It’s been a long time since I did such a seasonal design, but I just couldn’t resist this year! November’s kit is Neolithic Nollaig - that means we’ve got a Stone Age inspired Christmas. I know it might seem a little early to be mentioning the C word for some of you. As I’m writing this, I’m listening to fireworks going off for Halloween! But I wanted to give you plenty of time to stitch this one up and hang it on your tree. That’s means I’ve been promoting it in October, I stitched it in August, and I designed it in May! Christmas planning starts early around here
This kit starts out the same as any other. Pop your fabric in the hoop and start stitching! All of the lines are done in back stitch, though technically you could use any line stitch (stem, chain, split, etc.) if you want to change it up! We’re only using 1 strand of stranded cotton thread to keep those nice fine details too. Once the design is stitched though, we’re not quite finished.
Normally I would frame these piece in the hoop, but for this one we’re doing something a little different. We’re going to back them with bondaweb, cut them out, stick them to felt, add a bit of ribbon and stitch up the edges. So instead of having one Christmas themed hoop, we’ll have 3 Christmas Tree decorations.
The inspiration for this kit comes from the carvings found in the Boyne Valley. Not just the famous Newgrange, but Knowth and Dowth as well! I’ve always been so intrigued by them - it was only a matter of time until they ended up in a kit. The fact that we can see a piece of art made by someone’s hand over 5,000 years ago just blows my mind! Imagine something you made surviving until 7026!?
The other thing that really intrigues me though is that we don’t really know what these carvings mean (or if they even have a meaning). There are so many interesting theories. They could be maps of local landscapes, maps of the stars, calendars of some sort, or maybe just abstract patterns - who knows!
Of course, you can leave this kit in the hoop like all the others if you prefer. Either way, I’d love to see your finished project - whether it’s this Christmas or the next!
I Can’t wait to put these on my tree for Christmas! When will you be putting your decorations up? Are you a last minute kinda person? Do they go up in November? Are they up already!?
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