The Collectible Christmas Holiday Village is a continuation of the great machine embroidery projects found in the Bella Box. When we started the process of creating the whole Christmas Village, we quickly realized we wanted the process to be easier while improving the look and feel of the final result.
First and foremost, we wanted to improve the windows. Previously, we had attached a chiffon lining to the entire inside wall of the building and each piece of the house needed to be pulled through the chiffon to be turned inside out. This worked okay...but we didn’t love the look of the chiffon billowing behind the windows and worried that having to turn each and every side of the building would get tiresome!
After a bit of experimentation, we landed on a game-changing solution. Instead of attaching a sheet of chiffon behind the entire wall, we tried stitching the chiffon directly behind the windows only. This simple change solved a plethora of issues! We no longer had to turn each piece inside out through a layer of chiffon, and the windows themselves looked much crisper.
Around the same time, we also discovered a new technique for cutting out the windows: a seam-ripper. Believe me, it scared us at the beginning too! Nonetheless, this new method proved drastically more effective than trying to maneuver regular scissors in such a small space.
The next challenge we encountered was getting the Greenhouse to stand upright without shape form stabilizer. Because of its transparent look, we couldn't use shape form as we did in other buildings. But could it stand on its own with only chiffon, wash-away stabilizer, and vinyl? Miraculously, it could! The vinyl gave our Greenhouse all the structure it needed.
Over the course of several months, we continued to fine-tune every imaginable aspect of creating these miniature houses! We redesigned the roofs for better turning, scored the corners to reduce bulk, and even introduced fabric glue to the process. Through it all, our foremost goal was always this: to make sure you have a smooth and rewarding experience creating your Holiday Village! We hope we achieved that goal. Happy stitching!
ABOUT COLLECTIBLE CHRISTMAS: Create a new holiday collection each year with a Collectible Christmas subscription! Stitch a new piece of your collection each month on your embroidery machine. By the end of the year, you’ll have a complete display to showcase in your home. Included in your monthly delivery are all required fabrics, embellishments, and full-color project instructions.
Click to learn more about Collectible Christmas subscriptions.
