Christmas in July.

It’s just a bit overdone, isn’t it?

I know it’s a marketing ploy. And it bugs me in a number of ways, on a number of levels. I like my seasons – and the holidays that go with them – just as they are. I like them to show up when they’re supposed to. And I’m not too keen on the marketing trends that play havoc with them.

The only instance that “Christmas in July” makes any sense to me is when it comes to embroidery and other forms of arts and crafts that require time to develop.

Embroidery, after all, is a slow craft. You can’t just snap your fingers, press a button, and voilá! A hand embroidered gift pops out, ready to deliver.

So, while I tend to be a bit of a cynic who looks askance at “Christmas in July” as just another marketing gimmick, I have to admit that, when it comes to embroidery, thinking ahead to Christmas-in-December while sweating away in July does make sense.

And to that end, for those who want to get ahead on Christmas needlework, here are two ways you can do that…

First, there’s a limited quantity of Holly & Evergreen flour sack towel sets in stock in my shop.

These are three-towel sets. Each towel has one of three (small, medium, and large) holly & evergreen embroidery patterns pre-transferred in the corner of the towel, so that it’s ready to stitch.

You can find information on how I stitched my holly & evergreen towels here. I’ve shared colors and stitches with you, so that you can recreate your own holly & evergreen towels for this coming Christmas!

Twelve Trees for Christmas on Sale

Another fun, Christmassy project (or twelve) can be found in my project & instructional e-book, Twelve Trees for Christmas.

There are many ways you can use these little trees – as ornaments, on household linens (think: one tree on each of twelve cloth napkins for your Christmas table), for Christmas cards, tree skirts, table runners … so many possibilities!

Each tree is worked with simple stitches, using DMC floss. I take you step by step through stitching the tree and through all the stitches used on all the trees. They’re suitable for beginners and beyond, and they’re a great way to learn how to use different embroidery stitches for various types of design elements.

For those who are keen to try stitch the Twelve Trees for Christmas this year, in plenty of time for the holidays, you’ll find it on sale at 15% off right now. Take advantage of it now, as this discount won’t happen again this year!

Seasonal Stitcher?

Lately, I’ve tried to start stitching ahead of the coming season. I’ve always been a seasonal stitcher. If it’s a winter thing, I like to stitch it in the winter or late autumn. An autumn something? You’ll normally find me stitching it at the very end of summer, when I’m yearning for cool, crisp days.

But I’ve started working on some winter embroidery projects as we speak, to try to get ahead of the seasons this year.

What about you? Are you a seasonal stitcher, or do you like to stitch ahead for the upcoming seasons? Do you do anything in particular to put yourself in the mood for stitching winter things in summer, or visa-versa? Even if the seasons are the opposite where you live, do you find it difficult to stitch something for summer in winter or for winter in summer? I’d love to hear your input on the subject! Feel free to join the conversation below!