warm quilt tucked securely around him and his Teddy. Mouse and Teddy are removable so they can be ceremonially tucked in on Christmas Eve to await a visit from Santa. Options to add a tether or fix them permanently in place are also included.

Purchase Not Even A Mouse Pattern  |  NEAM Benzie Color Guide

Pattern No. 4: All Through the House

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house...

Not a creature is stirring in this tiny wool felt house, and if you look behind the functional door there's a sparkly Christmas tree all decorated and waiting for St Nicholas to appear. This ornament pattern also comes with a gingerbread house option featuring a tiny surprise Santa inside.

Purchase All Thru The House Pattern  |  ATTH Benzie Color Guide

Pattern No. 3: Little Elves

Here are two more beloved North Pole citizens we are picking up as we make our way towards the actual lines of the poem. You can bet these little helpers have been busy all year making everything ready for the night before Christmas. I hope you've been good. He's got a naughty/nice list! 

Purchase Little Elves Pattern  |  Little Elves Benzie Color Guide

Pattern No. 2: Mrs. Claus

She's not mentioned in Mr. Moore's poem, to be sure, but we all know that for every magical Christmas Eve there's usually a busy woman (coffee in hand) making sure everything's just so. (Can I get an amen from all my fellow Mrs. Clauses?)

Purchase Mrs. Claus Pattern  |  Mrs. Claus Benzie Color Guide

Pattern No. 1: Santa Claus

The right jolly old elf himself, who pauses to wink at you while filling your stocking with good things.

Purchase Santa Claus Pattern  |  Santa Claus Benzie Color Guide

Explore what mmmakers are posting on Instagram:

#twasthenightornaments

THIS PATTERN SERIES IS ONGOING! 

More patterns are to come in this series each year until it's completed. Each new pattern will be released as soon as I complete it, and I will post about it on all my channels anytime that happens. The best way to keep current is to follow me on my IG or FB pages and check my blog for new posts. I always link to new posts on IG and FB.

WHEN WILL THE SERIES BE COMPLETED? I project one or two patterns released each year until completion. (I've had to recently scale back my expectations on this because of my chronic back problems, alas.) As I am a part time designer, my maximum working capacity is 2-4 new patterns per year, but I'll be working on another different series in tandem with this one. If there are more that are completed, I'll gladly release them! I have to work with limited time. Don't we all! Thanks so much for your excitement and enthusiasm! I really appreciate it. It keeps me going.

• Total number of patterns in the series: NINE! I previously projected six, but I just can't get it done properly with six ornaments. I hope that is OK with everyone!
• Average size of the finished ornaments: About 4 x 5 inches (10 x 13 cm) Of course, it varies because the shapes vary, but that will give you an idea.

WHERE TO BUY THE PATTERNS: You can purchase the 'Twas the Night Ornament PDFs exclusively from my Etsy shop and download them at your convenience. Your pattern download links do not expire:

PLEASE NOTE: International VAT and/or other applicable taxes will be added on at checkout according to your nation's tax law. 

BENZIE DESIGN 'TWAS THE NIGHT FELT PALETTES AND KITS: If choosing colors and gathering materials for a project is not your favorite thing, then worry no more! I have personally curated two palettes of lovely Benzie Design wool blend felt, DMC floss, sequins and beads for this series so that you can order handy materials kits from their Etsy shop (they'd love to help you!). You can choose from a few options to customize your kit. All the samples you've seen on my blog are made from those two palettes, so just follow my color guides to create beautiful results. Note: the Benzie Design kits do not include my patterns. My patterns can be purchased here.

The Retro and Classic palettes are just a starting point! Feel free to choose your own color combinations to match your own vision or Christmas decor! Benzie Design offers 90 beautiful colors of wool-blend felt.

L to R clockwise: Classic palette, notions bundle, beads/sequins bundle, Retro palette w matching floss. Images courtesy of Benzie Design.

FREQUENTLY WONDERED QUERIES:

Q: HOW DO I FIND MY PATTERN DOWNLOAD?
Etsy sends automatic email receipts with download links to your account email address. Check your spam folder if it's missing. Lost the email? Your patterns are also backed up under your Etsy account, and can be found by logging in with a browser and checking your purchases. NOTE: Etsy also allows guest checkouts, but the only way to access guest purchases is through your email receipt. Guest purchases will not show in your Etsy account unless you link them. It's easy.

Q: I DON'T HAVE A PRINTER. DO I NEED ONE?
In short, yes, at least for the pattern pages themselves to print on regular paper, and also to print or copy the pattern pages to the Sulky stabilizer. Once you have a master set of pattern pages on regular paper, keep 'em handy. Then you can use a copier. Suggestions:

• Perhaps you have a friend/son/daughter/life coach/tolerant neighbor that has a printer you can borrow?
• Perhaps you work somewhere that will allow you to print a few personal pages?
• Libraries and churches often have copiers and printers you may use and may charge per page.
• Note: office supply stores will not print my patterns without checking with me first because my patterns are copyrighted.

Q: I'M IN THE US. WHERE DO I BUY THE MATERIALS like felt, stabilizer, sequins, and other stuff needed?

I have lists of US sources for materials in the back of all my patterns. Also Benzie Design is offering lovely kits to go with my detailed color guides that include most of what you need!   

Q: I'M OUTSIDE THE US. WHERE DO I BUY THE MATERIALS like felt, stabilizer and other stuff needed? 
I've compiled a short list of international wool felt vendors here, recommended to me by their customers. Also, Benzie Design gladly ships internationally.

Q: ARE THESE DIFFICULT TO MAKE?

Because of the small scale, these ornaments are not beginner projects, but they are easier than you think! If you are familiar with hand sewing and can 1) sew basic stitches neatly (running stitch, backstitch, and whipstitch) and 2) cut and assemble small pieces with precision, then you can make these ornaments and make them well. Why? Because of a magical Sulky stabilizer called Stick 'N Stitch. If you use the stabilizer, there is no tedious pattern tracing or embroidery transferring involved. You simply use a printer or copier to print my patterns to the stabilizer, peel off the backing, adhere it directly to the wool felt, and then stitch right on the lines. You can read more about that process here. In addition to the stabilizer advantage, you'll find my patterns are chock-full of very clear instructions and detailed diagrams to guide you through each and every step.

ERRATA AND UPDATES:

04/01/21 The Little Elves pattern was updated with a minor change. See this post! 

01/26/22 The Santa Claus pattern was updated with a minor change. See this post!

NEED SOME ADDITIONAL HELP?
If you read my reviews on Etsy, you'll often see comments about how thorough and detailed the instructions in my patterns are. Purchasing my patterns is more akin to purchasing a craft class, and I include lots of tips and tricks within the instructions. However, click the graphic below for additional methods I have posted about that will help you perfect your techniques:

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS! Use the tag #twasthenightornaments on Instagram and Facebook. If you search that tag on Instagram you can view ornaments that others have made! Be sure to tag me with @mmmcrafts on IG. Note: Please do not share images or video of my actual pattern pages.

VIEW EVERY 'TWAS THE NIGHT BLOG POST: If you'd like to read and see more photos of all the patterns and prototypes, click here for a chronological sorting of all my blog posts.

PINTEREST BOARD: A handy way to view lots of my 'Twas the Night ornament samples in one place.

ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE with washing away the Sulky stabilizer? Does it still feel gummy/sticky no matter how many times you soak it? There is a batch of faulty stabilizer out there. Please read this post!

I hope this resource page has been helpful to you! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via my Etsy shop! That is the quickest way to get an answer. You can also message me on my Facebook page or Instagram. (Note: Blog comments are not the quickest option if you have a question.) Merry sewing! :-)