Winter Cabin Ornament Kits, and a New Web Shop!

Hello! Do you like bluebirds? And tea kettles? And lighted windows? I do!!!

Introducing my new 2012 ornament-making kit: WINTER CABIN:

There is a Lighted Window, to welcome all passersby . . .

There is a Western Bluebird, to provide the winter song . . .

And there is a Whistling Tea Kettle, to make the Earl Grey . . .

Each Winter Cabin Felt Holiday Ornament Craft Kit contains materials to make one of each of the three ornaments, including:

16 pieces of wool blend felt in assorted colors
11 skeins coordinating DMC cotton embroidery floss
1/4 yd imported French gingham ribbon (for hanger)
1/2 yd imported French rick-rack (for hangers)
1/2 yd imported French calico bias tape (for curtains)
Stitching instructions
Pattern templates
Illustrated embroidery tutorial

You will need to have your own:

Wool batting or Polyester Fiber-fill
Sharp embroidery needle
Dressmaker's chalk pencil or fabric marker
Dressmaker's chalk carbon paper
Sharp fabric scissors and paper scissors
Motivation
Snacks
Fireplace
Kitty-puppy foot warmers
Television to watch the new season of Psych if they ever start it for goodness sakes!!!!!!! This is exactly what I said last year and it's double-true now. C'mon, son!

We have also put together limited editions of previous years' kits, including:

2011's kit, SWEET HOME:

It includes a Blue Door, with a wreath to welcome you home . . .

A Glowing Candle, to light the night . . .

And 2010's kit, SNOW DAY:

2010's kit, SNOW DAY:

It includes a Red Wool Coat, to keep you warm and dry . . .

A traditional Norwegian Selbu mitten, to keep your hands toasty . . .

And a Polar Bear, far from the Arctic Circle, peeking out from behind the trees.

2009's ornament-making kit, WALK IN THE WOODS, is also available:

It includes the Cozy Cottage, with the wood fires burning:

The Snowy Tree, sparkling with ice crystals:

And my favorite, the Little Deer, who watches shyly from the trees:

And there are also a few of 2008's kit, ICE SKATING AFTERNOON, as well!

There's the Hot Cocoa Cup, to warm you up:

The Ice Skate, with pom-pon for good measure:

And lastly, the Gingerbread Girl, the sweetest of all:

Please click on the links for each of the kits above to take to you the web shop pages, which list what's included in each and what you will need to have. Each ornament kit costs $30 each, plus shipping.

About the skill level needed to complete these: In previous years I said that, while I don't think of these kits necessarily as a children's or a beginner's project, if you have some experience working some basic stitches, these ornaments take more time and patience than skill. I will include directions on transferring the designs to the felt, and basic diagrams for completing the types of classic embroidery stitches you will need to know — backstitch, lazy-daisy stitch, satin stitch, French knot, and blanket stitch — but once you are comfortable working those stitches, if you just take your time and settle in, you will be fine.

If you are interested in ordering any of these kits, the very best advice I can give you is do not wait to place your order. Unlike previous years, we are not taking pre-orders this year: We have instead made up a limited number of each kit, and will ship them out as fast as we can. In previous years, these kits have sold out every year long before Christmas, and once they are gone, they are absolutely gone until next year (and even then, there are no guarantees that we will continue to do them, of course). Usually, Andy and I put these kits together ourselves, sourcing all of the materials, cutting the felt and the ribbons, packaging the embroidery floss, scooping beads and sequins, winding yarn, and then doing all of the shipping. This year, we have been so lucky to have Greta helping us with every aspect of this operation all summer long, and together we have completed 1,200 kits total. It's a lot of shipping to do in a couple of months, but I think we have a great system now, and with the new web shop and shipping system, I am beyond excited about how easy it will be to ship these kits quickly — they're finished! — and easily. And yes, we do ship overseas, and THAT has been ridiculously simplified now as well. So — I'm really excited.

(That said — I also wanted to mention that because we are shipping so quickly, PLEASE make sure that your shipping address is correct when you place your order. In some cases, we are shipping orders the exact same day the order is placed, so it's important that you check your address on your end properly before submitting your order, because once it's out there, it's out there!)

All five patterns are also now available as downloadable PDFs. (Usually we wait until all the kits are shipped to release the PDFs, but I got everything finished early this year.) A list of the specific felt colors and piece sizes and floss colors you need can be found here. The cool thing now, too, is that all of the items — from kits, to digital downloads, to embroidery supplies — can all be put in the same shopping cart. I will give you a full-on tour of the site later this week, too, but when you go over there you can cruise around a little bit and see what's available to help you complete your projects.

The new web shop has been quietly open for about a week as I've worked out various kinks. I feel really confident that it is funcioning well now, but if you have ANY problems, questions, or comments, please leave your messages on the blog there (there's a little News blog that is just for the web shop), and I will do much best to keep a sharp eye on that and fix anything that comes up. And of course you can always email me at posie@rosylittlethings.com.

Again, thank you beyond words for all of your enthusiasm for and support of these kits over the years. They are a big part of my life and I am so grateful that your interest and orders allow me to continue to do exactly what I love to do, every single day. Thank you, more than I can ever find words to say, for that.

Comments

[Patricia]

I just got my kit in the mail and I'm so excited. I don't embroider much but I was inspired listening to an old interview you did on Craftsanity. I was going to buy a few kits but realized I better do one first! Thank you!!
Patricia
aka Square Egg...I didn't realize til after I ordered that my husband changed the name on the PayPal acct!

[kristi]

Will not procrastinate my order this year. Must have that little gingerbread girl.

[tinajo]

Wow - I can´t even express how wonderful I find this! :-)

[Luisa F.]

very stupend stuff!! ;) see you!!

[PattiRNinMI]

Too sweet for words! Will you be selling photography on new website?

[Sally]

So excited to visit your blog this morning and see the new kit, Alicia! So darling! Immediately ran and grabbed my purse and ordered it. Yippie yippie.

[alana]

Lovely! I so love this year's kit.

[Anita K]

Started working on my tea kettle this weekend, my husband even commented on how special it was, and he never notices much. So excited, I had to order more kits, working on having them all by next week.
So creative you are,thanks for sharing with us,one request,pretty please wish you would do a small cookbook of all the recipes we have seen, I'm having a hard time keeping up with all mine, they are scattered everywhere, would be nice if they were all together in one nice little place.

[Annie W. (NJ)]

Hi Alicia
I was just at your shop...love your new look at the shop. It is easy to navigate and the category is perfect to pinpoint what I needed and browse! So far is good & working.

I saw the new kit and couldn't wait to purchase it. I also saw other items that I have been waiting, waiting and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it on your shop...woohoo!!

[Rebecca Martin]

I am SOOOOOO excited. I've ordered, I've ordered! So excited. Many happy stitching afternoons to come . . .

[jeanne e.]

found them last week and should be getting my kit today! can't wait. your ornament kits are a tradition now. i am always excited to see what you come up with. thank you! :)

[Delilah]

Yay! Just getting ready to order.
This year I'm making all of the previous kits that I've ordered and had on the back burner.

I have new motivation. My grandson is crawling and I don't want breakable ornaments on the tree. I'm making felt ornaments and other unbreakable ornaments to trim my tree this year.

Thanks Alicia for the new beautiful kit.

[Gretchen Peacock]

These are absolutely fantastic. I can't even choose my favorite because they are all so impressive.

[Amy Kortuem]

Oh. So. Cute. You outdo yourself every single year, Alicia.

[JS]

I have seen, year by year, each kit you have released and always wanted one, but due to one reason or another, never got one. Well, finally, I have ordered! I am excited beyond words about this. Thank you so much, Alicia, for bringing something so lovely and special into our home to enjoy every Christmas!

[Francis Fusilli]

Your new web store looks fantastic! ;)

[Penelope]

Oh thank goodness they are here, I could not wait one more minute for this years ornaments!!!!!!
Please ,never, ever, stop making them !!! ok, then how about pretty please? !?!?! Xox

[Camilla]

Yay ordered the new set...I still have to catch up with some of the others :) Could start them soon ;)

[Tess]

All the way from Scotland, I have treated myself to all the digital sets. I long to do the coat and polar bear first. My daughter will be thrilled and I look forward to rifling through all my bits n bobs to make some beautiful, family pieces. Gingerbread girl may just find she has a hint of tartan silk petticoat.....

[rachel]

They just get better and better! So beautiful!

[Natalie, the Chickenblogger]

Oh, my goodness.
You are making a wonderland.

[Becky]

I've just shown the picture of the kit to my daughter and she says that she wants to hang them all in her room at Christmas - she has such good taste! Beautiful as always. Thank you and thank you for shipping to England. Bx xxx

[Kathleen Bourne]

Your new web shop is fantastic--easy to move around in and makes me want to buy everything. I love your photos and you make it hard to choose!

[Leanne]

These are seriously cute!

[Mary Mulliken]

you are a genius! gorgeous!