Winter Jewels Star Ornament

Designer: Jann Williams

• 2--7x9" rectangles green floral
• 2-1/2" square contrasting print
• Polyester fiberfill
• 2" square heavyweight fusible web
• 6--6-millimeter apple green beads
• Seed beads
• Thread: light Tan beading needle

Finished star ornament: 5x7" (excluding hanging loop)

Click on "Download this Project" for patterns A and B and for tips on making and using templates.

1. Place green floral 7x9" rectangles right sides together on flat surface. Center Pattern A star on layered rectangles. Trace with a pencil, leaving approximately 1/2" on all sides for trimming. (You may fussy-cut the star, if desired.)

2. Set your machine length to 2.0 millimeter. Sew star shapes together along pencil line (Diagram 1), pivoting at each inner corner and squaring off outer points for ease in turning.

3. Cut out star a scant 1/4" outside of stitching line. Clip inner and outer corner points.

4. Pull star shapes apart in the middle; cut a slit in center of one star shape (Diagram 2). Turn star right side out through opening.

5. Using the small end of a wood chopstick gently work each star tip into a smooth point.

6. Stuff star with fiberfill. Use the eraser end of a pencil to first push fiberfill into each star tip, then fill star center. Loosely overcast-stitch slit closed to make star ornament.

7. Use a pencil to trace Pattern B circle onto paper side of fusible-web square. Following manufacturer's instructions, press fusible-web square onto wrong side of contrasting print 2-1/2" square. Cut out circle on drawn line and peel off paper backing.

8. Position prepared circle appliqué over stitched slit in star. Fuse in place.

9. Using light tan thread and beading needle, stitch a strand of seed beads through star tip. Wrap threaded beads around tip in a circle and pull needle through tip to secure thread. Whipstitch bead circle in place (Diagram 3). Repeat on three additional star tips. Then take a stitch in remaining star tip. Alternately thread 6-millimeter apple green beads and seed beads onto threaded needle (Diagram 4). Secure thread end of beads on back side of top star tip to make a hanging loop. Trim thread ends. With threaded needle, sew six seed beads randomly at star center to complete star ornament. Trim thread ends.

10. If desired, add decorative embroidery stitches to ornament.