2021 Clock Ornament

I promised to post updates of my 2021 Christmas project, but once I figured out what I was going to do and got in the stitching groove I didn't feel like pausing to take photos.   

After stitching several samples, 10 backs, 10 fronts and 5 sides I ran out of fabric (ordered on Sept 17th shipped on Oct 15th!) so I shifted gears and assembled a prototype ornament and the gift ornament that is destined for France. Before wrapping it up, or assembling some more ornaments, I paused to snap some photos. 

The Cuckoo Clock design was purchased from this Etsy seller.  It was designed to be stitched on 16 count light blue fabric but I couldn't find a domestic source for any 16 or 18 count light blue.  I tried stitching it on 22 count blue fabric but long before I completed the first back I knew I wasn't going to enjoy stitching 17 ornaments with mostly white floss on light blue fabric.

Stitching light blue floss on 22 count antique white was a much more enjoyable experience, though I had to stitch a few samples (bottom left and the prototype ornament) to figure out exactly how I was going to adapt it.  Each time I would be happy with the results, until I finished the back window.  After trying a few different things I decided to replace the window with a small doily like medallion design.  (Top left.)

In the photo below the first finished (and forthwith flying to France) ornament is in front.  The ornament instructions were to fold and affix the front, back and sides over cardstock and then stitch them together, but I knew that as I concentrated on making the teeny tiny stitches I'd crush the hollow clock.  To make a firmer form I attached the front and backs to slightly smaller foam core shapes.

When I assembled the prototype, from 2 of the sample pieces, I couldn't find my light blue thread so I impatiently substituted royal blue. Luckily I located the correct colour and didn't have to go to town before assembling the first gift ornament. 

A folded rectangle of mini ribbed paper forms the roof that is held securely to the clock by four short brass pins with blue painted heads. 

 

The remaining 16 ornaments will be a bit different from the first gift ornament. 

After I pop the parcel in the post I'll see if the local dollar store sells any blue paint.  If not then I will have to go to town because I want try painting the ribbed paper roof and pins a slightly lighter colour.  If those results aren't satisfactory I'll paint the pin heads more like the roof colour.

I think I will also make the remaining clock faces and medallions a slightly darker shade of blue.  (If I had known in advance that I was going to use the corrugated paper and the blue beads...)

November 11 2021 Update.

While I was waiting for the fabric I assembled as much as possible and then cut out all of the cardstock, foam core and felt and painted the pins and ribbed paper for the remaining ornaments.

Since the fabric arrived (on November 2!) I stitched enough side strips to finish the partially assembled ornaments and then stitched 2 more sets of fronts and backs.  

As of today:

- one ornament has crossed the Atlantic and is in the hands of the recipient

- ten ornaments are complete except for the "clock chains"

- I need to stitch 5 more fronts, 5 more backs and 3 more side strips.

(I've  been putting off adding the "clock chains" because after that I'll have to be careful not to crimp the strings.)  

I'm pleased with the look of  the painted roofs and roofing nails. 

November 24 2021 Update

I finished stitching and assembling all of the clock ornaments this week.

Here are the final 16, complete except for the clock chains.

And here they are with their clock chains dangling.

More information about assembly

As mentioned above, to make a firmer form I glued the front and back of the ornament to slightly smaller foam core shapes.  (I used the cardstock shapes, not the fabric folded over the cardstock, to trace a pattern for the foam core. My scroll saw did a decent job of cutting the foam core.) 

And then I glued the two ornament halves together, foam core to foam core.

It was tricky to get the two ornament halves perfectly lined up so that the roof would sit level on the top of the front and back of the ornament, until I rigged a jig from a couple of blocks of wood.  

After the blocks were set up so that they were perpendicular to each other and to the table top ...

I applied some glue to the foam core of one of the ornament halves, nudge it into the corner so that it was touching both blocks and then place the other half on top of it so that it too was touching both blocks.