Crafts for Christmas
Hand-crafted gifts and or
naments are fun to give and a
pleasure to receive at holiday
time. When you make them
yourself, gifts and ornaments
become wonderful expressions of
friendship and love.
Pot holders and ornaments, like
the ones in the photograph, are
ideal to make for friends, family or
yourself. The projects are
available as kits and may be or
dered by writing to the address
below.
The Christmas ornaments are
done in counted cross-stitch. The
pot holders, on the other hand,
feature cross-stich embroidery on
a stamped “country critters”
design. You can embroider your
own pot holders now, however, in
any design, by following the
directions in this column.
Pot holders are ideal gifts
because no one ever seems to have
enough of them. They’re simple to
make with fabric, embroidery
thread and batting. Here are the
directions:
MATERIALS; Medium-weight,
non-stretch, non-flammable fabric
of cotton, cotton blend or felt;
batting; embroidery floss; em
broidery needle; iron-in transfer
pattern; water-soluble marking
pen, or paper, pencil;
dressmaker’s carbon; sewing
supplies; iron.
PREPARATION: 1. Cut two 7-
by-7-inch squares of fabric. 2. Cut
one 7-by-7-inch square of muslin.
DESIGN: Choose from the
following alternatives; 1. Press
design onto fabric, using an iron-on
transfer pattern. 2. Draw a design
directly on pot holder front, using a
water-soluble pen. 3. Draw design
on paper. Then trace design onto
pot holder front, using
dressmaker’s carbon.
EMBROIDERY: (a) Use outline
stitches for words, outlines, and
flower stems, (b) Use straight
stitches at random or in rings to
form flowers, (c) Use cross
stitches for borders or to fill large
areas.
POT HOLDER LOOP: 1. Cut a
1%-by-4-inch strip of fabric. 2. Turn
under V«-inch hem on long edges. 3.
Fold strip in half length-wise, with
wrong side inside. 4. Machine
stitch side edge.
ASSEMBLY: 1. Stack squares
together, with right sides of pot
holder facing and batting on top. 2.
Fold pot holder loop in half. Sand
wich loop between pot holder front
and back, matching raw edges of
loop to top of edges of pot holder. 3.
Baste edges through all
thicknesses.
STITCHING: 1. Sew Ms-inch
seam all around, leaving a small
opening for turning. 2. Trim bat
ting close to seam. 3. Turn pot
holder to right side. Turn raw
edges inside and press. 4. Top
stitch pot holder near outside
edges. 5. Stitch an inner border if
desired.
FINISHING: 1. Remove any
basting stitches or lose threads. 2.
To remove pen marks, if any, wash
pot holder in cold water.
THE “CALICO CRITTERS”
POT HOLDERS KIT by
“Dimensions” includes pre
printed fabric for two 6-by-6-inch
cross-stitch pot holders; backing
fabric; quilt batting; country blue
and orange embroidery floss;
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Hwiatw 26,1983—19
easy-to-follow instructions.
KIT D-3037 $lO plus $2 postage.
THE CHRISTMAS OR
NAMENTS KIT, also by
“Dimensions”, includes unprinted
counted cross-stitch cloth for three
4-inch diameter ornaments; lace;
backing; embroidery floss; gold
metalic thread to accent designs;
mlor-af'cented counted cross-
Round Valley Riders
Many members of the Round
Valley Riders 4-H Club par
ticipated in the Fall Horse
Workshop held recently at the
Extension Center. Club members
who competed in the County 4-H
Horse Bowl were: Julie Fulcher,
Jennifer Smack, Sara Davis, Kris
Kallstrom, Wendy DeMarco, All k
Shennee Foldy, and Amy
Lucky 4-H Club
tod? f£S 19 at Extension Center-
Christmas party is scheduled for eenng.
stitch charts for angel; Christmas
tree and rocking horse; easy-to
follow instructions.
KIT D-8310 $lO plus $2 postage
and handling.
TO ORDER, send kit price,
postage and handling and kit
number to Lancaster Fanning Box
366, Lititz, Pa. 17543.
Vodraska. Coaches for the team
were Michelle Smigelsky and Todd
Lewis.
Members discussed plans for
their Christmas Party. Michelle
Smigelsky and Todd Lewis will
heat the committee. The Christ
mas party will be held during their
next meeting.