One Happy Fiber Artist

Two Girls, Two Techniques, One Happy Maker: Creating Ornaments with Appliqué & Inktense

There’s something undeniably magical about turning a simple line drawing into a keepsake you can hang on your tree. These last few months while in the studio, I had the joy of creating two versions of the same sweet winter girl, each made with a completely different method. And friends… I loved both for totally different reasons.

Ornament with Appliqué + Thread Sketching

For the first ornament, I leaned into my comfort zone; fabric scraps, warm textures, and expressive thread lines.

Using my template (with the help of AI) as a guide, I built her coat, scarf, and hat with small bits of fabric and then brought her to life with thread sketching. If you’ve taken my thread-sketching class, you already know: this is where the magic happens. The lines add movement, personality, and those whimsical details that make the piece feel alive.

I adored watching her hair sweep behind her and the present pop forward with stitched accents. She feels cozy, like a little fabric storybook character.

Ornament Inktense on Fabric

The second version took the same outline but told an entirely different story. Instead of appliqueing fabric shapes, I colored directly onto fabric using Inktense pencils and activated them with a little aloe.

This process is quiet, almost meditative. First I thread sketched the girl so I would know where to put my colors. Then I added the Inktense slowly, layer by layer, and watch the pigment settle into the fibers. Once everything dried, I finished the ornament process.

The result? A vibrant, painterly ornament that feels hand-illustrated, soft, colorful, and full of charm.

What I Loved About Making Both

• With appliqué, you get texture, fabric personality, and tactile depth.

• With Inktense, you get unlimited color play, shading, and painterly softness.

• And with thread sketching, both styles come alive in their own unique way.

It reminded me that there’s no single “right” method to create beautiful fiber art; just different journeys that lead to delightful finished pieces. Whether you’re team Scrappy Appliqué, team Inktense Watercolor, or (like me!) fall somewhere right in the creative middle… both techniques open the door to endless possibilities.

Final Thoughts

Working with the same design in two different ways felt like getting to know two versions of the same sweet character. One turned out cozy and classic, the other bright and whimsical and both were an absolute joy to create.

If you’re curious to try these techniques yourself, stay tuned because I’ll be teaching them on Creative Spark soon

Until then…

Keep playing, keep creating, and let your stitches tell your story.

Angela McPherson