Creating these little padded ornaments is easy if you have a design that’s already set up but what if you don’t? Then you’ll need to do a little extra work. For this bird ornament, I’ve deleted a few elements—easy peazy—and digitized an additional seam around the bird. While that seam is not rocket science digitizing, it’s not all that easy to draw if you’re not comfortable creating smooth curves.
And if you don’t digitize? Well then, just echo stitch around with your sewing machine or get the additional edited birds.
To get a bolder look, I stitched the bird with 30 wt. cotton thread. The outer seam was stitched in 40 wt. red polyester embroidery thread with a matching bobbin.
Skill Level
Detailed instructions on how to edit the design are not included here, simply how to finish the bird ornament, which is pretty basic embroidery. If you’d like ready-to-go edited versions, you can download them here: Fanciful Birds Ornaments.
What You’ll Learn
- How to use simple yet creative techniques to expand your embroidery options
- How to make a padded free-standing embroidered ornament
Selecting a Design
I created these ornaments from a previously released collection, called Fanciful Birds (lvp001). Many times after creating a design, I’ll think of some other way I’d like to use them that may require some modifications. Sometimes I just want to do basic customizing like changing the colors, resizing, combining with another design, or adding lettering. These are easy changes that even the most novice embroiderer can perform in a program like Embrilliance Essentials.
If you don’t yet have a customizing program or have one you don’t like or know how to use, you can download a free trial version of Essentials
Other times I may need to do some simple editing, deleting some elements or pulling out some part to use on its own. This, too, is relatively easy with some simple software like Embrilliance Enthusiast.
For other designs and projects, I may need to do a little digitizing. Learning to digitize to add some run stitches to a design can be very useful. Sometimes I need a basting line that more closely follows the edge of an odd-shaped design. Learning to draw and apply a run stitch is not all that difficult. Taking that skill one step further will allow you to make ornaments like this out of many designs.
If you don’t have digitizing software and would like something basic that will allow you to add simple stitches and doesn’t cost a mini fortune, check out Embrilliance Stitch Artist. If you’re already familiar with other Embrilliance software, you’ll already have a leg up on learning the program.
I chose to echo the outline of the bird for my ornament. Of course you could choose a shape in your software and use that for your stitching line. If you’d prefer to have edited versions of these designs ready to go for the ornaments, they are also available here: Fanciful Birds Ornaments.
When applying the stitches to my outline, I first stitched a single run, inserted an applique stop (or a color change), then repeated the line with a bean stitch. The first run will give me a guide for placing the felt on the back and aligning the ribbon hanger. Making it a separate color from the final bean stitch forces the machine to stop making it easier to remember when to add the back pieces and ribbon.
Thread Notes
These designs were digitized for 40 weight thread. I’ve sewn them in 50 wt. cotton and 30 wt. cotton on different projects. With the thicker thread, the individual stitches are a little less defined and little bulkier and the overall look is bolder. I chose a matching red 40 wt. polyester for the seam. It will sink into the felt and be less noticeable.
I used a standard prewound white poly bobbin thread and wound a bobbin with 40 wt. red. If I were doing a filled area and wanted a matching bobbin color, I would have opted for 60 wt. thread to keep the design from becoming too stiff. Stiffness and bulk are not an issue on these ornament designs because of their use and because the design is very open.
Using a heavier thread with filled designs can cause cupping and puckering because it creates too much thread bulk for the area.
I found I was successful using a size 75/11 embroidery needle even with the slightly heavier embroidery thread and experienced no thread breaks nor did the machine require any tension adjustments. All machines are different and some just seem to be happier with some thread weights and types than others.
What You’ll Need
I used felt for my ornaments. Another choice would be fleece or some other non-raveling fabric.
I would not go with a vinyl or some other “non fabric” unless it had a fabric backing; the design is too dense as is and could punch out a hole.
- Small pieces of craft felt. Mine is red with glittery specs and is somewhat stiff.
- Tearaway stabilizer
- Bird 1 (from Fanciful Birds) if you’re editing or Bird 1, modified (from Fanciful Birds Ornaments) by Lindee G Embroidery
- Embroidery threads as desired. I used 30 wt. cotton (white) and 40 wt. poly (red)
- Matching bobbin for the outer edge, standard embroidery bobbin for white
- 6-9” piece of ribbon for hanger
- Cellophane tape, painter’s tape
- Temporary embroidery spray adhesive (“TESA”)
- Fiber fill for stuffing
- Pinking shears. My favorites are Fiskars.
Instructions
1. Stitch the bird and the placement guide.
Hoop the felt with tearaway and stitch the bird design through color 2. Be sure to change your bobbin thread if you are matching your thread colors.
Although you don’t really need to change the bobbin thread until color 3, I changed it when I changed my top thread to red at color 2. One, so I didn’t forget to change it when sewing color 3, which is also red, and two, because it made an easier reference for placing the back pieces in the next step.
2. Apply the ribbon and backing pieces.
Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop. Place the hoop face down. Fold the ribbon in half and tape in place with the cut ends within the sewing line. Make sure the tape is outside the sewing line.
I used a small strip of water soluble Wonder Tape to hold the cut ends of the ribbon together.
Cut two pieces of felt. Mine are about 3.5” x 5.5” for bird 1. Lightly mist each piece with TESA and smooth into place, overlapping them about 1/2”
If you overlap too much, the ornament will be hard to stuff. If you don’t overlap enough then the ornament will be prone to “gaposis” if you insert too much stuffing.
If you aren’t stuffing your ornament, then you can simply place a larger single piece to completely cover the back.
I also secured the edges with painter’s tape to keep them from lifting or catching during stitching. Make sure the tape is outside the sewing line.
When taping things to the back of the hoop, resist the temptation to press firmly unless the tape is only over the hoop edges. Just lightly press on the tape, then flip the hoop over, place the hoop on firm, flat surface and secure the tape into position by finger pressing well. Check the back one more time to make sure there are no exposed sticky ends curled up. Pressing from the front insures that you aren’t disturbing hoop tensions, which could cause registration issues.
3. Sew the rest of the design.
Stitch the last color change and remove from hoop.
4. Remove tearaway.
Before cutting out your ornament, tear away the stabilizer. If you cut first, it will be hard to pick out the tearaway.
5. Cut out ornament.
Carefully and evenly trim away the fabric about .25 - .5” away from the stitching line with pinking shears taking care not to cut the ribbon. I found that if I cut the back layer of felt under the ribbon first, then I could fold the ribbon over to the back and hold in place while I trimmed the rest of the design through all layers thus avoiding any mishaps.
6. Lightly stuff with fiber fill.
Stuff the ornament through the back. Since I stitched mine on felt, the lapped edges are not finished and I didn’t even stitch them together afterwards.
You could also make a small scented sachet bag to slip inside.
You can be finishing your bird ornament while the next one sews!
Troubleshooting
Making this ornament requires removing and replacing the hoop several times. Be sure to insert your hoop all the way each time or the rest of your design won’t register properly. Also, watch when working with the hooped fabric during the process that you don’t disturb the hoop tension.
Cotton thread produces a lot of fuzz, even if you only use it in the needle and not the bobbin. I brushed off the fuzz from the presser foot area after each bird and used a lint roller to remove fuzz from the felt.
Lint will also build up in the bobbin case. Here’s what mine looked like after only three birds!
Summary
These little ornaments are quick and easy to make! If you can’t or don’t digitize then the birds are also available already prepared for stitching into your own little flock. And truly, stitching around them on your sewing machine is not all that big a deal either.
Another reason you might want to stitch them with your sewing machine is if you only have a small sewing field that can’t accommodate the extra hoop space required for the additional stitching. The original birds all fit within a 100 x100mm sewing field.
You could easily adapt this technique for baby toys, pet toys, or scented hot pads. They make nice little package ties and look cute hanging in a window all year long!