Season's Tweetings card

Design by Sam Bourne

Materials required

• 8 in. embroidery hoop
• Calico to fit hoop
• l2 cm square of purple silk
• l2 cm square of Bondaweb
• No.20 chenille needle
• No.7 crewel needle
• Three-panel card mount to fit
• Double-sided sticky tape
• DMC stranded cotton in the following colours: 434 Brown, 817 Red, 444 Yellow, Blanc White, 403 Black, 5283 Metallic Silver

Preparation

Copy the design onto the silk. Iron the Bondaweb onto the reverse of the piece of silk, then remove the paper from the back of the Bondaweb. Place the silk, Bondaweb side down, onto the calico, and iron. Place the calico into the embroidery hoop, making sure the silk is centred. Stretch the fabric until it is tight to avoid puckering.

To stitch

1. Using two strands of Brown 434 in the No.7 crewel needle, work the brown of the bird in long and short stitch, beginning at the head and working towards the tail.
2. With two strands of Red 817, work the red area in long and short stitch.
3. Stitch the white line between the brown and red in split stitch, using two strands of white.
4. With two strands of Yellow 444, stitch the beak in satin stitch, and the legs and feet in split stitch.
5. Use the black and white cottons in two strands each to create the eye. First, stitch two short horizontal white stitches, then add a larger black stitch at the top and a small vertical black stitch (for the pupil). Add a couple of black stitches to the beak to give the bird more character.
6. To create the starry background, use a single strand of Metallic Silver 5283 and stitch a star comprising five straight stitches radiating from a central point. Space these across the background, as in the picture.

To complete

Trim the excess calico from around the edge and then, with a cool iron, press the silk on the reverse. Using the double-sided sticky tape, position the finished work inside the window of the card. Stick down carefully, gently easing out any wrinkles. Using more double-sided sticky tape, stick down the flap that covers the reverse of the work.

Branching out...

This cheerful design could also be used to spruce up your Christmas tree; just mount it in a small gold frame or Flexiframe and, as a finishing touch, tie on a small gold or tartan bow.