This time of year, peaches and cherries are filling up the farmers marker and roadside stands and in our house we’ve been buying them both by the five-pound bag. And while we’ve been eating as much as we can, I also like to turn some of the fruit into jams and preserves to remind us of the summer months all year long. And once I have my store cupboard stocked with jams, jellies and pie fillings, I start giving them away. Which means I have to have some pretty little jar toppers ready to go for all my fruit gift giving needs. These jar toppers are inspired by old red work and flour sacking embroidery, but instead is done with tone on tone brown thread on burlap sacking.

Things you need:
Burlap Sheets
Embroidery hoop
Embroidery needle
Brown embroidery thread
Fabric Scissors
Thin permanent marker

Things to do:
1. Cut an 8″ square from the burlap. Draw or trace the image of your choice onto the center of the square. If you need inspiration, I suggest any of the Sublime Stitching series!
2. Stretch the fabric in your hoop and cover the outline of your image using either stem stitch or slipstitch. Fill in leaves with satin stitch. Tie off your thread and trim the tail close to the edge of your knots.

3. Using your jar ring as a guide cut a circle about 4″ wider in diameter than the ring with your embroidery in the center.

4. Centering the circle on your jar top, either screw the ring over the fabric or tie around the neck of the jar with a length of ribbon.