My little sister in law and her husband recently bought a new house.  I was so excited for them and wanted to make them something special for their housewarming gift, something that really celebrated their new home.  I decided to try making a “house in a hoop” for them.

I printed a picture she emailed and used it as pattern pieces for the house.  Breaking it down to its most basic elements, I cut separate pieces of felt for the roof, main house sections, windows, shutters and so on.

I was reminded yet again that simpler is usually better.  Those windows would have looked a lot better if I’d fussed with them less.  Oh, well.

I free handed a wobbly arc of sky and grass and stitched them to my plain cotton background fabric.  This is handmade, remember, and the imperfections only add to the charm.  (I repeat this to myself quite often away from crafting, too – life is a little easier to take when the flaws are just a part of the charm.)

Since the plants were dormant in the photo I had, I took liberties with the landscaping and added French knot flowers wherever I liked.  I simplified the landscaping as well, cutting down on the number of bushes.

Ugh – wonky lines in the sidewalk!  All a part of the charm, right?

All that empty green at the bottom of the hoop felt like a challenge.  I considered trying to create a little felt replica of their doggie in the yard, then figured it would be hard enough just to stitch their name in the grass.  Thankfully I kept it reasonably centered and straight.

And with that done, I decided to quit while I was ahead.  If you make a house hoop of your own, I’d love to see it!