Unique Heart Ornaments, Tutorial

As a child my mother every year got my sister and I to make Christmas ornaments in the weeks leading up to Christmas. We had little store bought ornaments and I believe that my appreciation for unique handmade ornaments started there. I cannot help making Christmas ornaments, and being able to list them in my Etsy shop: SewDanish has been great. I love giving the old Danish/Scandinavian traditional ornaments an updated twist as well as designing new.

I developed the technique for these Christmas ornaments, while I was having fun experimenting and making samples for Fibrefusion recently published book ‘Muslin’, which is an inspirational and experimental work book about creating lovely fiber art using thin, inexpensive, loose weave fabrics.  

For the hearts start by layering 10 -12 layers of muslin/calico/turbin cotton in approx. 6 x 8 inch (15 x 20 cm) oblong. The muslin can be any colour you like. If choosing white/off white you have the option of coloring the hearts after stitching. 

Draw 2 hearts (or any other simple shape) on a piece of cartridge paper or ‘stitch and tear’. Don’t cut out. Pin the pattern along the 4 edges of the muslin bundle. If stitching the hearts free hand on the machine, you may skip drawing a pattern.

Thread your sewing machine and stitch the hearts either by following your pattern or drawing the  shape in free motion on your machine.

When free motion stitching lower the feed dogs, release the top thread tension and zero the stitch length. Now you are in control of moving the fabric creating the stitched lines.

OR you can leave your machine ‘normal’ with the feed dogs up, normal top tension and stitch length 2.5 – 3. Both will work. I prefer free styling it for a more relaxed look, but have a play and see what suits you.

Stitch, following your first out line, by going over it at least 4 times. You can stitch these bands as wide or as narrow as you like. The stitch lines need to be very close and partly on top of each other.  Now repeat these stitch lines inside the heart. Depending on the size of the heart repeat once or twice (or more).

Remove your fabric from the machine. With a pair of scissors cut very close along, but not into, the outermost stitched band.

Now look at your heart and decide what areas you would like to cut away between the stitched lines. The aim is to create higher and lower areas. With a fine pointed pair of scissors carefully cut through only the 5-6 top layers of muslin. It is easier to cut a few layers at the time than doing it all in one go.

The heart can now be further embellished with hand embroidery and or beads. Add a piece of string, twine, raffia or ribbon to hang your hearts.

If you aren’t too keen on the slightly raw, frayed edges, you can seal the edges with a bit of acrylic paint like shown on the stars.

These stars have a different look to the hearts, as they were sewn on white muslin/calico and dyed afterwards. The stars were then embellished with hand embroidery and the surface was ever so lightly dry brushed with acrylic paint for added texture.

Please note the boring bits:
These instructions are for personal use only. You are however welcome to use a single photo and a brief description, linking them back to where you came across the instructions.
These instructions may not be republished in their entirety without the permission of me, the author, Birgitte Hendricks. I can be contacted here info@SewDanish.com  J

Interview with SewDanish and her folded stars

Last week I was contacted by the DesignStyleGuide if I wanted to be interviewed about my Christmas ornaments and shop.
The interview has just been published and I thought I share the link with you if you wanted to have a look
Interview with SewDanish and her folded stars

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

Just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the best for 2010. At this time of the year I always feel that Christmas once again has snug up on me by coming around again so soon. That it is truly amazing that another year has almost passed. But what a great year 2009 has been! Lots of traveling, lots of exhibitions, lots and lots of wonderful time spend crafting and sewing, not to mention time spend with my lovely husband and friends. Life is great!
I will be heading to Copenhagen, Denmark tomorrow. I actually tried to fly out on Friday, but after a looong wait at the gate, the plane was finally cancelled due to the weather. Suffolk had been hit by a blizzard overnight. The ground is still covered in snow/ice and it is freezing out there. Hopefully there will be no problems flying out tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed for me.
Copenhagen is always lovely to visit at anytime of the year, but I've always especially like being there at Christmas time. The city is beautifully decorated and when it starts to get dusky around 3.00PM in the afternoon, the city begins to glow. After a couple of days my husband will join me and we'll all celebrate Christmas Eve at my sisters. I cannot wait! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you. Stay safe and warm :-)

Stars, lots of stars....

Did I have a lot of fun last night :-) I belong to a quilting group called 'Material Girls'. We meet once a month for two hours at a community center. I have been coming to the group since we started it about 10 years ago. It is mainly a quilting group, but others crafts are represented as well. Everyone is welcome so we have the absolute beginners and new to quilting/patchwork to the very experienced. Usually about 15-25 ladies show up when we meet. Sometimes we have a lecture or a workshop, other times we help each other, if somebody has come to a grinding hold with a project. Last night I taught the 24 ladies. It was such a good laugh.
I had been asked to teach them how to make the very traditional Danish Christmas ornament, an origami star folded in paper or fabric. When I told my sister that I was going to teach star making to the group she just looked at me and said "you are a very brave lady!" She claims that she is yet to figure out how to make the stars after countless unsuccessful attempts. Anyway... All I had asked the ladies to bring was a small pointed pair of scissor and patience! I would provide a kit with pre cut strips and instructions. And I'm proud to say that most of the ladies went home with a star and a big smile on their face and no one broke down in tears..... :-)