MAKING BEADED FELT CHRISMONS

Transcription

1 MAKING BEADED FELT CHRISMONS Is. 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given By Alice B. Scott Faith Lutheran Church Oak Ridge, Tennessee January 2004

2 Forward For about 10 years some Women at Faith Lutheran Church have worked on beaded, felt Chrismons for the church trees to enhance worship at Xmas. Originally, instructions were included with each kit to help with the mechanics of making an ornament. Now this booklet will give some illustrated general instructions for making these Chrismons. It is also for those people who are interested and have asked, How do you make those Chrismons? Chrismon designs and their meanings are not included in this booklet; but can be found in the books of Ascension Lutheran Church, 314 West Main Street, Danville, VA 24541, telephone: (434) Check the Internet for this and other sources. I would like to thank Charles Scott for the photography, editing and printing of this booklet, and Nancy Vath who was helpful in getting me started with this felt style. Various Chrismon and craft publications as well as several Internet sources were helpful also. Introduction Chrismons (CHRISt+ MONagrams) are any symbols that can be identified with Christ. The first ones were used centuries ago by early Christians as secret messages to each other to protect Christian meeting places etc. The name, Chrismon, has been copyrighted by Ascension Lutheran Church (ALC). You can write to the above address for a free permit to use the term. (see Chrismon.org). Here are some facts about Chrismons. Their purpose is to point to the Good News. If you call an ornament a Chrismon, it must be white and/or gold. White is a sign of purity and perfection; gold stands for majesty and glory. Red may be used sparingly. Some examples are: to denote Jesus blood, martyrdom, and Pentecost (Holy Ghost). You may make up your own pattern if it meets these requirements. Chrismons may not be used for a profit making venture. There should be a guide with explanations of the symbols for viewers each time they are displayed. Chrismons are for every church season and occasion of the year and for everyday use in homes (see ALC books). The Advent season is the major use of them at this time. It is better to under decorate the Xmas tree to show green around every ornament. Pearls and gold beads are the most used media, but sequins, stones, and glass beads are also used. Our designs are beaded on one side (felt backed) with the most popular bead size being 3mm to 4mm. The pattern size ranges from 6-8 (large enough to be seen anywhere in the sanctuary). Each Chrismon crafter is invited to suggest the size of beads for the design he/she is making. You may have to get used to such big ornaments everywhere on the tree; but the purpose is to be able to identify the design while reading its meaning.

3 FIGURE 1. Materials needed for a Chrismon. Four squares of white craftsman s felt ~ 11 x 11 Chrismon pattern of choice (6-8 in the major dimension). Quilter s marking pen for tracing Beads (pearl & gold) Bead thread Needles Sharp Scissors Pair of wire cutters White covered 16 gauge wire (florists wire) for skeleton. Fine fishing line for hanging. Some Optional Materials Embroidery Hoop 28 gauge wire Gold material Thimble Bees Wax Elmer s Glue-All/Aileen s Glue Clear sequins Rocaille beads Interfacing Glass beads

4 FIGURE 2. Lay a piece of felt over the Chrismon design, hold it up to a window or place it on a light box, and trace it using a quilting pen. FIGURE 3. Baste felt design to another piece of felt and/or pelon as backing for beadwork.

5 FIGURE 4. Organize beads. Keep them on their string when feasible and keep the sizes separated. FIGURE 5. You may want to lay strings of beads on the felt for ideas for your design. FIGURE 6. Some types of stitching used in beading.

6 Fig. 6(1) a. Slide four beads to end of double thread. b. Add ~ ¼ space and push needle to back side. c. Bring thread between first 2 pairs of beads (couch). d. Bring thread up and through the 4th bead. Then repeat a d. Fig. 6(2) a. Use one needle with double thread to string bead. b. Use another needle with a single thread to couch between each bead. Fig. 6(3) Loop thread through every other bead.

7 Using Patterns FIGURE 7. For a straight line or other shape, pin or baste a paper pattern to the felt for the first row or outside of circle (Also see Figure 9). Figure 8. Three ways to secure thread. (a) Take 2 minute backstitches in the same place (One on top of the other). Pull the needle through the first backstitch loop before tightening thread. Repeat this behind the first backstitch, then, draw needle back through more stitches (as shown in above picture) and cut thread. (b) Ending with a square knot is also acceptable (right thread over left, then left over the right). (c) Imitate the backstitching used with a sewing machine. (d) Do a backstitch after knot but before pulling thread to the top for beading (See page 5).

8 FIGURE 9. Beading is usually started at the center of the design. As an alternative to using a pattern (Fig. 7), a 28 gauge wire could be used temporarily for stability while couching. FIGURE 10. If there is a design in the center part of the Chrismon, it might be easier to first outline that design and then fill it in. The outside border is optional. If any of the blue quilting pencil is visible (Fig.9) after beading the design, mist it with water and hang it indoors to dry. Note: there are beads on only one side of the Chrismon.

9 FIGURE 11. After finishing all bead work, it is optional to put glue on knots and let it dry. Whip stitch white-covered wire to the back as a skeleton of the design. Here the wire is ~ 1/4-1/2 inside the border and also in the midsection. FIGURE 12. Baste two pieces of felt to the back of the design.

10 Some Optional Border Stitches FIGURE 13. One type of buttonhole stitch. Run needle up through the four layers of felt and repeat to form a loop. Take the thread all the way around this loop clockwise and then pull it through the first loop firmly and then repeat. a b c FIGURE 14. (a) Pull the needle to the front making a loop. Take the needle over the loop and pull it through the loop behind the new stitch. (b) Pull the needle to the front making a loop. Take the needle back through the loop and pull to tighten. (c) Make a circular loop counterclockwise with thread. Bring needle up through the loop and tighten.

11 FIGURE 15. Cut all four layers of felt close (~1/4 ) to the design being careful not to cut any beading stitches. Cut a small section of the border at a time and then stitch (See page 9). Sharp fingernail scissors, appliqué scissors, etc. work well. FIGURE 16. Pull a length of fishing line through the top of the Chrismon and knot it, forming a loop to hang it on the tree.

12 FIGURE 17. Return the completed Chrismon, booklet, and extra supplies to the Chrismon Chairman. The beads should be in plastic bags organized and labeled by size. FIGURE 18. Dealing with intricate designs. FIG. 18(a) Trace the design. Cut out difficult areas of the design on top two layers of felt. Insert interfacing (Pelon) between these layers [See Fig. 18(b)]. FIG. 18(b) Bead the design (See Fig. 6). Shown are samples of the stabilizing layer between felt. This beading will be more challenging, but the stabilizer helps.

13 Fig. 18(c) After beading the design, spray with water to remove blue quilting pencil. Hang to dry indoors. Fig. 18(e) Cut out Pelon using sharp scissors. Here appliqué scissors are Used, but embroidery or other sharp scissors may work as well. Fig. 18(d) When design is dry, fasten a wire skeleton to back of design by using a slip-stitch or tacking in places. Fig. 18(f) Trace two back sheets, one at a time, by placing under beaded design. Cut out same areas as in Fig. 18(a).

14 Fig. 18(g) Place all layers together, adjust, and baste. Start button hole stitching at the center and stitch all raw edges. Cut and sew outside of design last (See Fig. 15). Attach fishing line loop for hanging (See Fig. 16). Beading Tips Hold needle eye over white background for easier threading. For 6 or smaller projects, pressed, used fabric softener sheets make a good backing for a 2nd layer or when center cutting is done before beading [See p. 11, Figure 18(a) and 18(b)]. Interfacing may be used for bigger designs. Run the thread through bees wax before beading to reduce tangles. Bead thread available at craft stores, fishing line, and some other types of thread recommended for beading may be used. If you make a mistake on a stitch, just pull the needle back through the felt. If you bead with lotion on your hands, it will make the felt dirty. Use beads from the string rather than pulling them off before using them. Glue on knots and backstitching is optional and nail polish is sometimes used. An embroidery hoop may be helpful to hold the design when using two needles to bead [See Figure 6(2)]. Catch the top layer of felt only in the hoop as two layers are too bulky.