THE STITCHING GUIDE
Make a cross-stitch Christmas ornament
Stitch a gingerbread house from the free chart, then finish it in a small hoop with a felt backing and a ribbon.
Add a name to the ornament
See the name stitched below the house as you type. The 60 × 60 chart fits a 5-inch (13 cm) hoop.
Save this example on PinterestPrepare the fabric
The 48 × 48 chart is about 3.4 in (8.7 cm) across on 14-count Aida. Cut a square of fabric about 8 in (20 cm) across so you have room to work, and mark its center by folding it gently in half each way. Keep the extra fabric until the stitching is done.
Stitch the house
Match each symbol on the PDF to its DMC thread. Start with two strands and keep the top arms of the crosses going in the same direction. Leave the blank squares around the house unstitched so the fabric shows.
Mount it in the hoop
Try the finished motif in a 4-inch (10 cm) hoop before trimming. Center the house with the screw at the top and move up a hoop size if the outer stitches sit against the rim. Leave about 1 in (2.5 cm) of fabric past the ring, sew a line of running stitches near the cut edge, and pull the thread to gather the fabric behind the hoop.
Back it and hang it
Trace the hoop onto felt, cut out the circle and sew it to the gathered fabric with small stitches. Tie a loop of ribbon around the screw fitting and check that the house hangs straight.
Hoop finishing technique from the Embroiderers’ Guild of America