Last Minute Holland comes in under the wire

On Christmas Eve as I sat feverishly stitching two Twelve Days ornaments for dear loved ones, I once again reflected on my time management skills. I feel like I'm busy ALL the ever lovin' time. Perhaps I actually am? Probably not as busy as I think. Surely I can do a better job at this. Heck, I still don't even have my own personal set of any of my ornaments. I have a lot of MmmCrafts samples of course, but those I need to keep in my office for photos/promos. My two girls do not have their own sets either. I do manage most years to make a special one-off ornament for them, but not always. Not this year. Argh.

Next year is my year for sure. 

So this Partridge and French Hen were completed by 1 AM Christmas morning and checked off my list. They were received on Christmas afternoon with joy, and that is the best feeling!

It was nice to revisit these two patterns. If you are curious, yes, I follow my own pattern instructions. LOL. I have so many patterns now it's easy to forget the best way to put them together. It's essential to have a cheat sheet. 

fun with pinecones, poms, and pipe cleaners

I made this little owl ornament for Robyn (don't look, Robyn! haha) from stuff you might have laying around your house and yard, if you are like me: An acorn cap, large and small poms, chenille stems, wool felt, a small pinecone, touches of white acrylic paint, some metallic thread, and a stick. All held together with blobs of hot glue. 

I have a love/hate relationship with hot glue, and after an evening of burning my fingers, taking a chunk out of my work surface from a hot glue leak, and getting hair-thin snarly hot glue strings all over my clothes and in my hair, I asked folks on my Facebook page to recommend a good mini hot glue gun that won't be out to get me. I am 100% sure hot glue is not supposed to be this hard to use. 

I'm going to check this one out, as Surebonder was the brand recommended by several different commenters! Thanks, guys.

Welp, it's the last week before Christmas. Y'all ready? I'm not! I'm fine this is fine

Thank you and get crackin' :-)

Wow! Thanks so much for making this year’s sale the best ever! Y’all got some serious sewing to do! Chop chop! :-) Love to see what your clever hands are making, so be sure to tag me on Instagram with @mmmcrafts or post to my FB page! And merry merry merry mmmaking to you, wherever you are on this beautiful planet!

Shown: Mrs Claus ornament pattern, the 2nd pattern in my #twasthenightornaments. She's made using Benzie Design's lovely felts, sequins, and glass beads. Here's the color guide and link to kits:

https://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/2020/01/mrs-claus-detailed-benzie-color-guides.html

All my patterns are available exclusively in my Etsy shop.

Reminder: only hours left in my annual sale

Had your eye on that pattern? Now's the time! Only a few hours left in my annual pattern sale. It ends at midnight tonight, 11/29 EST, so if you occupy a different time zone on the planet, be sure to factor that in. Happy sewing to you! :-) Click here to shop!

Happiest of Thanksgivings to you! My sale is on!

Thank you, 2021, for being a year to make me more conscious than ever of life's blessings, in awe of God's providence, and more aware of just how quickly life can change. I'm holding my dear ones a bit tighter this year (under their loud protests LOL) and resolving to be a person who is more deliberate about giving thanks in all circumstances. One huge blessing I'm counting right now is YOU, who so kindly stuck with me and sent so many encouraging notes and messages. Thank you! I'm looking forward to jumping back into doing what I love, designing new patterns for you to enjoy. 

If you've been waiting for my annual sale to buy a pattern from my Etsy shop, wait no more, this is it! 20% off your pattern purchase through Monday with no code necessary. Please note: the sale is keyed to my time zone, Eastern Standard, so factor that in if you are in a different part of our lovely world.

Many many thanks to you! And please accept my wish to all, wherever on this beautiful planet you may be, that God richly blesses you with happiness, health, and special times with those you love. And may you snag the very last piece of pecan pie.  

Ghost of Christmas Past: detailed Benzie color guides – kits available!

Ghost of Christmas Past is the third pattern in my Ebenezer Ornament Series. Here are the detailed felt/floss/sequin/bead color guides for you so that you can easily make spirits 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 Ghost of Christmas Past pattern: mmmcrafts.etsy.com

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

Benzie Ebenezer felt palettes and notions kits

To shop their sparkle and shine:

Benzie sequins and beads and also their metallic felts

OK! Here are the color guides:

Modern Pastel Silver Ghost

BENZIE FELT COLORS:*

Silver: Tunic and capelet

Gold Metallic Bellwether:** Snuffer, belt, tunic leaves

Peach: Body and arms

Moss: Holly leaves

Fern: Center holly leaf

*Note: You will need matching floss or thread colors

**Substitute Mustard felt if you do not have metallic felt

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS:*

Capelet: DMC 937 and D3852. Benzie Teal seed beads, Benzie Red seed beads. Trim: Benzie White seed beads, 5 mm iridescent translucent sequins

Belt: DMC 905, 5 mm gold sequins, 8 mm iridescent white sequin topped with 6 mm gold sequin, Benzie Gold seed beads

Tunic: DMC 934, 905, 3705, 943, and D3852. 6 mm metallic kelly green sequins topped with 5 mm aqua sequins, 5 mm lime metallic sequins, 8 mm lime metallic sequin topped with 6 mm metallic kelly green sequin, Benzie Red seed beads, Benzie White seed beads, Benzie Teal seed beads, Benzie Kelly Green seed beads

Snuffer: DMC E301, 4 mm Benzie Gold metallic sequins, Benzie Rose Gold seed beads 

Holly Staff: gold sewing thread, semi-precious 4 mm beads

Year on back: DMC 943

*All sequins/beads sewn with gold sewing thread

OTHER NOTIONS:

Holly staff: white 26 gauge paper wrapped stem wire

Hanging Loop: DMC 5282 Metallic Pearl

Modern Pastel Ecru Ghost

BENZIE FELT COLORS:*

Ecru: Tunic and capelet

Gold Metallic Bellwether:** Snuffer, belt, tunic leaves

Peach: Body and arms

Moss: Holly leaves

Turquoise: Center holly leaf

*Note: You will need matching floss or thread colors

**Substitute Mustard felt if you do not have metallic felt

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS:*

Capelet: DMC 3848 and 732. Benzie Foxglove seed beads, Benzie Red seed beads. Trim: Benzie Rainbow seed beads, 5 mm iridescent translucent sequins

Belt: DMC D301, 5 mm gold sequins, 8 mm iridescent gray translucent sequin topped with 5 mm gold sequin, Benzie Gold seed beads

Tunic: DMC 3848, 732, and D3852. 6 mm metallic copper sequins, 5 mm pink sequins, 8 mm pink sequin topped with 6 mm copper sequin, Benzie Red seed beads, Benzie Foxglove seed beads, Benzie Rose Gold seed beads

Snuffer: DMC D301, 5 mm gold sequins, Benzie Rose Gold seed beads 

Holly Staff: gold sewing thread, semi-precious 4 mm beads

Year on back: DMC 3705

*All sequins/beads sewn with gold sewing thread

OTHER NOTIONS:

Holly staff: white 26 gauge paper wrapped stem wire

Hanging Loop: DMC 5282 Metallic Pearl

Victorian Swan Ghost

BENZIE FELT COLORS:*

Swan: Tunic and capelet

Bronze Metallic Bellwether:** Snuffer, belt, tunic leaves

Peach: Body and arms

Turquoise: Holly leaves

Peacock: Center holly leaf

*Note: You will need matching floss or thread colors

**Substitute Copper felt if you do not have metallic felt

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS:*

Capelet: DMC 3808 and D301. Benzie White seed beads, Benzie Red seed beads. Trim: Benzie Rainbow seed beads, 5 mm iridescent translucent sequins

Belt: DMC D168, 5 mm iridescent gray sequins, 8 mm iridescent gray sequin topped with 5 mm teal sequin, Benzie Rose Gold seed beads

Tunic: DMC 3808, 3848, White, 815, and 3712. 8 mm iridescent gray translucent sequins topped with 5 mm teal sequins, 5 mm metallic red sequins, 8 mm red metallic sequin topped with 5 mm pink sequin, Benzie White seed beads, Benzie Red seed beads, Benzie Teal seed beads

Snuffer: DMC D168, 4 mm Benzie Copper sequins, Benzie Rose Gold seed beads 

Holly Staff: copper sewing thread, semi-precious 4 mm beads

Year on back: DMC 815

*All sequins/beads sewn with copper sewing thread

OTHER NOTIONS:

Holly staff: white 26 gauge paper wrapped stem wire

Hanging Loop: DMC 5283 Metallic Pearl

Victorian Midnight Ghost

BENZIE FELT COLORS*:

Midnight: Tunic and capelet

Silver Metallic Bellwether:** Snuffer and belt

Bronze Metallic Bellwether:** Tunic leaves

Peach: Body and arms

Turquoise: Holly leaves

Swan: Center holly leaf

*Note: You will need matching floss or thread colors

**Substitute Bronze felt if you do not have metallic felt

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS:*

Capelet: DMC 958 and D301. Benzie Red seed beads, Benzie Aquamarine seed beads. Trim: Benzie Rainbow seed beads, 5 mm iridescent translucent sequins

Belt: DMC 958, 5 mm silver sequins, 8 mm copper sequin topped with 6 mm silver sequin, Benzie Rainbow seed beads

Tunic: DMC D168, 958, 943, and 3801. 6 mm brassy gold sequins, 5 mm aqua sequins, 8 mm brassy gold sequin topped with 6 mm teal sequin, Benzie Rainbow seed beads, Benzie Red seed beads, Benzie Aquamarine seed beads

Snuffer: DMC D301, 5 mm iridescent translucent sequins, Benzie Rainbow seed beads 

Holly Staff: silver sewing thread, semi-precious 4 mm beads

Year on back: DMC 832

*All sequins/beads sewn with silver sewing thread

OTHER NOTIONS:

Holly staff: white 26 gauge paper wrapped stem wire

Hanging Loop: DMC 5283 Metallic Pearl

I hope this was helpful! 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

Ghost of Christmas Past pattern now available!

It took a bit longer than planned, but I'm very thankful to say that Ghost of Christmas Past is now in my Etsy shop. This pattern is the third in my Ebenezer Ornament Series, which is inspired by my love for Charles Dickens' spooky Victorian novella, A Christmas Carol. 

You'll find the difficulty level to be intermediate – not for beginners. If you've completed my Twelve Days Ornament Series, you are likely ready to step into the Ebenezer series! (Twelve Days is a great primer as it builds your skills when you do the patterns in order.)

Skills needed for this particular pattern are backstitch, whipstitch, drawing on the face, precision cutting of small pieces, beading, and working with stem wire. This one is not as complicated as Mr Marley, IMO. And not to worry, as with all my ornament patterns, Ghost of Christmas Past is organized into detailed step by step instructions with scads of diagrams and tips.

The pattern includes 21 years to trace and embroider on the back, if you like

Male or Female Spirit?

It's a bit hard to tell, but despite his long hair and fancy tunic, this is a male spirit. My ornament is designed to reflect the ghost as written by Mr Dickens, who describes this spirit as a candle-like shape shifting youth/old man with long, white hair and blooming cheeks, wearing a flowered white tunic and golden belt. He carries a large snuffer hat under his arm and also a fresh branch of holly, and a bright clear light jets from his head. (At the end of the encounter, Mr Scrooge sends him on his way by squashing the extinguisher over his head and body, under which he disappears, though the light refuses to be extinguished.)

Despite the original text, I've seen many productions which cast this spirit as a woman, so I've provided a list of tips at the end of the pattern for converting this ornament design to a feminine version. Like skipping the sideburns and thick eyebrows, making the hair longer, adding a braid, cinching the waist, skipping the capelet, etc... I hope that will help match your nostalgia for lovely productions you may have seen. I'll have to make a female sample and photograph it for you guys. On my to-do list!

Just like my other heirloom ornament patterns, it takes about two crafternoons to make a Ghost of Christmas Past. Using metallic wool felt for the snuffer, belt and leaves and using metallic tinsel or iridescent pipe cleaners for the crown of light adds such a rich, festive sparkle to the look.

This ornament is best constructed using Sulky Stick 'n Stitch, which makes the process so fast and accurate. If you already have the materials on hand to make Scrooge or Marley, you just need a few more things like metallic wool felt, tinsel pipe cleaner, plastic or semi precious 4 mm beads (for holly berries), some larger sequins, and paper or cloth covered white stem wire. There's a full materials list on the first page of the pattern.

What's a fun collective pronoun for a group of these? A sparkle of spirits? All four samples you see above are made with the same two Benzie Ebenezer color palettes I curated for the rest of the series. I exercised a bit of artistic license in the color of his tunics #becausecolors. I will be publishing detailed color guides for these samples soon, which coordinate directly with the amazing felt/floss/notions kits put together for your buying convenience at Benzie Design! 

To purchase the instantly downloadable PDF pattern, visit my Etsy shop. :-) 

an update to the Sulky post!

Hey guys! I've updated my previous post regarding the recent issues with Sulky stabilizer. Please read the update here! :-)