Christmas in July
Christmas is always in season here
No matter when you stitch, you'll find we keep the Christmas buttons and pins in stock year round. In fact, on any particular day my clay desk is likely covered with an assortment of jack-o-lanterns, holly leaves, bumblebees and sunflowers. So when someone mentions it's time for Christmas in July, it takes me a minute to comprehend. Isn't it Christmas every day?
Here's my latest July finish--re-working a favorite button-y project from Christmas 2026. The pattern is Peppermint Folk Santa.
Last year we transformed a stash of gorgeous Week's Dye Works Seafoam Houndstooth felted wool into Peppermint Folk Santa kits. The kits sold quickly--and so did the second batch, so we update our website to list a bunch of shops that sell this beautiful wool. We also heard from a few people that they wanted to make the Santa from wool-felt instead, but they needed tips for adjusting the pattern to the different material.
Felted Wool vs. Wool-Felt--in case you're unsure of the difference
Craftspeople transform lengths of woven wool into felted wool with a process that tightens the fibers into a layer that doesn't fray. If you look closely at felted wool, you can see the original threads from the woven wool. Felted wool is often sold by the yard, fat-quarter or in bundles.
Felt is made by pressing fibers together--no weaving. When felt is made from wool fibers or a wool fiber blend, the result is a beautiful soft material that also doesn't fray. Usually felt is sold in sheets. For needlework projects, look for quality felt made with wool fibers--thus wool-felt.
Why choose one over the other? It's entirely personal preference. I wanted to make Peppermint Folk Santa with a woven houndstooth ... woven ... thus felted wool. If you prefer wool-felt, perhaps it's because of availability or lower price. I love it as well especially for small pieces and have found it's available in a huge variety of colors.
The woven fibers of felted wool are pliable so they stretch more as you add stuffing. The bodies of these two Peppermint Folk Santas are cut from the same pattern. After stuffing, the felted wool Santa measures about 16" tall. The wool-felt Santa measures 14.5". The buttons and pins look perfect on both finished pincushions, but we found that by reducing the white & pink pattern pieces to 90% of the original size, the wool-felt pieces fit better on the shorter wool-felt body.
What's all this got to do with Christmas in July?
I'm so glad you asked!
For all of you stitchers getting a head start on your holiday projects, the pattern for Peppermint Folk Santa is now available with a separate pattern page for making the Santa from wool-felt. (If you already have the pattern and need the second pattern page, email us).
AND...
For a limited time, the Seafoam Houndstooth felted wool Santa kits are back in stock--but they won't last long!
If you want to make either Santa, check the supply list below.
Supply List
P1099 Peppermint Santa Pincushion pattern
WOOL:
Hand-dyed felted wool from Weeks Dye Works: Seafoam Houndstooth (need 18" length), Snow Cream, Sweetheart Pink, Begonia
OR
Wool-felt from The Felt Pod (on Etsy): Mint N Chip (need 18" length), White, Coral Pink, Baby Pink
Happy Christmas in July!
