January Ornament Garnet
Designed and Stitched by Nan Mathe

Important Note: Garnets come in several colors. The model for the January ornament is based on the red-orange garnet. Other garnets are rose; still others are a deep red. Substitute threads to stitch a garnet in your color choice. You will need a rather bright color of Ribbon Floss and three values of DMC or Anchor floss. Select Mill Hill beads that complement your choice of garnet.

Materials:

• 18-count canvas - 8" x 8"
• Stretcher bars - to fit canvas rectangle
• Needle Necessities Floss Overdyed - Color #118 (gold)
• Ribbon Floss -bright orange
• DMC 6-Strand Embroidery Thread (floss)
• Color #922 - light
• Color #921 - medium
• Color #919 - dark
• Mill Hill Beads - Color #00165
• #24 tapestry needle
• #10 sharp or #10 beading needle (for attaching beads)
• Refer to Finishing Instructions for materials needed for finishing the ornament.

There is no shape template for this octagon-shaped ornament. See the Master Diagram Step 1 for a chart of the entire ornament.

The picture at right shows the stitching details.

Battlement Couching

The ornament is stitched in five steps in Battlement Couching.

Step 1

Use Ribbon Floss. First, stitch all of the horizontal stitches (numbered). Then stitch all of the vertical stitches (lettered). This stitch does not provide any backing! Begin and end your thread with 3 or 4 little backstitches outside the shape's area. These little stitches are in the "seam allowance" and are shown on the Master Diagram Step 1 below.

Step 2 Use 4 strands of DMC 922 (or the lightest value of your color choice). Be sure you lay the strands straight as you stitch. Again, stitch the numbered stitches first, then the lettered stitches.
Step 3 Use four strands of DMC 921 (or the middle value of your color choice). Follow the same sequence as you did for Steps 1 and 2.
Step 4 One more time, using four strands of DMC 919 (or the dark value of your color choice). Again, follow the same stitching sequence.

Bead Tie-down

Tack down (couch) the Step 4 stitches using one strand doubled of DMC 919 (or your dark value) in the #10 needle. You will need to use your laying tool to move the Step 3 stitches aside a bit. Notice the lower right corner of the Step 4 diagram where the diagonal stitch and bead are shown. Bring the needle up, thread on a bead, and work a diagonal stitch over two canvas threads. See the diagram below on the left. Bring the needle up again in the same hole. Separate the two strands of thread with the needle or your finger. Slide on strand on one side of the bead, the other strand on the other side of the bead and sink the needle as you did for the tent stitch. See the diagram below on the right. This second stitch "sets" the bead so that it doesn't wiggle around, loosen, or otherwise look messy.

Tent Stitch

Work two rows of tent stitch around the entire hexagon shape, using four strands of floss. Use a value of floss that you plan to use for the finishing cording (see finishing instructions).