More Wreath Sash Gifts

I've said before that wreath sashes are my Go-To and that really is true. When I want to try out a new design, I almost always go to a wreath sash. They are perfect for a three-inch embroidery design. They are easy to assemble with long straight seams. They don't require lots of extras like zippers or snaps or buttons or tabs or anything. They make good gifts.

Side one of an H wreath sash - patriotic and monogrammed

Side two of the H wreath sash - floral and monogrammed

I've been seeing that people are easing into fall already even though the temperatures are still in the hot summer ranges of the nineties around here. I had bookmarked and added things to my shopping cart and all the things one does these days when scrolling and thinking and gathering ideas. So, I pulled the trigger on a few new designs and decided to stitch them out.

Side one of a B wreath - patriotic and monogrammed

Side two of a B wreath - fall pumpkin and monogrammed.

I used a few pieces of leftover and found fabrics to make them. I'm not sure where I got the yellow gingham but it was a nice squared-off piece that still had selvage edges. So, I just ripped widths from selvage to selvage. I remembered that the last time I had made a sash out of the light yellow gingham the fabric on the back side sort of peeked through. So, I used and iron-on interfacing and backed it to try to prevent the color peeking through. That also helped to make the fabric have more heft. However, with a design that is pretty dense with stitching, like the pumpkin, there still was some puckering. Most people who are the recipients of my gifts don't notice or care but it frets me somewhat. However, in the big scheme of things, the product is still beautiful, personal, and one-of-a-kind. Isn't that sort of the definition of a good gift?

   

   

I made a couple with patriotic designs on one side and floral on the other and a couple with the fall pumpkin on one side and patriotic on the other.. They will go to different folks and I really like the look of both options. I'm guessing the patriotic design could be used in the summer for Flag Day or Independence Day or for most any patriotic holiday such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, etc. Then, the simple fall pumpkin design could be used from late September all the way through till Thanksgiving. The floral monogrammed sides could be used most anytime no matter what season. I feel like that is a nice gift for some of my women friends and family members and offers some versatility.

Side one of an O wreath - fall pumpkin and monogrammed

Side two of an O wreath - turkey and monogrammed with a swag of greenery

I had seen some monogrammed wreath bows. So, I gave one of them a try. It really takes a very long strip of fabric to make one of those. I'm not sure how the bow will stand up to wind and rain either and we all know that most doors are going to have a bit of weather exposure. I do like the look but I think I like the shorter one that is just looped and knotted better.

Side one of an H wreath sash - greenery with bow and monogrammed

Side two of an H wreath - pumpkin and monogrammed

I think one of the fun things about creating wreath sashes is how each and every one can be different. Even though I used the same fabrics on all of these wreaths, each looks completely different. They could all be hanging on doors in the same hallway and each would have an individual and unique appearance. The stitched designs vary or the font can vary or the monogram is different for different people or the colors can be mixed and matched. Sometimes simplicity really provides a whole lot of variety.

Wreath sashes lined up on a bed

I catch myself walking by the bedroom where I have the finished products laid out flat to prevent wrinkles and smiling a little smile of satisfaction. I hope the recipients enjoy them half as much as I have enjoyed creating them!

My Go-To

I've found that trying something out on my sewing machine in embroidery mode seems to nudge me toward making a wreath sash. I guess you could say it is my 'Go-To' product. 

My 1st Wreath Sash

Maybe it is because the designs are usually pretty quick projects.

Patriotic Wreath Sash

Floral Monogrammed Wreath Sash

Maybe it is because the designs are relatively small.

Patriotic Wreath Sash #2

Monogrammed Hydrangea Wreath Sash

Maybe it is because this is a pretty easy project.

Floral Monogrammed Wreath Sash #2

Pineapple Monogrammed Wreath Sash

Maybe it is because there are lots of ways to diversify designs.

Patriotic Monogrammed Wreath #1

Patriotic Monogrammed Wreath #2

Maybe it is because I want to try all the different things on my new machine.

Bandana Wreath Sash

Maybe it is because I have a lot of long, thin scrap pieces. 

Today I noticed...every attempt is a learning experience.

My daughter has been encouraging as I am learning to use my new sewing and embroidery machine. She knows that I want to create items that are simple, basic, and purposeful. I added embroidered names to my bonus daughter-in-law's gift of beach towels, for example. Simple. Basic. Purposeful. So, my daughter, Bridgette, sent me a couple of examples of wreath sashes and I gave that a try. Simple. Basic. Purposeful (if you count home decor as purposeful). 

Decor at our back doors

I love the concept of custom stitched wreath sashes. Just perform a search using wreath sash as the key term and thousands will pop up. Bridgette sent me a suggestion similar to the example pictured below. (I included the source in case you want to order one.) There are so many beautiful ideas out there. I hardly have an original thought in my head but I can copy somebody else's good idea and put my own spin on it. That is just what I did.

Source

When I was searching for sash ideas, I stumbled across several patriotic examples since we are in the patriotic season of July 4th and this is a big year for celebrating. So, I decided to give that a try. Bridgette had suggested that I look to etsy for reasonably priced designs and that was another good suggestion. I took the ideas that I saw for wreath sashes that were offered for sale and combined that with a couple of patriotic designs that I purchased and made myself some patriotic wreath decor.

Let me also add that the letter O - the letter that begins our last name - is not really a pretty letter. Making an O with a flourish, yet, still making it legible is difficult. So, when I see a pretty O, I am very likely to purchase that design. Otherwise, the O will simply be a plain, ordinary, boring circle. One option that I found on etsy did have a swirly, flourished, pretty O. So, I pounced on that alphabet quickly! Thank you Rivermill Embroidery.

Since we have French doors at our back entrance, I needed two wreaths. I like to have something that is similar but just a bit different whenever I can. So, I thought the HOME and LOVE designs which featured an American flag, heart-shaped design were just perfect for there. That let me use two of my new etsy purchases effectively. I had left-over striped fabric from creating the pillowcases for the basement bedroom that worked perfectly.

After making the first wreath sash, I realized that crafting one that is reversible is a wise move. So, I dug around in my fabric stash and found another scrap that would back the cranberry striped perfectly. For that side of the sash, I just stitched the same design.

I decided that the bandana print fabric was busy enough that I needed something simple. So, I chose a heart-shaped frame that came with my sewing machine designs. I used some of the control buttons that I had noticed and moved one heart up and toward the left a quarter of an inch and stitched it in white. Then, I used the same frame design and moved it down and to the right before stitching it in black. Then, on the other side of the sash, I used a Fishtail Font for the long and thin white O and a more ornate and rounder O that came with a different font package called Maxwell & Merit. for stitching with black thread. 

I love the flexibility of mixing and matching designs within a project and combining similar but different products. I also like having an item that can be used for different patriotic holidays as well as for an everyday look. Plus, I learned how to use different font packages and combine and center designs together as well as how to manipulate the designs that came with my machine.

I really liked the crossed flag design that was in the example Bridgette sent. So, I searched till I found one that I liked. Again, I wanted it simple but also versatile. TinyTreasures804 had a beautiful option that offered several different sizes as well. I had seen this example and knew that I had a scrap of yellow gingham that might work for a sash. I really liked the pop of red on the yellow fabric. So, I decided to give that a try.

In my search, I stumbled across another concept that I thought was versatile but truly beautiful. The sewists had used a bold floral print fabric and added a simple single initial. A couple of examples are shown in the photo below. So, I dug into my scraps of fabric and found a yellow floral to back the gingham patriotic option.

my inspiration

I was talking to my daughter-in-law and sent her a quick photo asking her for a suggested color combo. So, I was getting her opinion in a sneaky way for a gift I was creating for her.

My finished product

I will definitely be making myself one with another scrap of that bold floral fabric. It is just beautiful to me. I used a Two Color Fishtail Monogram for the B. As luck would have it, one of the cranberry red peonies or roses or whatever flower that is wound up right on the tail end of the other side. I could not have planned that better!

The reverse patriotic side is beautiful as well. I did learn, however, that with a thin, light colored fabric like the yellow gingham, it would have been better to add a lining so that the reverse design doesn't show through. Every attempt is a learning experience!

Another plus to these wreath sashes is that I can just use fabric scraps that I already have. So far my only expense has been for stabilizer and thread. I have a couple more wreath sashes on the drawing board. I cannot wait to get back to my sewing machine each day.