So Colby’s tree fell over, destroying ornaments. It wouldn’t be very Christmassy of the Twitter community to ignore his plight, would it?
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/colbysharp/status/140651818962264066″]
Aw, poor Colby, he had no idea what was about to hit him.
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/mentortexts/status/140652184663638016″]
I decided to make Colby, a fellow Michigander, an ornament highlighting where several authors were born or call home. But first, I had to confirm which authors were truly from Michigan.
Here’s the official list of Michigan members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
I like thinking of Michigan authors and illustrators as Natural Resources.
Also, while researching, I learned my lake is the largest in the Mitten State. (I’ve never actually been there.)
Then, I gathered my materials.
I used Giant Dwarf’s Fancy Felt for this ornament. Once you touch it, you will never ever ever again want to use the craft store variety.
I created a key so I’d know where to stitch each author.
Sorry, UP. You’re always getting the short end of the stick. This is by no means a comprehensive list. I picked authors/illustrators I knew and enjoyed.
I needed a heart-shaped stitch that would work well on a small scale, and I thought of the wishbone stitch, signature stitch of The Merriweather Council. So I practiced it.
Satisfied with my work, I printed an outline for my state.
Look at that felt, isn’t it amaaaaaazing?
Then, I realized I needed a reminder on how to sew a blanket stitch, so this video did the trick.
And here’s the final product!
Hope ya like it, Mr. Sharp!