5x7

Forest Gnomes

Do you remember making and playing with little peg dolls as a child?  I loved making those little dolls!  I noticed recently that those little Waldorf-style dolls (and the whole Waldorf school of thought that focuses on imagination and creativity) are becoming popular again - here is my interpretation of them!  (though these are a bit more detailed than the ones I made as a child).

These are remarkably easy to make - each forest gnome is created in a single 5x7 hooping, and you have the option to get fancy with a cloak, wings, grass or a different hat in a second 4x4 hooping.  Each finished gnome measures roughly 4" tall (depending on the style - mushroom baby is shorter, flower-head is taller).  No wooden pegs needed - they are stuffed!

In addition to the five gnomes, there are an additional five bonus files to give the gnomes even more flair and variety - some leaves for the base, a cloak, a leafy hat, a leafy collar, and butterfly (or fairy!) wings.

There are four steps involved in creating the dolls:  step 1 - stitch the design; step 2 - stuff the doll; step 3 - hand sew the rest of the base on (3" semi-circle whip stitch - the base is round so the dolls stand up on their own); step 4 - glue on the hat; and it's complete!  

They are low stitch-count at between 3,600 - 6,800 stitches per completed doll, and they use bits of felt up to 5" in size - the one's pictured were made with some regular poly/acrylic felt and some with the nice 20% wool felt.  

The instructions are big - the actual gnomes are easy to create (8 color stops), but with 5 different bodies and 5 different heads and 5 bonus parts, I wanted to make sure every part had clear instructions so you can mix-and-match successfully.

Please note these are machine embroidery in the hoop (ITH) designs, not sewing patterns, and they can only be used with an embroidery machine.