tips and tricks

Advent Calendar 2023 – Nativity Scene
Footwear

The first shepherd´s shoes are worked with wrapped Back stitches (coton à broder No. 20),

that of the third shepherd initially only with Back stitches (coton à broder No. 16).

I don’t like that, so I ended up wrapping the stitches around.

Maria’s foot is also worked with wrapped Back stitches, but using coton à broder No. 20.

Josef’s boots are embroidered with wrapped chain stitches (coton à broder No. 20).

To add some variety, The first Wise Man’s shoes are embroidered using Blanket stitches (coton à broder No. 20).

The boots of the second Wise Man are embroidered with wide Stem stitches, the soles with Satin stitches (coton à broder No. 16).

The footwear of the third Wise Man are worked with wrapped chain stitches (coton à broder No. 20). The scarf has fringes made from Coral Knot stitches (coton à broder No. 16)

Advent Calendar 2016
Advent Calendar 2017
Advent Calendar 2018
Advent Calendar 2019
Advent Calendar 2023 – Outline Designs
Advent Calendar 2023 – Prep Work
Advent Calendar 2023 – Hairstyles and Facial Features of Wise Men
Advent Calendar 2023 – Hands
Advent Calendar 2023 – Vessels for the Gifts
Advent Calendar 2023 – Headwear
Advent Calendar 2023 – Sheep

Advent Calendar 2023 – Nativity Scene
Sheep

The sheep skins are first depicted with Coral Knot stitches (coton à broder No. 16), all other parts of the sheep with coton à broder No. 20.

Advent Calendar 2016
Advent Calendar 2017
Advent Calendar 2018
Advent Calendar 2019
Advent Calendar 2023 – Outline Designs
Advent Calendar 2023 – Prep Work
Advent Calendar 2023 – Hairstyles and Facial Features of Wise Men
Advent Calendar 2023 – Hands
Advent Calendar 2023 – Vessels for the Gifts
Advent Calendar 2023 – Headwear

Advent Calendar 2023 – Nativity Scene
Headwear

The first Wise Man receives a crown of Stem stitches, decorated with Satin stitch triangles (coton à broder No. 16). In the same way the border of the coat was made.

The third Wise Man receives a crown with wrapped Back stitches, Chain stitches and Blanket stitch eyelets (all coton à broder No. 20).

In the end, the turban of the second Wise Man seems a bit too empty to me. Staggered Running stitches (coton à broder No. 16) create a subtle pattern for the rather small areas.

For Josef, the underside of the hat brim is first embroidered with wide stem stitches (coton à broder No. 16), because the threads for the hair and face can be sewn in or continued under the stitches in the back.
The hair, facial outlines and hands are worked with coton à broder No. 20. Coton à broder No. 16 is chosen for the Coral Knot stitches.

The child’s head is embroidered with wrapped Back stitches (coton à broder No. 20).

The halo is worked with wrapped Chain stitches (coton à broder No. 16).

Maria’s face and hands are embroidered with coton à broder No. 25.

The third shepherd gets a hat made of Chain stitches (coton à broder No. 16) with a brim made of Stem stitches (coton à broder No. 20).

His hair is embroidered with wrapped Chain stitches (coton à broder No. 20), face (coton à broder No. 20) and hands with wrapped Back stitches (coton à broder No. 25). Coton à broder No. 16 is chosen for the Coral Knot stitches.

The second shepherd gets a hat brim made from Stem stitches (coton à broder No. 20),

which is later filled with Satin stitches (coton à broder No. 16). The face (coton à broder No. 20) and hands (coton à broder No. 25) are worked with wrapped Back stitches, the hair with wrapped Chain stitches (coton à broder No. 16).

First shepherd´s hair is worked with wide Stem stitches (coton à broder No. 16), the face with coton à broder No. 20 and the hands with coton à broder No. 25.

Advent Calendar 2016
Advent Calendar 2017
Advent Calendar 2018
Advent Calendar 2019
Advent Calendar 2023 – Outline Designs
Advent Calendar 2023 – Prep Work
Advent Calendar 2023 – Hairstyles and Facial Features of Wise Men
Advent Calendar 2023 – Hands
Advent Calendar 2023 – Vessels for the Gifts

Advent Calendar 2023 – Nativity Scene
Vessels for the Gifts

The vessels for the gifts are made with wrapped Chain stitches (coton à broder No. 20) and Blanket stitch eyelets (coton à broder No. 25).

as well as with Chain stitches and wrapped Back stitches.

At the end, the vessel body is filled between the fingers with Satin stitches.

Advent Calendar 2016
Advent Calendar 2017
Advent Calendar 2018
Advent Calendar 2019
Advent Calendar 2023 – Outline Designs
Advent Calendar 2023 – Prep Work
Advent Calendar 2023 – Hairstyles and Facial Features of Wise Men
Advent Calendar 2023 – Hands

Advent Calendar 2023 – Nativity Scene
Hands

The hands of all three Wise Men are embroidered with wrapped Back stitches (coton à broder No.25). It makes sense to wrap from the inside to the outside on the way to the fingertip,

to lay the thread around your fingertip

and embroider the downward stitches from the outside to the inside.

Turn again at the base of the finger.

In this way you can achieve well-formed individual fingers.

If the hands are shaped so that the fingers lie together, work Back stitches up to the base of a finger and wrap them on the way to the tip up to the vertex. Then continue working with Back stitches. In the end, all that remains to be wrapped is the thumb, fingertips and the side of the palm.

Advent Calendar 2016
Advent Calendar 2017
Advent Calendar 2018
Advent Calendar 2019
Advent Calendar 2023 – Outline Designs
Advent Calendar 2023 – Prep Work
Advent Calendar 2023 – Hairstyles and Facial Features of Wise Men