Advent Calendar

Two angels, one with a star and one with a candle, meet up.

The design measures about 30 cm X 18 cm. It was stitched on linen with a 13.5/cm thread count.
The project was designed and embroidered by Hermine Schwehn.

The hair was stitched with Chain stitches.

Candle and Sleeves were worked with openwork patterns (Openwork Needleweaving Patterns).
Stitches worked gold metallic thread highlight some sections.

The wings were filled with Rose Stitch Rhombus Variation (Stars).

The dress was stitched with alternating two rows of “H” pattern and one row of Double Diagonal Cross Filling stitches (Openwork Pattern Samplers).
The hems were stitched with Wave stitches and the shoes with single Satin stitch bars.

The Star was filled with the openwork pattern Rose stitches.

I apologize for the quality of the images. Unfortunately, I could not photograph the original embroidery.

Next in line is a floating angel.

The design measures about 10 cm X 10 cm. It was stitched on Weddigen linen with a 13.5/cm thread count.

Also this figure was made to be cut out.

The hair was stitched with couching (Early Schwalm Whitework) using coton à broder No. 16 for the laid threads and No. 30 for the couching stitches.

I looked for a matching pattern to fill the prominent wing and decided for a variation of “Federkleid” (=feathers; Limetrosen II).

Shoes and hands are outlined with Blanket stitches.

The dress was filled with the openwork pattern “God´s acre” (Openwork Needleweaving Patterns). I like this pattern very much. It runs slanting but not diagonal, making it difficult to find an appropriate shape for this special pattern. But here I think it turned out pretty.

Boiled, starched, ironed, and cut out the floating angel decorates fir branches as an ornament. And now it does not look as large as in the beginning.
Later this ornament will be hung on the Christmas tree in white.

Singing angels with stars was designed by Christa Waldmann. The tea cloth was embroidered by Monika Wegener.

The design has a diameter of about 39 cm and was stitched on handwoven linen with a 17/cm thread count.

The hairstyle, the collar, the hands, and the dress hem were stitched with very dense Satin stitches.

Curved lines and small Lazy Daisy stitches were worked with 2 strands of 6-ply stranded cotton (Anchor colour 874) bring a light shine of colour into the piece.

The angels on the straight of grain get dresses filled with alternating single Satin stitch bars (Wickelstiche) and Rose stitches in straight rows (Stars).

The angels on the bias get dresses filled with alternating rows of Rose stitches (Basic Principles of Schwalm Whitework and lesson #2), Satin Stitches in a stair-step manner and Square eyelets (Limetrosen I).

The hems of the skirts are decorated with Herringbone stitches and scallops.

It is also possible, to work these angels with wings. The wings get an outline only, either in white

or with a touch of colour.

These pretty designs – single figures with and without wings, a smaller design of the wreath with eight figures, and a similar design with sixteen figures (these would make nice edge decorations for a round doily with needlelace) – are included in the upcoming collection of angel designs Advent Calendar 2018.

The simple and reserved design with the long wings was named ice angel.

The design measures about 13.5 cm X 13.5 cm. It was stitched on Weddigen linen with a 13.5/cm thread count.

The wings were filled with scales (Limetrosen I). The wing ends were worked with Satin stitches.

The dress was filled with No. 453 Röserich A2 (The most beautiful Röserich Filling Patterns).

The hairstyle was designed to match the line of the wings and neck and was stitched with 2 strands of 6-ply stranded cotton.

The design is well suited for a table runner,

but I decided to use it as a decorative band for a pillow. Colours and decors of the up-to-date pillowcases emphasize the coolness of the ice angel.

I prefer decorative bands for pillows instead of complete pillowcases. The bands are easily ironed, and the pillows can be used the entire year, with or without other embroidery designs.

This special design is also part of the upcoming collection Advent Calendar 2018.

Today´s motif is a little floating, trombone-playing angel.

The design measures about 10.5 cm X 7 cm. It was stitched on handwoven linen with an 18/cm thread count.

The hair was stitched with Lazy Daisy stitches and open Chain stitches.

Alternating rows of Diagonal Cross Filling stitches (Openwork Pattern Samplers) and Single Faggot stitches are worked in the wing (Schwalm Bird Tree – extended).

The wing ends, the trombone, hands, sleeve cuffs, dress hem, and shoes are worked with Satin stitches using 2 strands of 6-ply stranded cotton.

Single Satin stitch bars (Wickelstiche) are worked in the dress.

The little floating, trombone-playing angel decorates a cover for a sliding box, which could later store all my cutout angel ornaments unteil next year.

This cute design is also part of the upcoming collection Advent Calendar 2018.