Tutorial: Embroidered and Hand sewn ornamnet

HOW TO TURN A CUTE EMBROIDERED PROJECT INTO A CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT   

Assemble your materials:
Fabric for back
Embroidered fabric
Mechanical or Fabric Pencil
Pins
Sewing needle
Thread
Ribbon
Poly-fil stuffing
Fabric scissors

step 1:  Using either a mechanical pencil or fabric pencil, trace a circle on the WRONG sides of the fabric and embroidered piece.  Make sure to leave at least a 1/2 inch seam allowance.  For a perfect circle use a protractor, circular Tupperware lid, bowl, etc…

FYI:  For this protractor, the big outer circle is 6 inches in diameter and the inside circle is about 4.25 inches in diameter.

step 2:  Make your seam allowance. Find a perfect circle at least 1/2 inch smaller than your original circle.  Place circle on the wrong side of your fabric and trace all the way around.  This will give you the perfect “line” to follow as you stitch.  You only need to do this on one of the pieces of fabric.  

I ended up using the smaller circle that was inside protractor and just rotated the protractor slightly to fill in the gaps where the circle ends did not meet.  The pencils lines are quite visible on my fabric so I hope you can see them below!  

step 3:  Cut out each circle (follow the lines of the biggest circle) from the fabric.  Cut a 8 inch piece of ribbon.  Place the fabric circles together RIGHT SIDES together.  Insert your ribbon loop BETWEEN both pieces of fabric.  The loop should be facing down and the “tails” should be up.  Use a pin to secure the ribbon to the fabric pieces, about a 1/4 inch above the smaller circle you drew, being sure to pierce through all three layers (top fabric, ribbbon, bottom fabric).  Note:  If you are using a ribbon that has a pattern on one  side, make sure the pattern side is face down on the right side of the embroidered fabric.  Use pins to secure the fabric layers together but leave at least a 1.5 inch unpinned gap at the bottom.     

step 4:  Using the backstitch, sew around the circle (following the lines of the smaller circle you traced) leaving at least a 1.5 inch opening on the bottom.  Note:  When sewing the last stitch to the left of the opening and the right of the opening, reinforce the stitch by sewing ontop of it a few times — this helps to prevent the seam popping when you turn the project right side out as well as when you stuff with poly-fil.  Remove pins when sewing is complete.   

step 5:  Using scissors, carefully clip around the circle ABOVE your stitchline.  Do NOT clip where you left the unstitched gap.  However, you may trim the gap so it is 1/2 inch long, I originally had a seam allowance of 1 inch.  Trim the ribbon ends as well.  This helps make a smoother circle when you…..

step 6:  Gently reach inside the opening at the bottom of the ornament and gently tug on the ribbon loop to help you TURN the ornament right side out.  The ornament will become more circular when you…

step 7:  Carefully stuff with poly-fil.  Use a chopstick or knitting needle to get the poly-fil all the way down.  

step 8:  Use your fingers to press and fold seam allowances from unstitched opening in toward the poly-fil.  Use the hidden stitch (see Doodle Stitching by Aimee Ray or this hidden stitch pictorial tutorial on craftster so you can stitch the opening closed.  The hidden stitch wasn’t so bad once I got the hang of it, the trick is to take small stitches and use one movement of the needle to stab through and slide under the hem and come back out on the right side of the fabric.  

 

YAY!  Hang your ornament on your tree!

This is my first tutorial!  I hope it was helpful!  This tutorial can also be adapted to make a pillow, stuffed animal, etc…  Let your imagination run free!