CQ Christmas Ornament 2012

I have been a member of the Quiltropolis Crazy Quilt email list for several years now. Each year, Lisa D. hosts a Christmas Ornament Swap. I participated in 2008; here's a photo of that ornament. Then in 2010, I started working on an ornament for the swap, but I didn't finish it. This summer, I decided to finish it up and send it off to Lisa.

I decided to make a diamond shape for this year's orny. I went with the traditional colors of red, green, and gold because I love them! The photo, above, shows how far I had gotten in 2010. All the embellishing was done, I only needed to assemble the orny.

I don't usually use printed cotton in my crazy quilt blocks, but I just love this red poinsettia fabric witht the gold highlights, so I used it in the center patch. I added several gold seed beads to the middle of the poinsettia.

I used a bit of green ribbon to make this bow, which I then couched down with clear beads. Underneath it, there are red bead "flowers" as part of the seam treatment.

These little red sequins were in an embellishing packet I bought somewhere. I used beads to attach them.

The center button in this cluster is from a huge jar of buttons I bought at an antique shop. It's very sparkly in real life.

A bead cluster with several different shapes, sizes, and colors of beads.

When I went to assemble the ornament this week, I pulled out this beaded fringe that I had left over from a different project. I added two strands of the beads to the bottom of the ornament.

I added a metallic-floss hanger to the top of the ornament. The back is solid red fabric, with my initials and the year embroidered on it. Not including the beaded fringe, the ornament is 4 1/2 inches tall by 4 inches wide.

I start back to work on Monday (the students don't come until the Tuesday a week later). I'm planning on packaging this up over the weekend and taking it to the post office after work Monday.

I can't wait to see what ornament I get in return! Since the swap is open until November 1st, you still have time to make an ornament or two and join in the fun :)

Happy stitching!