Merry Humbug May: Ghost of Christmas Past!

If you are participating in my Merry Humbug challenge, your May assignment is the Ghost of Christmas Past! This strange spirit is the third ornament pattern in my Ebenezer series. Merry Humbug is a challenge for folks who are ready to tackle my intermediate level patterns, so you should have some mmmakin’ experience under your belts before you begin. (If you have completed my Twelve Days series, you are ready!) I have to say though, this ornament is not as complex as Mr Marley, so you can relax a little!

MALE OR FEMALE?
It’s a bit hard to tell from his long hair and flowery tunic, but Dickens wrote this as a male spirit. He describes him as a candle-like, shape-shifting youth/old man with long, white hair and blooming cheeks, wearing a flowered white tunic and golden belt and carrying a snuffer and holly. However, many productions cast this spirit as a woman, so I’ve provided a list of tips at the end of the pattern for converting yours to a female, if you like!

Add a photo of your completed spirits in the comments of the pinned May Facebook post, or tag your Instagram post with @mmmcrafts and #merryhumbugchallenge to share your mmmakes! (Please, no photos or videos of my pattern pages.) Listen, as much as I’d like to, I can’t sew along with you. I’m up to my eyeballs with my new pattern and Lydia’s TDITM set, but I’ll cheer you on!

PLAN YOUR COLORS:
For the Ebenezer series color guides, I used two wool-blend color palettes, both from Benzie Design: Victorian and Modern Pastel. Links to buy felt bundles will be with the individual guides. And of course, if those colors are not your jam, choose your own! Use the color planner to help you stay organized. And here’s a helpful cheat for creating your own color schemes.

HEAD TUTORIAL: Please review this helpful tutorial for making faces, then follow the detailed instructions for the ghost’s head, which are included in the pattern. You’ll have fun making his embroidery floss wig!

NOTE: You’ll need white floral wire and round beads to construct his holly staff, and a metallic chenille stem for his crown. The embroidery and beading on his tunic are really the star of the show, and using metallic wool felt for the snuffer adds some glam. If you have trouble sourcing any notions or tools required, Benzie Design stocks a good bit! They are awesome. If you are outside the US, check here.

SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
PATTERN: mmmcrafts.etsy.com
COLOR GUIDES with links to vendor kits