An Ornament a Week Challenge: Week 1

Wow! A week since my last post on the button. That week went quickly!

I have to admit I've gotten a little crazy with this challenge and have already made, ahem, four of the eight ornaments. But, that's okay because some weeks I won't have a chance to make either one so I'm hoping this initial surplus will work out well in the long run.

Here is the ornament I decided to work on first from my Pinterest folder entitled 'Ornaments':

http://vechernie-posidelki.blogspot.nl

And here is my interpretation. At the beginning, I was anticipating making a heart ornament like the one above but my design skills need work and the heart shape well, wasn't so heart like when I sewed it up. More wrinkled mushroom like, actually. So, I improvised.

When the heart shape didn't work out, I salvaged the smallest bit of the cross stitched linen (from IKEA - thanks L in Edmonton!) and quilted a square around it. The linen provided another learning curve. Even weave linen made for embroidery? Worth its weight in gold. Regular linen is very difficult to stitch evenly when you're used to the good stuff.

I had decided that the ornament should be scented and used dried spruce needles. The ornament reeks of Christmas!

Not a bad interpretation but I'm still upset with it giving me so much grief. I still want a heart shaped ornament so I'm going to revamp my heart design and try this one again. Later.

It is pretty, no?