Ho Ho Ho - 11/10/25

November 10, 2025--Here's a cute little project designed by Toni Gerdes called Ho Ho Ho.  It was offered through Shining Needle Society in June, and I started the stitching last month.   For a small project, it had its challenges, but with Toni's perfect instructions, I was able to manage nicely.  The only issue I have is with the color of the buttons--I think they are too light, almost orange.  Maybe the thread should have been lighter to match the buttons. Oh well, it will still make a fun holiday display piece.

Ho Ho Ho Completed

About the buttons--Toni sells these with predrilled holes to fill with any kind of stitch.  For this project, we used Jean Hilton stitches.

Santa Gnome - Updated 10/15/24

October 15, 2024--Ta da--Done.   I really dragged my feet on finishing the beard--had to make a twisted cord and couch it down (one of my least favorite things to do), then stitch up the holly leaf with long and short randomly placed stitches inside a floral wire wrapped in buttonhole stitch around the edge.  Whew.  Once the leaf was done, the canvas had to be cut away.  Fortunately, Janet, the designer, gave us a green waterproof Sharpie to color the bits of white canvas that poked through the stitching.  She also gave us some glue to smear over the back of the leaf to keep anything from coming undone.  Very thoughtful.

Now it's being placed in a pile with my other Janet Zickler Casey designed santas to be made into ornaments someday (there are now 19 of them stitched up).

Santa Gnome Completed

October 5, 2024--Here's an update on what's stitched to date.  All that's left is to make a thin twisted cord to place in the beard's groove and stitch up a stump work holly leaf.  

Santa Gnome Progress to Date

Santa Gnome Stump work Holly Leaf to Stitch

May 28, 2024--Started working on Janet Zickler Casey's 2021 Santa Gnome which has plenty of challenges in the diagonal plaid hat, beard and attached holly leaf.  Here's my progress to date:

Santa Gnome Progress to Date