Getting ready for Winter...

I thought that my next project should really be one that I could use to decorate my house when the Winter arrives which, I think it did last night as, I woke to my garden here looking like this:

I like to change decorations depending on the season.  I was also keen to make another embroidery hoop art project.  This idea surfaced as a result of various hoop art images I have seen on the internet.

I started by piecing together the background fabrics.  I placed and fused the appliqué snowman onto the background and then traced through (using the window as a light source) the lines to be embroidered.  I backed the panel of fabric I had made with a lightweight fusible interfacing and then got to work with the stitching.  The snowman appliqué was finished with a buttonhole stitch.  His arms were embroidered using several lines of back stitch which I also used for the lettering.  I added a few french knots, cross stitches and buttons for decoration.  Then I hooped it up and finished off the back as I have described previously.  I think he looks cute and I'm looking forward to adding him to my other Winter decorations.