Garden Gnome with Daisy & Hedgehog Embroidery Design, Instant Download

Ive sold a bunch of these whimsical gnome scenes and this one picks up more orders than the others, probably because of the hedgehog. One customer asked me last spring if I had a version without the bee, which I dont, but honestly the bee is why the top of the design has that height. The gnome is the star -- green striped hat, long white beard, little wooden bead nose -- but its the spiky fella at his feet that people comment on. The quill texture is done with short radial stitches so it reads as pointy rather than just a blob. Spring pallette, pastel-friendly colours, looks gorgeous on light fabrics. Good detail for the stitch count.

Theres 13 colours in this one, 12 changes, so plan your thread order before you start. The palette runs through two shades of green for the hat, soft peach and flesh tones for the face and hands, orange and dark red for accents, warm browns for the acorns, and black and white for the petals and that long gnome beard. Hoop with a cutaway stabiliser on anything knit or stretchy. On a sturdy cotton canvas tearaway holds well at the larger sizes. Five sizes from 2.57 to 5.5 inches wide, stitch counts 21,440 up to 56,662 -- the biggest size takes a while but the result is dense and crisp.

And because the design is tall rather than wide -- 3.5 up to 7.5 inches in height -- it suits a bag front panel or the chest of a shirt better than a wide design would. Use a sharp 75/11 needle on quilting cotton. Slow your machine down a little through the white satin sections, its tight fill.

Best on springtime tote bags, childs birthday gifts, garden themed cushions, and seasonal tea towels. Pop a light tearaway under the fabric before hooping the tote canvas -- it keeps the stitches from pulling through. The 3.5 inch version works nicely on a shirt pocket if you want something smaller.