Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Embroidered Gift

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Embroidered on a Hoop – Handmade Gift by StitchNSift

Who doesn’t love Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree? We’ll soon see. I made a couple of these little guys this week to give away as holiday gifts.

Step by Step:

1. I drew a template based off the photos I found in google images for ‘Charlie Brown Christmas Tree’
   

   Sketch of Charlie Brown Christmas Tree I made as a template for my embroidery project.

2. I stretched 2 pieces of ironed fabric in a 4″ hoop (in this case a natural cotton with little specs that I had in my sewing kit). The fabric was very thin, which is why I doubled it up.
3. I used a silver fabric pencil to sketch the design on the stretched fabric.
4. I cut a strip of green felt, to use for the pine needles. And cut a circle out of red felt for the Christmas ball ornament.
5. I picked out my colors. In this case 2 colors of brown for the tree and tree stand. I also used a silver/grey to ‘hang’ the ornament.
6. Then I started to embroider. I believe I used 3 strands for the trunk, 1 or 2 strands for the grain. 4 strands for the ornament hanger.
   

   The charlie brown christmas tree starting to be embroidered.

7. I sewed the ornament on just by the top. Also, the green felt for the pine needles, I embroidered them on with 2-3 stitches. Then I took scissors and made a couple cuts on each side and then took my fingernails and pulled them apart a little.
8. Finally, I used Modge Podge (because my fabric glue was hard as a rock) to glue the sides of the extra fabric inside the hoop. Then I took a piece of hard felt (not sure what it’s really called, but it is ridged felt that I bought at Michaels a while ago) and cut a circle, to cover the back, and my messy embroidery.

Now you’re done. And everyone can enjoy this little Christmas tree wherever they are…on the road, on their desk, in their home. Take a little Christmas with you. You could take a ribbon and hang it from your tree.

embroidered pin up girls – in my bathroom?

Burlesque Fan Girl - Pattern from Sublime Stitching

Who doesn’t love pin up girls? I’m talking WW1 / WW2 beauties draped over an aircraft with perfectly curled hair and pristine makeup. Something about the photos, either the daring way they are shot or the shear amount of guts it must have taken to be in pictures like this, make me think these women were strong.  Every feminist bone in my body fights that sentiment, but I find a source of power in their boldness & I decided to celebrate this… in my bathroom.  The bathroom is where the ladies ended up (in embroidery, in frames – not in reality.)

The ‘fan girl’ was a pattern from Sublime Stitching out of her amazing book, Embroidered Effects. If you haven’t checked out her work, quirky patterns, and step-by-step instruction…it’s a must see.

The other two girls are from pictures of pin up girls I found and altered into a pattern.

They could definitely use some work, and aren’t anywhere close to perfect, but just like the buxom beauties that dared to bare it before photoshop and airbrushing — I love them just the same.

I made a pattern from some old pinups I found and improvised.

Burlesque Dancer in a Martini Glass - Based design off of an old pinup girl photo