I picked up some Xmas cards today. They are rather lovely but I developed a stitching itch this evening and couldn't resist giving one of the cards a little bit of a festive make over. The card is pretty good quality (for my standards), it is quite thick and sturdy which made the stitching a bit easier. But when I put my tree on the front it was a tugging match to get the thread through the card and the foil decoration.
It is so easy to yule pimp your cards as long as you keep to one rule, keep it minimal! I am the queen of over complicating designs but I have found that if you try to do too much detail, too close together the card will get those veins from where you have bend the card too much, and you don't want your holes too close together because they are likely to rip in between.
Once you have decided what your embroidered touches are going to be, put your card on a thick cushion and poke your needle through to create your holes. When all your holes are stabbed through start stitching like you normally would using the holes to guide your stitches. It is like a stitchy dot-to-dot. Because this is thick card I found it a bit tough to pull the needle through, but I found if I pulled the needle through nearly all of the way and then turned it like a clock hand would turn, it eased the hole a little bit bigger so I could safely get the thread through.
I was a total rebel stitching these cards because I knotted the thread AND didn't worry about the backs of the stitches on show!!! I like leaving them peeking around the back of the card, I think it adds a gorgeous homemade touch. I am over the moon with how this card turned out, I think it just adds that personal hint that makes Xmas just that little piece more special.
Hope you are surviving this festive season without too much stress <3
