Calico trees are If you have a sewing machine, you can stitch up this colorful stuffed Christmas tree. By JOYCE BUPP Staff correspondent YORK - Looking for a Christmas tree that doesn’t shed needles all over the place? Then the Extension Ser vice of York County suggests that perhaps a calico tree is just what you’ve been looking for. This tabletop deciduous can be con structed in just a few hours, makes a lovely centerpiece or buffet decoration and will brighten your holidays for many years. To make the three-tiered Brooms make adorable dolls YORK - If you think brooms are only for sweeping, guess again. Doris Sheffer, representing the Early Risers’ homemakers group in York, shared directions for creating a holiday doll decoration during the York County homemakers holiday meeting recently. Base for the doll is a child’s broom, 28-inches long. Push a 3-inch styrofoam ball down over the broom handle, working gently, for the head of the doll. Add two eyes of black felt, round for open eyes, or fringed to look like closed eyelashes. Add~one red nose circle of felt. Cut two circles of either red or green felt, ap proximately 4% inches in diameter. Cut a round piece of lightweight cardboard, just slightly smaller than the felt circles. Place the car board inside the two felt circles and slip stitch the outsides together. Cut four small slits in the center of the circle, like an “X” and push gently down over handle for a hat for the doll’s head. Add a rectangular piece of felt, cut 12-13” long and fringed for a shawl. Decorate with other materials or ornaments as desired. Use at the fire place or as a door decoration, mounted on fresh greens. fabric Christmas tree you will need; Vh yards of 45- inch calico or other print ed fabric, matching thread, scissors, sewing machine, stuffing and the ac companying pattern. First fold the fabric in half lengthwise, then fold in half lengthwise again, giving you four layers of fabric. Place the pattern on the folded edges. Cut out. Repeat twice, giving you a total of six tree shapes. Sew together two of the tree shapes, right sides of material together, stit ching 3/8 inches from the * s-« •&}■ O' . This broom doll will cheerfully welcome all your holiday guests. A versatile decoration, it might grace your fireplace or be surrounded with greens for a door ornament. edge using a short stitch. At the base leave an opening for stuffing. Repeat twice. Trim and clip each section at the four points. Turn all three sections right side out, pushing out the points from the inside carefully with a large needle. Steam press. Top stitch Vt inch from the outside edge, using a longer stitch, on all three sections of the tree. You now have three finished tree shapes. Laying them together, on top of each other, stitch down the center from the top of the tree to the base, again using a shorter stitch. Reinforce the stit ching several times. Work stuffing into all points first, then stuff the tree fully. Sew up the base opening by hand. Decorate as desired, using hearts, strawberries, flowers, tiny balls, colorful bows, etc. Top with a star if you like. Materials needed for the heart, strawberry, and star decorations are: fabric, stuffing, felt or artificial strawberry leaves, needle and thread or sewing machine, white glue for strawberries, and the ac companying patterns. Hearts: Trace patterns, cut from fabric, seam. Leave opening for stuffing. Turn to right side, clip curves, stitch opening. Attach to tree with pins. Star: Trace pattern, cut from fabric, seam, leaving opening for stuffing. Turn to right side, clip curves, stuff. Stitch opening. Attach to tree with pin. Strawberries: Trace pattern, cut from fabric, seam, leaving opening for stuffing. Turn to right side, stuff, gather top and glue leaves to top. Tie bow through gathering string and pin to tree. ik > ** .*^rtk/‘Jc^< the shedless firs Cntone V Green felt U\ Pattern for strawberry li Actual size ives EACH SQUARE EQUALS ONE INCH Star Pattern Cut two Add % inch seam allowance Saturday, Pewter era fOl lix Cut tree
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