Needlepoint hot air Santa

August 17, 2009 9:31 PM

Help my mother complete this needlepoint kit, sans instructions.

When my great-aunt died, my mom inherited her unfinished sewing projects, including a needlepoint, which is supposed to be Santa in a hot air balloon. See images here and here.

We can tell it's a kit because the canvas is preprinted. However we have no instructions and thus can't figure out how to finish it. If we could find another copy of the kit or even a picture of the finished product, we could likely figure it out.

Any other suggestions welcome- the main thing we're confused about is how to connect everything together.

posted by nat to grab bag (11 comments total)

Here are some other samples of similar completed projects. Maybe something like this would work?

Scroll about halfway down.

posted by SLC Mom at 9:39 PM on August 17

Unfortunately, that kit isn't similar in construction method; it looks like those balloons are created from one strip with points that are sewn together to create the top and bottom of the balloon.

The kit we have just has two pieces for the balloon, so we can't tell if it's supposed to form a sphere somehow,or maybe have flat sides, or who knows.
posted by nat at 9:51 PM on August 17

I'd probably take my cues from SLC Mom's example, although it is weird that you'd end up with a mostly 2-dimensional balloon and a fully 3-dimensional basket. I guess you could try stuffing a ton of batting into the balloon and see how round you can get it.

Given his proportions, it looks like Santa might supposed to be separate, as in, just let him sit in the basket instead of stitching him into the basket, but I'm not sure. The geometry of this kit is causing my brain to go hurty.
posted by Diagonalize at 10:02 PM on August 17

I think that the balloon and Santa are two-dimensional. You probably cut out the pieces about 1/2 inch or so outside the needlepointed part (the Santa needs to be completed), and sew the two sides together right-side in, flip over and stuff a bit with some poly fill. The basket looks like it's supposed to be a cylinder - the brown rectangle being the sides the the brown circle the bottom. You probaby stick the Santa's body into the open top of the cylinder and sew him in. (His body may need a bit more filling than his head to fit nicely in the basket.) There might have been some decorative cord or something attaching the balloon to the Santa/basket, or you could try just attaching the balloon to the top of Santa's head. You'll need a loop or something at the top of the balloon so you can hang it on a wall or use as a tree decoration.

Actually, if you look at the picture nat linked to, you can sort of see that the balloon there is just two pieces sewn together too, so you could definitely use that as a reference.
posted by thread_makimaki at 10:10 PM on August 17 [1 favorite has favorites]

er sorry, the photo SLC Mom linked to I meant!
posted by thread_makimaki at 10:11 PM on August 17

Little basket containing Santa, hanging from the balloon. So the balloon is flat but the basket is 3D. There are worse things!
posted by illenion at 10:16 PM on August 17

Finish santa's jackets, hat bobble and the brown oblong.

Cut them out. (Leave an edge to sew it together.)

Balloons go together, right sides both facing out.
Do the same with santa.

Brown circle goes right side down on your desk.
Make brown oblong into a tube right side facing out.
Attach the circle to one end.
Throw santa in the other and then string the balloon to it.

Might need some stuffing...?

*Right side = the pretty looking side.
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 10:16 PM on August 17

well with out instructions I'd just wing it.

how I'd complete it:

finish the needle point by filling in the colors

sandwich the balloon slip stitch together
If you want a more 3d balloon stuff it with a little cotton

join the short ends of the long rectangle forming the basket

slip stitch the round bottom to the basket

sandwich Santa and stitch around the edges

tie two equal length pieces of yarn from the balloon to the basket ( or however many is needed to make a stable basket for Santa)

insert Santa
posted by ljesse at 10:25 PM on August 17

Perhaps this is flat on the underside to be hung on a door? Back in the 90s, everyone had decorated front doors. If the second pic is the whole thing, then the basket bottom looks like a half circle to me, so flat side towards the door.
posted by x46 at 1:14 AM on August 18

I think X46 is right - if that's really just a semi-circle then you make a half-cylinder with the bottom of the rectangle sewn to the curved edge of the semi-circle, and it hangs mostly-flat against the wall or a door.
posted by muddgirl at 5:30 AM on August 18

SLC Mom has got it.
posted by battlecj at 8:17 AM on August 18