String Pair Ornaments (In-the-Hoop)

These ornaments are twice as nice! Stitch matching pairs of mittens, ice skates, and birds in-the-hoop, complete with a string to connect them together. Drape them over a branch for charming holiday style!

This in-the-hoop design has three files. One is the full embroidery file. The other two are dieline files marked with the letters DL. Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the right shape and size

Open the dielines files with embroidery software and print them. If you do not have embroidery software, Wilcom's TrueSizer is a free program to use.

Spray the backside of the printed dieline for the first mitten with a small amount of temporary adhesive. Smooth it onto a piece of flannel.

Cut out the shape. Remove the paper.

Repeat this process for the second mitten.

Now that the fabric pieces are cut to the proper shape and size, it's time to embroider the design.

Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer. Madeira E-Zee Tear 1.5 oz. or Floriani Tearaway Medium are good choices. Those brands are more fibrous, less paper-like, and will tear more cleanly.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery design (not the dieline files).

Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle, rather than an embroidery needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle, so that will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer.

Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a dieline or outline. This marks the area on the stabilizer for the front fabric piece.

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Spray the back of the front fabric piece with a small amount of temporary adhesive. Place the fabric right inside the sewn outline.

Attach the hoop back onto the machine and continue with the design.

A running stitch tack down will sew next. This holds the front fabric in place for the remainder of the design.

Then all of the inside elements will be embroidered.

On the color change sheet, look for the note that says "left mitten back piece tack down".

When you get to this section, stop the machine and remove the hoop from the machine but do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Next cut a piece of cord that is 6-8" long.

Place one end onto the backside of the back fabric piece, so that the center of the cord lines up with the center of the mitten cuff. Then tape it in place.

Also tape the cord to the side of the hoop so that it will not be sewn over in the remaining steps.

Spray the backside of the back fabric piece with adhesive, and place it inside the shape on the backside of the embroidery.

Since both sides of the mitten with be seen, wind a bobbin with the same thread used in the needle.

Attach the hoop back to the machine and continue embroidering the design.

A tack down stitch will sew around the outer edge of the mitten. This binds all the layers together.

Repeat steps 6-9 for the second mitten.

Attach the free end of the cord to the back side of the second mitten with tape, aligning it with the center of the mitten cuff.

Place the back side of the second mitten in place, and finish the embroidering the design.

Once the embroidery is finished, remove the hoop from the machine.

Unhoop the stabilizer, and carefully tear it away (the dieline will be removed with the stabilizer).