AND THE WINNERS ARE......

Thank you to the stitchers who entered the contest!  This was a learning experience for all of us.  There will be another finishing contest next year, so start thinking about it now!  Next time, there will be another winner chosen by me, and I now have a Posse of Professionals in place to choose their choice of best finish.  The Posse includes shopowners, manufacturers/suppliers, and fellow designers.  I would like to encourage more comments next year.  I love the feedback you provide and so do the entrants.

 

Regardless of the voting kerfluffle, I consider the contest a success...the point was to view some unique finishes and learn from the stitchers what appeals to them, and I did get an inkling of the favorites early on. 

 

Now for the winners: 

The Posse's choice was #10, submitted by Karen Decker (the "Wish you Peace" design made into the triangular box with the tinsel ribbon).

 

My choice was #1, submitted by Amy SC  (the Peace Tree with the mother of pearl buttons sewn on the edges).

 

Gift certificates from 123 for the winners will be ordered in the morning, and tomorrow I will put names of the entrants next to their submissions.

 

Thanks everyone! 

Ornament Contest Info....

Thank you for all your entries!  I plan on continuing with this idea every December, and as time goes on hope to have many more entries.

This blog will also serve as a "gallery" to show off my designs and your finishes.  I learned a thing or two with this contest.  I will be working on an "entry form" so the stitcher will have a place to list the design leaflet/source, the fabric and fibers used, and image requirements.

There is now missing image because I cannot open the files and have sent the stitchers a request to resend.  If you will hold off your voting for a day or so until we get the images, that would be wonderful.  If the images are not up by Sunday at noon, then I will have to disqualify them but they can participate in next year's contest. 

You can only vote once, and there are some wonderful choices.  Thanks for the submissions, and thanks for the votes!  There will be two prizes, one for peoples choice (that's YOU) and the other one will be MY choice.  Winners will be posted on the blog at 6:00 pm on December 20th.  Enjoy!

Sue 

PS- Click on each picture for a larger view!

Ornament #1 by Amy SC

Peace Tree from the leaflet Needlework Trees 2011, also found in JCS Ornament Issue 2009. The stitcher used tiny mother of pearl buttons to finish the edges.  The fabric is 32 count Lakeside linen using white DMC floss & white Mill Hill beads.

 Side view of Ornament #1

Ornament #2 by Anita Matejka

This design is from the Sullivans Floss Project page.  It was stitched
on 18 count vinyl evenweave.  You can access the chart here:
http://www.sullivans.net/usa/sullivansfloss/projectcentral/winter_hotcocoa_over.jpg

Ornament #3 by Claudia Bourgeois

This design can be found in the leaflet Traditional Trees 2011 from
Sue Hillis Designs.
32 ct. Ivory linen by HDF (any light colored linen could be used)
Green - HDF 3229/3241/3339    (BeLeaved could be used as well as your favorite tonal green variegated)
Red - HDF 6217/1111/1235/1141 (BeRedded could be used as well as your favorite tonal red variegated)
Gold - HDF Guilded Cage or your favorite gold variegated

Pears are stitched with a strand Guilded Cage and a strand Kreinik metallic blending filament 002HL (gold)

Beads are 11/0 seed beads in transparent ruby from fire mountain gems.  Any translucent red seed bead could be used.

Backing is a ruby red shantung silk but any matching red fabric could be used.

Silk ribbon ruched edge:  Double thickness of HDF 13mm Perfect Red 6217 and BeLeaved.  I put the two ribbons together and stitched them as one, to get the 2-color effect.

Bows - BeLeaved and Perfect Red 6217, and gold 3/16" from Hobby Lobby

Ornament #4 by Amy SC

This design is from the Christmas Candy leaflet.  It's stitched on 32 ct Opalescent Belfast with DMC floss.  The design is mounted on a mat board tree cut to the scalloped shape of the ornament with a layer of batting between the board & the fabric.  The back is made the same way and covered with Christmas fabric.  The two were whip-stitched together and the trim is a velvet ribbon from Michael's and was glued around the edge and used for the loop hanger.  A JABC peppermint button was added at the top.

Ornament #5 by Darlene Conary

The design is the Flurries chart found at Sullivans Floss site:  http://www.sullivans.net/usa/sullivansfloss/projectcentral/winter_flurries_over.jpg 

It was stitched it on 28 ct antique white evenweave from MCG Textiles.  It is finished into a padded flat ornament that is edged with a purchased twisted cording that extends into the hanger. It is topped with a red satin bow ties with a gold ribbon. It is backed with a cotton print design featuring hats.

Ornament #6 by Kathy Bodnar

This design can be found in the JCS Ornament Issue from 2005, and also in the Christmas Candy 2011 leaflet.

Fabric used was 32 count Water Lily Jobelan from Wichelt.

Ornament #7 by Kathy Bodnar

This design is found in an older JCS Ornament Issue which is not filed where it is supposed to be, so the year will be posted later. 
It can also be found in the Tradition Trees 2011 leaflet.  Fabric use is 32 count WaterLily Jobelan.  Beads were strung on the trees, and bugle beads were used for the candles.

Ornament #8 by Patti Fronk

The ornament is found in the JCS Ornament Issue 2009 and the Needlework Trees 2011 leaflet.

The stitcher stitched it with odds and ends of leftover scraps, but you can get an idea of colors from the image. 

 

Ornament #10 by Karen Decker

This design comes from the Noel en Rouge 2011 leaflet.

This was on misc piece of white evenweave over one using Victorian Motto threads in Cherry On Top. The stitcher also painted a triangle wood box antique white and used some red tinsel trim around the stitched piece and a wired ribbon and bow around the base.

Ornament #9 by Terri Louise (Tazzi)

Design is from JCS Ornament Issue 2009, and Needlework Trees 2011 leaflet.

Threads used was DMC, and the fabric is Kaimai, hand dyed evenweave.

Ornament #12 by Linda Steffen

This cupcake is from the 2010 leaflet Christmas Calories.  It was stitched on Aida and trimmed, then glued to the snowflake. The stitcher tells me that the snowflake is purchased at the Dollar Tree in a package of three and they have had them now for several years!  That makes it easy!!



Ornament #11 by Melanie Rowe

Design is found in the JCS Ornament 2005 issue, and the Christmas Candy leaflet from 2011.

The stitcher used a slightly different color paletter,  I used three strands for the cross stitch, three strands for the red backstitches and two strands for the gray backstitches. They are stitched on Mill Hill Midnight Blue 14ct perforated paper. The extra mints are from the Christmas Candy leaflet (the "Peppermint Tree" design) to get the right number of blocks.

2 inch wooden blocks  (usually available in craft stores), which were painted to match the perforated paper (in this case, Martha Stewart Satin acrylic paint in Deep Sea). The stitcher trimmed the perforated paper to fit the blocks, then used a craft glue to glue them together.

#13 by Retha Reinke

This design is really not an ornament so isn't technically part of the contest but I thought you might want to see how something simple like the gingerbread boy button falling out of the bowl can enhance the stitching so much.  I really makes the needlework unique.  The design was stitched on 14/28 count fabric which fits into a standard 8" x 10" frame. The leaflet is Gingerbread's Ready!

Thank you for all your entries!  I plan on continuing with this idea every December, and as time goes on hope to have many more entries.

 

This blog will also serve as a "gallery" to show off my designs and your finishes.  I learned a thing or two with this contest.  I will be working on an "entry form" so the stitcher will have a place to list the design leaflet/source, the fabric and fibers used, and image requirements. 

 

There are two missing images because I cannot open the files and have sent the stitchers a request to resend.  If you will hold off your voting for a day or so until we get the images, that would be wonderful.  If the images are not up by Sunday at noon, then I will have to disqualify them but they can participate in next year's contest. 

 

You can only vote once, and there are some wonderful choices.  Thanks for the submissions, and thanks for the votes!  There will be two prizes, one for peoples choice (that's YOU) and the other one will be MY choice.  Winners will be posted on the blog at 6:00 pm on December 20th.  Enjoy!

 

Sue