Ski slopes hoop

MATERIALS

Your gift – Alpine embroidery transfers

Cotton fabric: 20x20cm, white

Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of beige, blue, navy blue, light brown, green, dark grey, light grey, orange, light pink, purple, off-white and yellow

Metallic stranded thread: 1 skein of gold

Embroidery hoop: 10cm and 13cm diameter

Basic embroidery kit

STITCHES USED

Backstitch, French Knot, Satin Stitch, Straight Stitch

Transfer the design onto the fabric using an iron, 01 then place the fabric in your larger hoop. Make sure to press the iron gently, rather than moving it from side to side when transferring the design.

Begin by working the mountain-top cabin using

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Satin Stitch in two strands. Use yellow for the walls, light brown for the roof, off-white for the window, and light grey for the window frame. Then, stitch the cable cars in Satin Stitch using two strands of blue before giving them little off-white windows in the same way. After that, Backstitch the cable car lines and the fairy light lines using two strands of dark grey.

Now, use Satin Stitch in two strands to work the

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night’s sky in navy blue, the mountain tops in off-white, the higher mountain in light pink and the lower mountain in purple. Use Satin Stitch in two strands to work the houses in either dark pink, yellow, or blue, and give them all dark brown doors, off-white windows, and light grey roofs and window frames in the same way. For the church, use Satin Stitch in two strands to work the main building in light brown, then add a light pink stained-glass window, a dark brown door and roof, and off-white windows in the same way. Use two strands of off-white and French Knots to add some fallen snow to the tops of all the roofs.

Next, use Satin Stitch in one strand to work the

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two skiers and the person pulling the toboggan – this person will also need a small French Knot for their hat’s bobble. Work the person on the left in the following colours: purple skis, blue trousers, yellow coat, orange scarf, light brown skin, dark brown hair, and dark grey ski poles. Work the person in the middle in these colours: purple skis, yellow trousers, light grey coat, light pink scarf, dark brown skin, and dark grey hair and ski poles. And the person on the right (pulling the toboggan) in these colours: light grey trousers, orange coat, beige skin, orange hair, yellow and green hat, dark brown toboggan, and blue toboggan skis.

Now, work the trees in Straight Stitch using two

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strands of green. Then, stitch the stars using Straight Stitch in two strands of gold. Finish by adding little French Knot fairy lights using two strands of yellow. Remove your stitching from the hoop and remount it in your smaller hoop, making sure the

design is central and flush with the edge of the hoop.