Santa Bear

Taking a break from playing with the toys at the bottom of the rocking horse, I decided to tackle Santa Bear.  First I needed to work some of the rocking horse around him, and succeeded in exhausting my stash of Petite Very Velvet V604, stitched in basketweave.  Never fear--more is on order!

Santa's suit was worked in basketweave with Petite Very Velvet V632, with a belt of DMC #5 perle cotton in a slanted gobelin stitch.  Stitching the white trim on his hat and suit will need to wait until some of the background has been worked.

His body was worked in basketweave with Felicity's Garden "Brown Racoon," with the inside of his ear, muzzle and pad of his paw stitched with brown Burmilana.  His eyes were formed with Smyrna cross stitches using Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #005.  His nose was padded with DMC floss #310 for a higher profile.

The saddle was worked with DMC #5 perle cotton #991 in a horizontal diagonal cashmere stitch.  The strap around his belly used the same thread in alternating vertical rows of tent stitch and slanted gobelin stitch.  I'll wait to stitch the saddle blanket after the rest of the horse's belly is done.