Another super kit was supplied from Poppy Patch a few weeks ago - Elfie Jones and his Christmas Sleigh. This fun project is by the Australian designer Claire Turpin Design and the kit included all the fabrics for the cushion front, back, applique, binding and Elfie Jones himself. The kit also included green felt for the elf's jacket and hat, along with a bright red bell too...
...I decided to make the cushion first of all - the front of the cushion was machine quilted prior to stitching the applique in place. I used a dark blue thread to match the colour of the cushion fabric, and quilted this in straight rows approx half an inch apart. The original pattern suggests using machine applique for this project, however I used the Apliquick method for my version. The front of the cushion has a pocket which the sleigh is apliqued onto. I've embellished the sleigh with a Cosmo Sparkle thread - this is really lovely to use, and slides through the fabric much easier than metallic threads that I've used before...
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...I've hand embroidered a small "label" on the back of the cushion, using the elf design as a motif. I'd doodled a few ideas then traced the final design using a white chalk pencil. I used 3 strands of DMC stranded embroidery thread for stitching over the traced lines, and added a small snowflake button on the elf's hat. The back of the cushion has a hidden zipper fastening, and once the front and back of the cushion were stitched together, the raw edges were covered with a red and white spotty binding. A plump cushion pad was put inside, then I was ready to tackle Elfie Jones himself...
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...the instructions for making Elfie Jones were simple and well written, and it didn't take long to make him. Once his body had been made and stuffed with a soft polyester toy filling, it was time to put my dressmaking skils to the test! I chose some matching Aurifil 50wt thread for machine stitching his green felt jacket - my milinary skills were also put to the test making a very cute hat. I used a rotary cutter with a pinking blade for the decorative trim that is stitched along the bottom of the hat...
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...Elfie Jones just needed an embroidered face before he was ready to be dressed in his smart new jacket and hat. I had a rummmage in my button tin for a vintage button to add fasten his jacket. The final embellishment was a super shiney red jingle bell (included in the kit) which was stitched to the top of his hat...
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...Elfie Jones looks very smart indeed! I absolutely LOVE the fabric that his trousers are made from. The lovely ladies at Poppy Patch certainly know how to put a fantastic kit together! Once Elfie Jones was completed it was time to take some photographs of him with his sleigh...
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...Elfie Jones tucks into the pocket perfectly! I can't wait to use Elie Jones and his Christmas Sleigh to decorate my lounge during the festive season, and I'll take another picture of this project then, in better surroundings. I absolutely LOVE Elfie Jones and I'm sure my little grandson, Rory, is going to love him too!
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