Starting just after Thanksgiving 2020 and ending just prior to Christmas, I embarked on a no-sew, “quilted” (actually folded) ornaments project for friends and family. I learned how to create these by watching a video on YouTube from Shabby Fabrics. This was a great way to utilize scraps of fabric from previous projects. Each ornament is made from a 3″ styrofoam ball (actually, the packages of styrofoam balls from Walmart were a bit under 3″ in diameter and worked well), has 40 squares of premium quilting cotton fabric, with metallic accents, measuring 2.5″ each, about 215 of the small silver, small-headed dressmakers/craft straight pins and 5.8″ metallic or glitter ribbon.
Each ornament took about an hour to assemble once all the fabric squares were cut. They were easy and fun to make while listening/watching TV while sitting in front of the pellet stove in our love seat next to my hubby.
I started making them and quickly realized I needed a good thimble as it’s more difficult to set the pins securely than you might think. You’ll definitely want a good thimble and my favorite is made by Clover, has a flat metal end with dimples for the pinheads and the sides are silicone. It stays on and works great. It’s the perfect thimble for anyone who hand quilts, embroiders or does craft projects that require pins.
I made about 15 of these and then ran out of time to make them for all the people for whom I wanted to make them and give as gifts during the 2020 Christmas season. I’ll start earlier in 2021 so a few people who didn’t get one in the first round won’t be left out.
Christmas 2020 was a busy sewing season. I made these ornaments, three quilted and embroidered Christmas stockings, two quilted and embroidered Christmas tree skirts and four cathedral window Christmas pillows for our bed (all done during November and December).
