Six Geese a-Laying ITH Ornament Machine Embroidery Design - 3 Sizes

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Six Geese a-Laying ITH Ornament Machine Embroidery Design turns the sixth gift from The Twelve Days of Christmas into a flat felt decoration made in the hoop. A white baroque goose sits beside a blue egg, framed by a red neck curve, a silver-gray wing and curling green foliage.

This is a straightforward raw-edge ITH project. The placement line, front-piece tackdown, decorative embroidery and final assembly seam are already programmed. There is no turning, stuffing or hand-sewn opening.

Exact Sizes, Stitches and Formats

Size: 71.1x78.0 mm (2.80x3.07"), Stitches: 5100
Size: 80.8x88.6 mm (3.18x3.49"), Stitches: 5800
Size: 88.9x97.5 mm (3.50x3.84"), Stitches: 6500

Formats: .dat, .dst, .exp, .hus, .jef, .jef+, .jpx, .pec, .pes, .sew, .vip, .vp3, .vp4, .xxx

The measurements refer to the machine file. The hanging ribbon and an optional bow are not included in the design height. Estimated upper-thread use is approximately 19.36 / 24.00 / 28.14 m.

Design Size and Hoop

Inside the ZIP Download

• one goose-and-egg ornament prepared in three original sizes;
• printable outlines for cutting matching front and back pieces;
• built-in placement, tackdown and final assembly stitches;
• the RPE-3797-fr6 production chart with 10 programmed blocks;
• the machine formats listed above, supplied together in one ZIP archive.

This listing contains digital files only. The finished ornament, felt, ribbon, stabilizer, thread and other physical supplies are not shipped.

How to Make the Ornament in the Hoop

Print the supplied outline at 100% scale and cut two matching pieces from firm, non-fraying craft felt. Hoop one layer of tear-away stabilizer, stitch the placement line and place the front felt piece over the guide.

Open the Illustrated ITH Instructions

Madeira Classic 40 Color Sequence

The RPE-3797-fr6 chart contains 9 shades, 10 programmed blocks and 9 color changes. Madeira 1149 appears twice: block 2 secures the front felt, while block 10 closes the ornament. Keep both blocks in their saved positions.

Use the Madeira number as the main reference when matching thread. For block 10, choose a bobbin thread close to 1149 because the final border remains visible on the back.

Materials for a Crisp Felt Ornament

Three Felt Looks for the Goose and Blue Egg

The background can echo one feature of this particular scene instead of repeating a generic holiday palette. Choose sewable felt 1–1.5 mm thick. For sparkle, look for fine, flat glitter bonded to the felt surface; chunky plastic flakes can catch the presser foot and leave rough needle holes.

Before the full stitch-out, run a few straight stitches through a scrap. Suitable glitter felt behaves like ordinary felt and does not crack around the needle holes. Avoid glitter EVA foam, self-adhesive craft sheets and loose glitter surfaces. Cut the finished edge only after the ornament is out of the hoop.

Easy Tips for a Neat Finish

• One properly hooped layer of tear-away is usually enough with firm craft felt; extra layers can make the edge bulky.
• Check that the felt is smooth before the blue egg block begins so the larger fill area stays flat.
• Do not merge beige blocks 2 and 10. The backing and ribbon are added between them.
• Match the bobbin to the upper thread for block 10 if you want a clean-looking reverse side.
• When using pinking scissors, leave a narrow, even margin outside the final assembly seam.

The Sixth Day of Christmas

The goose and blue egg represent Six Geese a-Laying, the sixth verse of the traditional Christmas song. The egg makes this character easy to distinguish from the swan ornament that follows on the seventh day.

Hang the finished piece on a Christmas tree or wreath, use it as a fabric gift tag, add it to an Advent calendar or combine all twelve characters in one coordinated holiday garland.

Continue the Twelve Days ITH Collection

Lady Dancing ITH Ornament
3 sizes

Lords a-Leaping ITH Ornament
3 sizes

Christmas Bagpiper ITH Ornament
3 sizes

Christmas Drummer ITH Ornament
3 sizes

Useful Embroidery Pages

• Raw-edge ornaments in-the-hoop instructions
• In-the-hoop machine embroidery designs
• Twelve Days of Christmas machine embroidery designs
• Madeira thread converter
• Online ZIP file extractor

Digital Download and License

After purchase, download the ZIP archive, unzip it and transfer only the format supported by your embroidery machine. Check both dimensions of the selected file against your actual embroidery field before stitching.

You may sell finished physical ornaments made with this design in small quantities. The digital files and printable templates may not be sold, copied, shared, exchanged, gifted or redistributed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which size fits an 80x80 mm hoop?

The 71.1x78.0 mm (2.80x3.07") file fits an 80x80 mm (3x3") hoop or larger. The other two sizes require a 100x100 mm (4x4") hoop or larger.

Why is there a goose and an egg?

The design represents Six Geese a-Laying, the sixth gift in The Twelve Days of Christmas.

What felt gives the cleanest raw edge?

Use firm, evenly made polyester craft felt 1–1.5 mm thick. Matte felt or sewable fine-glitter felt works; avoid adhesive sheets, soft loose felt and EVA foam.

Which stabilizer should I use?

Hoop one layer of Sulky Tear-Easy, OESD Medium Weight TearAway or Madeira Cotton Soft 50 g/m². Firm felt supplies the remaining body.

When do I add the backing and ribbon?

Add them after black block 9 and before beige block 10. The last programmed seam joins both felt pieces and catches the two ribbon ends.

Does the ornament need turning or stuffing?

No. It is a flat raw-edge ITH project. The front and back are joined in the hoop, and the shaped edge remains visible.