Ho-Ho-Holiday Ornament - Finally! - No Peeking Alexis

Ornament designed (check)
Ornament completed (check)
Ornament mailed to my swap partner (check)

Ya-hoo!! One more item to cross of my growing list of projects I need and want to do. I had a difficult time trying to find an ornament pattern that was a "quilting" type of ornament that I liked. Some were too complicated and some were just too plain. I wanted to make something really unique for my partner.

I received this material from one of the other swap partners in my group. She said it's from a collection called "Figgy Pudding" if I remember correctly. The fat quarter was an olive green and she also generously sent a large piece of the coordinating material. The striped fabric's colors of burgundy, white, and olive green decorated the material with peppermints, ornaments, trees, and snowflakes mixed among wavy strips.

This material gave me the inspiration for the Christmas tree design. I tried to incorporate the different colors and designs to make the piece-work look like ornaments. I used some of the darker green for a small trunk. I layered with a small scrap of batting, stitched around it, leaving an opening to turn it. One of the small snowflakes became my tree topper after stuffing it. It looked like a teeny-tiny pillow about 1/2" across. :)

After the assembly, I hand-quilted the ornament, but it still looked a little too plain in my honest opinion. It needed something shiny, some bling-bling to add some pizzazz! What tree would be complete without a string of lights?!! Off to scrounge through my daughter's and my craft supplies.. Ah-ha! Glass seed beads to the rescue!! I think they even twinkle a little bit in the right light. What do you think? A few hand stitches to the back to create a loop for hanging completes this one-of-a-kind project.

I hope my partner will like the ornament, even though it looks a little lopsided. :D

Merry Christmas to all,
Julie