Elegant Christmas Ornaments – Product Review

DebBee’s Designs has done it again with this lovely project book. It has four stunning charted canvas ornaments. The models are very elegantly done in gold and white, but you can stitch them in any colors you like.

Two of the ornaments are 4″ rounds and two are 6″ rounds.

Each ornament has several different stitches. The instructions for each ornament begin with a master chart of the project.This single-page chart gives you a wonderful, accurate, overall map of the design, but you won’t be able to do all the stitches from it.

The text for the project begins with a material list and stitch count. Within the instructions large, numbered diagrams of each stitch are included. Additional charts show the entire area. If the pattern requires several steps, as many of them do, each step is explained in great detail and diagrams are included both for the stitch and for the area.

These ornaments include so many laid and layered stitches. There are simple laid stitches, such as Rice over Trellis, or Laid Victorian Step (both in the first ornament). These are laid versions of stitches you probably know. Other layered stitches are less familiar.

Other techniques such as Blackwork overstitching, outlining, tied stitches, and beading are also included.

Combine these with Debbie’s wonderful teaching style, friendly tone, and detailed instructions and you get a project book that gives you projects small enough to accomplish, but where you’ll learn lots, no matter your level of experience.

Finishing ornaments as spheres is often challenging, but Debbie has added a detailed section on how to finish the projects as both spherical and flat ornaments. The instructions for the spherical ornament are especially detailed and are complete enough you could tackle it yourself. I have some ornaments finished this way and it’s a great look.

This is a lovely book, well worth getting and stitching.