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Welcome back to Christmas in July and another holly-jolly collaboration with our friends at Therm O Web! Maker Team member Megan of @mlevacy has created a vibrant felt feathered friend made even more spectacular with the addition of Sparkle Paste and sequins. It's fa-la-la-la-fabulous! We recommend making two of everything in this Winter Wishes hoop art tutorial, so you have one to gift and one to keep!
Cardinals hold a special place in the heart of many birders as their bright color is particularly bold during the harshness of winter. Whether they conjure memories of loved ones passed or simply feelings of hope and joy during the holidays, a cardinal is an iconic symbol befitting of any winter celebration. With the use of Thermo-web printable adhesive sheets, assembling the pattern pieces is a breeze and makes this project perfect for beginners. Sparkle Paste and sequins take this hoop to the next level and make it a perfect gift or festive decoration for your home.
Skill Level: Beginner
Time: 2-3 hours (plus drying time)
Supplies:
8” Wood Hoop
One 12 x 18" sheet of Mustard Wool Blend Felt
One 9 x 12" sheet of Strawberry Wool Blend Felt
One 9 x 12" sheet of Red Wool Blend Felt
One 9 x 12" sheet of Fern Wool Blend Felt
One 9 x 12" sheet of White Wool Blend Felt
One 9 x 12" sheet of Black Wool Blend Felt
Moonstone Sequins
DMC Metallic Embroidery Thread in Light Silver
Embroidery Needles
HeatnBond EZPrint Lite Iron-On Adhesive
Pressing Paper
Frixion Pen
Scissors
Additional Supplies:
Winter Wishes Pattern (click to download)
Winter Wishes Template (click to download)
HeatNBond Sparkle Paste, Firetruck
HeatNBond Sparkle Paste, Sprout
Iron
Small Paintbrush or Palette Knife
E6000 Glue - optional
8 x 8” Scrap of Wool Blend Felt, for backing - optional
Directions:
Making Cardinal Design
1. Print Winter Wishes Pattern onto one sheet of EZPrint Lite Iron-On Adhesive following directions on package.
2. Roughly cut out all pieces and lay them on appropriate color of felt outlined on the Winter Wishes Template. Use one sheet of HeatNBond Pressing Paper and iron to adhere pattern pieces to the felt (printed side up.)
3. Cut out pattern pieces following the printed pattern lines. Do not remove iron-on adhesive yet.
4. Next, lay out and trace inside of the 8” wooden embroidery hoop onto Mustard felt using a Frixion tracing pen. To create the hoop background, add a 1.5-2" border around drawn circle and cut out.
5. Lay out leaves (printed side down) in the arrangement shown on Winter Wishes Template. Use outline of the hoop to approximate placement of the leaves. Remove printed adhesive paper on each of the felt pieces to reveal shiny adhesive. Place them one by one carefully back onto felt with shiny adhesive side down.
6. Use iron and pressing paper to adhere felt leaves following the instructions on iron-on adhesive package. The hot iron will erase outline of the hoop that was drawn in Step 4. Use placement of the leaves to orient remaining pattern pieces.
7. Locate bird body silhouette and wing shapes cut from Red felt. Arrange these pieces on top of leaves (printed side down) until satisfied with their placement. Carefully remove printed adhesive paper on felt pieces to reveal shiny adhesive and place them one by one back down into place with shiny adhesive side down. Place the pressing paper on top of felt pieces and use iron to adhere felt.
8. Lay out wing shapes and tail feather pieces cut from the Strawberry felt as shown on Winter Wishes Template. There should be a wedge of Red felt visible along bottom edge of the wings and tail feathers once placed. Carefully remove printed adhesive paper on felt pieces and place them back into position with shiny adhesive side down. Place the pressing paper on top of felt pieces and use iron to adhere felt.
9. The two upper wing shapes in Red felt will overlap on top of the previously ironed-on pieces. Take your time to arrange them appropriately then carefully remove the adhesive paper and place them back down with the shiny side down. Use the pressing paper and iron to secure this new layer to the previous ones.
10. The small Black face piece and head piece cut from Strawberry felt overlap upper wings and fit together like puzzle pieces side-by-side. Once you’ve removed the adhesive paper and repositioned these pieces correctly with the shiny side down, use iron and pressing paper to adhere them appropriately.
11. Lastly, find tiny circles of Black and White felt for the cardinal's eye and position them on top of Black face piece. Iron them using pressing paper. You may want to iron these on separately to ensure they are adhered correctly without shifting when pressing paper is placed on top.
12. Once individual felt pieces are securely ironed, the entire piece can be placed into a hoop. Adjust screw on embroidery hoop as wide as it will go. Place inside of the hoop on a table or firm surface and arrange piece so that the cardinal is centrally positioned within the frame. Place outer hoop on top and press down to marry two hoops together. Felt may need to be adjusted multiple times until cardinal is positioned to your satisfaction.
Adding Embellishments
13. Use Sparkle Paste and a small tipped paint brush or palette knife to apply some magic to the cardinal and leaves. Use Firetruck Sparkle Paste on the tips of feathers, upper wings, beak, crest, and tail feathers. Use as much or as little as you wish. Use Sprout Sparkle Paste to paint thin veins along oak leaves for definition and shine. Allow Sparkle Paste to dry completely before moving to the next step.
14. To add even more bling to the pattern, use Light Silver metallic embroidery thread and a needle to add Moonstone sequins to the background. You can use the Frixion pen to mark out a random placement for sequins or simply begin stitching them on one-by-one intuitively. Stitch each sequin into place with a star like pattern to enhance the illusion of individual snowflakes.
Finishing Hoop
15. To finish hoop, either gather and sew around perimeter of excess felt or fold excess felt down and glue it to the hoop itself. If you choose to sew it down, use a strong thread. The metallic embroidery thread will work well as long as it is doubled. Sew a loose running stitch around perimeter of excess felt and pull tight to create a gathered edge. Secure with a knot.
16. As an optional step, cover stitching on back by inserting a piece of leftover felt into the back under gathered rim. Simply trace hoop, cut out circle, then gently snuggle it into back of hoop.
17. You may also take this extra circle of felt and sew it onto back of the hoop using a whip stitch. How you choose to finish the hoop is completely up to you. Hang hoop by attaching a ribbon or use the screw fastener as a hanger by itself.
You’ve completed your own Winter Wishes cardinal!
With Thermoweb’s wonderful EZPrint Lite Iron-On Adhesive Sheets, making duplicate hoops is easy and fun.
Try experimenting with different colors of felt or fabric in the background and consider using different colored sequins or thread to create new depths to the design. Feel free to make the pattern your own in any way you can imagine.
Thanks to Megan for designing and writing this tutorial! You can see more of her work on Instagram @mlevacy and on her website. Stay tuned for more Christmas in July tutorials the rest of this week!
