Christmas Cracker Design & Finishing Instructions

Book includes instructions for the design and complete finishing instructions for crackers, including directions of how to adjust for different tube sizes, curling the ribbon, and doing a beaded edge.  Available on Amazon for Kindle apps and readers.  

Crackers are so much fun.  Designer Melissa Shirley has lots of cracker designs: Golden Crackers, Valentine Crackers, USA Patriotic Crackers, Easter Crackers, Thanksgiving Crackers, Halloween Crackers, Christmas Toys Crackers, Giant Christmas Crackers, and more traditional Christmas Crackers.  

Learn to Finish a Kimono...

These are fun to finish. Hang them on a kimono stand, with a chopstick, or mount the finished kimono onto a pillow by topstitching into place.



These instructions are copyright 2008 Summer Louise Truswell. You may print one copy for your own personal use or to make items as gifts. If you'd like to reprint in a newsletter please contact me for a print-ready layout.

Materials Needed:
· Stitched needlework kimono
· Clear plastic bag (such as Ziploc)
· Backing material
· Lining material
· Fast 2 Fuse Double-Sided Heavy-Weight Fusible Interfacing
· Twisted cording for trim
· Tassels, if desired
· Sewing thread
· Scissors

Directions:

1. Lay the plastic bag over the kimono design. Use a permanent marker (such as Sharpie) to trace the kimono outline directly over the stitching.



2. Cut out the plastic template. Place the plastic over the Fast 2 Fuse Interfacing and trace again on the interfacing. Cut out the fusible interfacing, cutting along the inside lines of the marker lines. Check to make sure that the interfacing fits just inside the kimono design.



3. Cut a piece of backing fabric and a piece of lining fabric. Follow the manufacturer's directions to fuse the two layers together with the heavy-weight lining inside.



4. Trim the stitched piece and the backing piece so there is approximately a 3/4" fabric margin around the design.



5. The edges of the canvas are not trimmed all at once. The canvas, if overworked, would unravel all the way to the stitching. The interior corners will need to be notched in to 2 canvas threads from the design but this should be done one corner at a time as the stitching approaches that area.

Notch the corner under one of the sleeves.



6. Fold the raw edges of the canvas towards the back, fingerpressing into place. Fold the raw edges of the silk towards the back. Place the two pieces together, right sides outward, and use matching sewing thread to stitch the pieces together.

As the stitching approaches the corners, fold the canvas inwards and stitch around the corners.

When you approach an inward corner, clip both the canvas and the background fabric to allow the fabric to fold inwards smoothly.

Stitch around the entire perimeter of the design. If the piece is to be hung on a dowel or chopstick remember to leave unstitched openings at the top of each sleeve as well as a small hole in the corner to insert the twisted cording.



7. To attach the twisted cording, begin stitching again in the corner below the sleeve. Insert one knotted end into the small opening underneath the sleeve. Using matching thread, overcast whipstitch the twisted cording to the edge of the kimono. Manipulate the twist of the cording so that the thread lays down in the valley of the twisted cording; it should be almost invisible.

Continue to sew the twisted cording around the perimeter of the design.

Knot off the extra cording, trim the length, and insert the knot into the hold behind the beginning of the cording. Sew the hole closed.



Admire your finished Kimono!

Learn to Finish a Miniature Christmas Stocking

Earlier this year I started using a different technique for finishing miniature Christmas Stockings. I needed a technique with less hand sewing so here is the result. I taught this at my guild last month so the verbal instructions have been tested, too.

These instructions are copyright 2008 Summer Louise Truswell. You may print one copy for your own personal use or to make items as gifts. If you'd like to reprint in a newsletter please contact me for a print-ready layout.




Early Christmas morning, we would sneak down the stairs and into the family room, trying to slip past Mom’s sharp hearing. Of course, our army of feet (six children!) would wake our parents, and they would usually enter the room moments after we had found the stockings. Each stocking had been lovingly sewn with our names, so it was very clear which stocking belonged to each child. We even had a stocking for the family pet, although it was a miniature size.

These instructions and photographs are for a miniature stocking. They will work for a large stocking as well. The stocking is lined. I highly recommend lining your stocking, as it makes it sturdier, in addition to keeping the needlework cleaner. You can skip the lining step, if desired. The size of the stocking is dependent on your finished needlework piece and you will need to purchase your backing and lining fabric based on that.

Materials Needed:
· Stitched needlework piece to be made into stocking
· Backing material
· Lining material
· Twisted cording for trim
· Tassel, if desired
· Sewing thread
· Scissors

Directions:
Wash and block your needlework piece, if desired.

Layer the fabrics in the following order: two layers of lining fabric with right sides facing, backing fabric with right side up, needlework piece with right side down facing backing fabric. Cut all four pieces of fabric, leaving generous margins.



Lay the front of the stocking on a lining piece with right sides together. Sew a seam along the top edge of the stocking. Repeat with the backing fabric and the second piece of lining fabric.
Fold the lining back from the stocking and finger press in place.



Lay the front of the stocking and the back of the stocking together with right sides facing. Make sure that the top edges of the stocking are perfectly matched. If desired you may pin each side. You will be skipping two-three stitches there to allow for later insertion of the twisted cording.

The turning of the stocking will be done through a hole in the lining. Begin at the bottom of the lining fabric and sew the back and front of the stocking together by traveling around almost the entire perimeter of the stocking and lining. Remember to skip two-three stitches where the lining meets the backing and stocking. Finish your seam with at least three inches for turning.

Use a pair of sharp scissors to trim the seam by clipping corners grading the curves slightly. Don’t get too close as the canvas will unravel a little bit.



Turn the stocking right sides out. If needed, reach in with the eraser end of a pencil to push out the sewn edges of the stocking. From the outside finger press the seam down and gently shape into place.

Fold the raw edges of the lining fabric back into the lining and finger press in place. Use matching sewing thread to sew the seam closed. I use a narrow zigzag with a sewing machine.



Push the lining fabric down into the stocking.



Starting on the toe side, insert one end of the twisted cording into the space with missed stitches at the top of the stocking. Use matching sewing thread to carefully sew the twisted cording to the stocking. The sewing thread should sit down in the bumps between the different twists of cord. Sew the cording down around the toe of the stocking and back up to the top. Travel around the cuff of the stocking and back to the back. Loop up the excess cording to make a hanger. If you wish to add a tassel then loop it over the twisted cording hanger at this point. Insert the other end of the twisted cording into the space and sew closed.



Admire your finished miniature Christmas stocking!