Mr. Scrooge: detailed Benzie color guides – kits available!

Mr. Scrooge is the first pattern in my Ebenezer Ornament Series. Here are the detailed felt/floss/sequin/bead color guides for you below, so that you can easily make Mr. Scrooges that look like my Benzie felt samples!

Benzie Design has long been one of my favorite places to purchase wool-blend felts. They have stellar customer service, quick shipping, and their felt, floss, sequins and beads are an absolute joy to work with! They will be very happy to help you with what you need.

First, some handy links to get you started:

To buy the Mr. Scrooge pattern: mmmcrafts.etsy.com

To buy the Victorian or Modern Pastel felt palettes shown here:

Benzie Ebenezer felt palettes and notions kits

To shop their beautiful sequins and beads:

Benzie Sparkle and Shine page

OK! Here are the color guides:

Victorian Burgundy Scrooge

BENZIE FELT COLORS*:

Burgundy: Dressing gown

Copper: Dressing gown collar and trim

Swan: Night shirt

White: Candle

Peacock: Night cap and leaves

Graphite: Slippers

Peach: Body

*Note: You will need matching floss or thread colors

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS*:

Night cap: DMC E301, DMC 814 

Dressing Gown Trim: DMC 154, Benzie Gold glass beads

Dressing Gown: DMC BLANC, DMC E301, 5 mm iridescent cupped sequins, Benzie 4 mm Copper Metallic sequins, Benzie Gold glass beads, Benzie Foxglove glass beads

Night Shirt: DMC E301, DMC 814, DMC BLANC, Benzie White glass beads

Year on back: DMC 598

*All sequins/beads sewn with gold sewing thread

OTHER NOTIONS:

Candle: Benzie black stiffened felt, black mini chenille stem, gold tinsel mini chenille stem

Head: White mini chenille stem, wood colored card stock, Benzie white stiffened felt

Slippers: Benzie black stiffened felt

Hanging Loop: DMC 5282 Metallic Pearl

Victorian Bronze Scrooge

BENZIE FELT COLORS*:

Bronze: Dressing gown

Turquoise: Dressing gown collar and trim

Blush: Night shirt

White: Candle

Copper: Night cap

Midnight: Leaves and slippers

Peach: Body

*Note: You will need matching floss or thread colors

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS*:

Night cap: DMC E3852, DMC 3750 

Dressing Gown Trim: DMC 823, Benzie White glass beads

Dressing Gown: DMC BLANC, DMC E301, 5 mm iridescent cupped sequins, Benzie 4 mm Teal Metallic sequins, Benzie Teal glass beads, Benzie Strawberry glass beads

Night Shirt: DMC E3852, DMC 919, DMC BLANC, Benzie Turquoise glass beads

Year on back: DMC 3750

*All sequins/beads sewn with gold sewing thread

OTHER NOTIONS:

Candle: Benzie black stiffened felt, black mini chenille stem, gold tinsel mini chenille stem

Head: White mini chenille stem, wood colored card stock, Benzie white stiffened felt

Slippers: Benzie black stiffened felt

Hanging Loop: DMC 5282 Metallic Pearl

Modern Pastel Ivory Scrooge

BENZIE FELT COLORS*:

Ecru: Dressing gown, candle

Silver: Dressing gown collar and trim

Julep: Night shirt

Fern: Night cap

Moss: Leaves

Turquoise: Slippers

Peach: Body

*Note: You will need matching floss or thread colors

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS*:

Night cap: DMC E3852, DMC 959 

Dressing Gown Trim: DMC 351, Benzie White glass beads

Dressing Gown: DMC 414, DMC E3852, 5 mm gold cupped sequins, Benzie 4 mm Rose Quartz sequins, Benzie Strawberry glass beads, Benzie Gold glass beads

Night Shirt: DMC E3852, DMC 935, DMC BLANC, Benzie Strawberry glass beads

Year on back: DMC 935

*All sequins/beads sewn with gold sewing thread

OTHER NOTIONS:

Candle: Benzie black stiffened felt, black mini chenille stem, gold tinsel mini chenille stem

Head: White mini chenille stem, wood colored card stock, Benzie white stiffened felt

Slippers: Benzie black stiffened felt

Hanging Loop: DMC 5282 Metallic Pearl

Modern Pastel Pink Scrooge

BENZIE FELT COLORS*:

Pink: Dressing gown

Coral: Dressing gown collar and trim

Ecru: Night shirt and candle

Ochre: Night cap

Turquoise: Leaves

Mustard: Slippers

Peach: Body

*Note: You will need matching floss or thread colors

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS*:

Night cap: DMC E301, DMC 501 

Dressing Gown Trim: DMC BLANC, Benzie Gold glass beads

Dressing Gown: DMC E3852, DMC 783, 5 mm iridescent cupped sequins, Benzie 4 mm Copper Metallic sequins, Benzie Gold glass beads, Benzie Strawberry glass beads

Night Shirt: DMC E3852, DMC 351, DMC 3326, Benzie Strawberry glass beads

Year on back: DMC 351

*All sequins/beads sewn with gold sewing thread

OTHER NOTIONS:

Candle: Benzie black stiffened felt, black mini chenille stem, gold tinsel mini chenille stem

Head: White mini chenille stem, wood colored card stock, Benzie white stiffened felt

Slippers: Benzie black stiffened felt

Hanging Loop: DMC 5282 Metallic Pearl

These color guides can be followed exactly, but feel free to vary the choices to match your tastes and make your own unique combos. The way I've combined the Benzie Victorian and Modern Pastel felt colors are just a few of the possibilities! I'd love to see what you make. :-) #ebenezerornamentseries

Mr. Scrooge pattern is now available!

Mr. Scrooge, the first release in my new Ebenezer Ornament Series, is now available! This series is inspired by the beloved Victorian era novella, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. The series is going to be ornate, sparkly and a wee bit spooky. I'm excited about it.

The scowling Mr. Scrooge ornament features an ornate Victorian tasseled night cap, night shirt, dressing gown, slippers, and candlestick. This is a detailed project with lots of tiny pieces, so it's not a beginner's pattern, mind. However, if you've successfully completed the people ornaments in the Twelve Days series or 'Twas the Night series, you will feel right at home with Ebenezer. 

One of the ways to make these ornaments look really special is to use metallic embroidery flosses (DMC Light Effects), but those can be a bit more challenging to work with than the cotton flosses. You have to be patient, use short lengths, thread them in parts, and be conscious of pulling each of the strands snug as you go. But! Used as accents in the embroidery, metallic flosses really take the look of the ornament up a notch. 

Similar to my other heirloom ornament patterns, it takes about two crafternoons to make a Mr. Scrooge. It's constructed using very similar methods to my other series, including Sulky Stick 'n Stitch (a magical wash away adhesive stabilizer that makes construction fast, easy, and accurate). If you already have the materials needed to make my other people ornaments, you probably have most of what you need to make a Mr. Scrooge. 

The 19 page PDF pattern comes with 26 years worth of years to trace on the back of his dressing gown, if you are like me and like having the year written on the back of your special ornaments.

You can buy the pattern here! Check this Ebenezer resource page for even more information on this pattern series. 

KITS COMING: All the samples you see in this post were made with lovely Benzie Design wool-blend felts, sequins, and beads. They will be graciously supplying lovely kits for this pattern if you'd also like to make them in the same colors you see here. There are two different color palettes: Victorian and Modern Pastel. More details on that are coming soon. Benzie have been standing at the ready for weeks to compile the kits, but it is me that's been tortured with indecision and slow to provide them the details! (Sorry, Crystal! You guys are awesome.)

finishing up Mr Scrooge, and a National Nonwovens feature

Bit disconcerting to be glowered at by these guys the whole time I'm sewing. I just smile benignly back at them. Because I'm having fun! 

The tiny details on Mr Scrooge's grumpy face give him so much expression, so they are totally worth doing. Stiffened felt eyebrows, card stock nose, pipe cleaner pork chops and goatee. Don't forget to redden the end of his nose and his cheeks. It's pretty cold and dark at his house, remember. Stingy ol' skinflint that he is. As always, I give super detailed instructions, diagrams, and tips to make assembling his face easier. You can do it! (And I also suggest alternatives.) 

This pattern isn't available just yet, but will be soon. I'm finishing up the final touches on the four samples (two in each palette) and planning my photo shoot. I'm hoping for a nice, sunny day tomorrow so I can make that happen and begin the final round of edits.

In other recent news, National Nonwovens featured my patterns in their special Stay At Home issue of Felt News. Thanks, guys! That was so kind. I have to agree, wool felt crafts are the ideal isolation projects.

Mr. Scrooge – making steady progress

Just checking in, folks! How are you? Crazy yet? But well, I hope! I'm working through some yucky back problems. Not sure what happened there. I never am. My spine likes to keep me guessing. Part of its charm. I did manage to make these for dinner last night. Holy cow. Highly recommend. And don't be stingy with the homemade queso.

We are still mostly in voluntary isolation, but trying to venture out a bit more with masks, hand santizer, our God-given good sense, and a love for our fellow man.

I'm working hard on Mr. Scrooge, the first pattern in my Ebenezer Ornament Series. The pattern is mostly written and is now in the revision/editing stage. I'm sewing up samples and working on choosing color palettes. Too. Many. Colors. Then will come the real photos.

I'm planning once again to work with Benzie Design to offer color bundles and kits to go alongside my patterns and color guides. Thank you, wonderful Benzie folks! :-)

Remote hugs to all of you! #stupidvirus

in which I design a new series while sheltering in place

"There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are." Said guess who?

That is right! You guessed it. This is a fairly tight prototype of Mr Scrooge, the first pattern in a new series called Ebenezer, based on Charles Dickens' Victorian novella, A Christmas Carol. I'm excited about it and I hope you'll enjoy it. It's going to be ornate and a bit spooky.

No worries, I'm also working on the third pattern design for my 'Twas the Night series. It's only in the design stages but I'll update when I can.

Design work is a nice distraction. I'm hanging in there. You? Air hugs to you, folks of the world, as we all hunker down and weather this pandemic. My cloistered family is just trying to get through each day and stay positive. We are now under a Shelter In Place order here in GA, but that is essentially what we've been doing already for weeks. I pray that you are well and staying encouraged, wherever you are in the world. I pray for all those on the frontlines of this nightmare, and also those working hard in the seldom noticed background, doing essential tasks to keep the world running. I'm trying to do my part to minimize the spread and stay informed. I'm going to sew some masks today.

Phil. 4:6-7 is my daily shelter right now. Maybe it will strengthen you too.