Trees and Cardinals

Before starting to stitch 'Bear Tree Forest' I decided to make two small accessories, just to see how the snow looked on the newly dyed linen. I think the dye job was successful as the snow is clearly visible.

The sweet little Cardinals and Tree are taken from a Christmas ornament called 'Christmas Cottage' designed by Belinda Karls-Nace of Blue Ribbon Designs.  

Both items are stitched in DMC threads on 30 count linen. The lining is sage green linen. The tassel and the cord is handmade.

The bigger piece is a Needle Case and the smaller piece is a handmade Needle Threader. I chose Cardinals and Trees as they fit well with 'Bear Tree Forest.'

This is a first for me -  A Handmade Needle Threader.

Needle Case - Front

Needle Case Inside 

I used thin padding so that the case has a nice feel but is not too bulky to close. It also means the needles can be inserted into the case directly.

Needle Case - Back