Gingerbread Man Bunting

This July has been so much fun for me, because I have been actually making Christmas projects... with no stress and no  time restraints!

I started first by making a table runner for our  July  Across The Pond Sew Along... with the "Christmas in July" theme:

My Merry Gift Boxes table runner
    pattern by Clover and Violet 

Then, I went over to The Patchsmith's blog to see what Amanda has been  sewing during  July.  I was in awe of all of her  beautiful holiday mug rug patterns that she has designed!
I had a hard time deciding which one to start first... but chose  the 

Gingerbread Cup mug rug pattern by The Patchsmith
 photo courtesy of The Patchsmith blog

I enjoyed looking through my Christmas fabrics, to find the right ones to make my little gingerbread man and a mug of hot chocolate.  

Fabrics used:    Jolly Christmas  Vita Mechachonis  Camelot Cottons  (mug)

                       Grandma's Gingerbread  Dianna Marcum  Marcus Fabrics  (vest)

                        Keepsake Calico  JoAnn Fabrics   (brown tonal for gingerbread man)

                       Mini Mike     Michael Miller   (tiny tan gingham)

                        Cookie Cutter Christmas   Wilmington Prints  (backing/binding)

*A great thing about The Patchsmith's patterns... you don't need a lot of fabric to make the projects!!*

My Gingerbread Cup mug rug       by Susie 

Mug of cocoa  with  hot steam swirls and a candy cane

I machine- stitched the blanket stitch for outlining the cup and the gingerbread man.
Then I embroidered, by hand,  the fun details that makes this mug rug come to life.

 Vest  buttons and the icing on his ams and legs close-up

I love the little loving details that Amanda puts into her patterns.  They make them so fun to make.

All ready to use in December!!

Well, I guess it is really hard just to make ONE gingerbread man....  and I was thinking about making some more mug rugs for gifts... and then I saw the latest post by Amanda-
Joy and Gingerbread Bunting...

Amanda's  Gingerbread Bunting pattern

How adorable are these little guys?!!

So , you know what is coming....  A Gingerbread Bunting for me!

I found some felt for the backs of the gingerbread men, and some cute coordinating fabrics at JoAnn for the clothes. I already had the brown fabric for the cookie dough fronts.
The directions in Amanda's pattern are excellent!  I chose to fuse the front and felt back together, with Heat-n-Bond,  and then blanket stitch them together (by machine.)

The fabric ready to iron the Heat-n-Bond onto

Laying out the body shapes onto the felt

                   

Blanket stitching around the vest

All of their outfits are sewn.  Now time to embellish!

I chose to hand embroider their faces on, and then I sewed their buttons on.

I decided to machine sew (satin stitch) the icing .  Left has icing /  Right no icing

With and without icing

                                               

All the icing is completed!  This little detail that Amanda adds makes them so much cuter as a cookie!!

Look what else I found at JoAnn..... bows for the girls!! I used a bit of Liquid Stitch for attaching the bows.

After the glue had dried, I just had to sew them onto my 55 inches of ric-rac.   I used my invisible thread to do that.  The next time I make them, I will glue on the bows AFTER they are sewn on to the ribbon or ric-rac.    I will have more head sewing space to attach each girl to the ribbon.

Gingerbread Bunting        Susie's Sunroom version

My gingerbread boy and gingerbread girl

                             

Rehearsing for December...

   


I only have one problem...  when I hung this Gingerbread bunting on my fireplace mantle.... it only reached HALF WAY across!   I need to make a second one !  But there's plenty of time yet... it's still July!!

Amanda's  Gingerbread bunting  project is Day Two at the   "Christmas in July"  Blog Hop   at The Crafty Quilter blog.

                   

 Blog Hop at the Crafty Quilter

Julie has gathered many talented bloggers who are sharing   holiday tutorials at her blog.  Many have giveaways, too!   Day One visits Amy,  at  Amy Made That!  blog.

Amy's Christmas Tree Topiary Pillow
photo courtesy of Amy @  Amy Made That!

  Her tutorial is full of details and clear instructions!  I really want to make one of these pillows.  It is so elegant.  Go on over to see her tutorial and beautiful pictures!
Be sure to keep checking all week for more designs at The Crafty Quilter blog!!

Well,  I think I will make some supper, and find some time to make sewing time tonight  for...
another bunting by The Patchsmith!!

 Link up any Christmas projects you are working on in our Across The Pond Sew Along Flickr Group! We love to see what everybody is making with us!

I'm off to my sewing room!