OhSewCrafty Blog

• Pattern(s) by Mill Hill Christmas Village series
• Materials: 28 ct stormy grey jobelan, DMC & MH beads & buttons as kitted, Kreinik #4 braid
• Size: Firehouse is ~ 5″ x 5″, Overall, 24″ x 19″
• Time to stitch: 6 days for Firehouse, 79 days overall

At long last, since I started collecting the kits in 2016, I present my finished Mill Hill Christmas Village!  This project grew from seeing on social media dozens of LHN Santa Village, Gingerbread Village, etc and wanting something similar, but more my aesthetic.  Hence I collected kits from the Mill Hill Christmas Village collection, kitted with perforated paper, and decided to stitch them together on fabric with a snowflake border.  I did the snowflakes in Kreinik #4 color 032 (pearl) because the kits are heavily beaded and sparkly Kreinik fits the aesthetic, in my opinion. 

Firehouse was a quick stitch, but I dallied because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye… I’ve worked on this piece for a few days almost every month since I started in January 2017.  Finishing certainly leaves a hole in my rotation, I’m down to 7 wips. My kid was 2 when I started and now he’s 5.  I always like big projects but this one is seriously a BAP.  

I think Firehouse turned out really cute with the brickwork, lanterns, gold bell uptairs, and the vintage fire wagon.  The beading was extensive, 9 colors and most are petite (attached with a full cross).  The chart includes a brown tree above the building but I left it out because I felt it was unecessary and a bit too dense, close to the row above.  The button is a cute wreath.  

Needlework Shoppe also deserves a close up since I never published a happy dance blog post for it, since it technically was not finished until July 3rd when I sewed on the dark green beads in the trees (about 100 of them) and button, of course.  I stitched this with a pattern given by a friend so I kitted it up myself and did not acquire those supplies until recently. I love the colors (green is my favorite color) and the sign with the yarn bowl is adorable. I also like the bay window.  In general, I love how backstitching is used on all the buildings, sparingly but to great effect.  I just love the snowman button, too.

Speaking of buttons, I’ll post some closer up pics so you can see the buttons on each.   My favorites on the top left (clockwise: Tree Farm, Toy Shop, General Store, Apothecary) are the lantern with candle on the left edge, and I love the peppermint candy button on the General Store, candy being my favorite thing at general stores from childhood.

On the top right (clockwise: Bookseller, Needlework Shoppe, Village Bakery, St. Nicolas Cathedral), I think the gingerbread man on the bakery sign is perfect, and the yellow star button pops next to the white cathedral.  

On the bottom left (Queen Anne House, Palace Theatre), both buildings have tree buttons, kind of boring, but perhaps appropriate since it’s at the edge of the village.

On the bottom right (Post Office, Firehouse), I like the wreath button best, I think it’s a lovely complement to the wreath made of beadwork on the second story between the windows.  

My favorite is definitely the St. Nic cathedral.  It is almost completely beaded with lovely crystal beads that shimmer even in the lowest light.  The stained glass windows in several shades of Kreinik are gorgeous.  I love them all, and couldn’t be more pleased with this project.  Mill Hill continues to release new kits in the series each year, but I think my village has all the critical elements, and it’s certainly complete.  As for full finishing, I’d love to do a wall hanging.  What I want most of all is for the textural beauty (buttons, beads) to show to full advantage and that won’t happen behind glass.   A frame would be huge and pricy, but we’ll see.