Stitch-Mas in July: Featuring Susan Ache

Stitch-Mas in July, Aurifil’s very first advent style stitch-along offering a stunning lineup of 25 FREE cross stitch motifs is underway. Today, marks one week of holiday stitching and our very first featured designer pattern, courtesy of Aurifil enthusiast Susan Ache. We’re so excited!

The patterns are all easily stitch-able and perfect to finish into a full sampler or as individual ornaments, gift tags, cards, and more! We’ve loved seeing all of your feedback and hope that you’re having as much fun with all of this as we are!

Merry Stitch-mas is the perfect companion for all of this holiday stitching. This brand new collection of 7 vibrant and festive colors of our luscious 6-strand divisible floss is presented in a custom designed pack and is available now via your favorite local quilt shop!

We’re so thrilled to feature our good friend Susan Ache (@yardgrl60) as our first guest designer for Stitch-Mas in July! There are so many reasons why we love Susan and her epic cross stitch, but the biggest one is her passion for the craft. We’ve had countless conversations with Susan during which she excitedly states that she just LOVES Aurifloss for cross-stitch and wants to share that love with everyone. If Susan had her way, all cross stitch would come from our little wooden spools and we can’t really argue with that;).

Susan has charted up a pair of Christmas Snowflakes that can be easily finished into a set of adorable little pocket watch ornaments. Thank you, Susan!

Stitchy Pocket Watches — by Susan Ache
For the record, I don’t scrapbook, but I do collect that cute stuff like I was a professional. I can spend hours upon hours wandering the section that has the tiny stuff to put in scrapbooks and all of the tools that go with them. On one of my journeys, I found these cute pocket watches, I grabbed them in a flash like they had never been on the shelf. Oh my, how perfect for some cross stitch to sit inside this little time piece.

This is such a quick project, that I am guessing you have all of the supplies right at home and at your fingertips. I do know that this pocket watch can be found in the scrapbook section of your local craft store and also on Etsy. I have made several of these before and it’s always fun to see if I can come up with a stitch that fits the little circle. What a great little gift tag idea that will also then look cute on the Christmas Tree.

Okay folks, not everybody loves to stitch on a 36 ct. Linen over 2 which is really an 18ct linen if you are stitching over 1, so I made 2 charts for you. One is for the 36ct over 2 and the other one is on a 28ct over 2. But, remember this is also a 14ct over one if you so choose.

I used scrap linen — you only need a tiny bit — so hunt around in your stash before you go and buy. Once the little cross stitch was completed, I pressed it completely and then just for an extra bit of stability I pressed a lightweight fusible interfacing on the back. Traditional Christmas colors just seemed so perfect. I chose 2277 for red and 2865 for green embroidery floss using 2 strands.

There… the hardest steps are actually finished. Your next step is the tracing of the stitching. In my sewing supplies, I happen to have a circle template the same size as the one provided in your pocket watch packaging. So, it made it easy for me to see through it and trace around. Since you are centering, you can also use a light box or a window to center your stitching for your circle.

This part isn’t necessary, but I do it just for some extra stability. Once my circle is cut, I put a dab of glue in the piece that is holding my stitching so it just sits right in there and doesn’t have a chance to move around at all.

That’s the entire project! Because, whatever you do next is all fun and up to you. I happen to load my pocket watch up with ribbons, tags and anything else that I want to hang from them. I love a busy look, you don’t have to love what I love and if you like simple, just tie your hanging tag on your watch and call it a day.

Want to hear a fun secret? I sit and stitch quite a few of these stars all at once, so that I can be ready for the next quick cute gift tags. This entire project is super fast and once you make your first one you will probably keep pocket watches on hand just to find small stitching to put inside of them.

Supplies & Tools:

Stitchy Pocket Watch Pattern
Pocket Watch Frame
Scrap Linen
Aurifloss (Susan used 2277 & 2865)
Lightweight Interfacing
Marking Pen or Pencil
Iron, Needles, Scissors, etc.

Basic Instructions:

Select pattern and stitch according to preferred practice.
Place fusible side of lightweight interfacing against the back side of the stitched motif and press.
Center stitched motif under circle template and trace.
Cut out motif.
Follow instructions on pocket watch frame to complete.
Finish as desired with ribbons or other accessories.

So fun!! Thank you, Susan!

Stitching along with us throughout the month of July? Be sure to tag your images so we can see what you’re up to! @aurifilthread, #aurifil, and #stitchmasinjuly

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PATTERNS