Christmas Gnome Embroidery Pattern: Free Beginner Hoop

Size: design about 4.2 x 4.2 in (11 x 11 cm), for a 6 in (15 cm) hoop

Fabric: a 10 x 10 in (25 x 25 cm) square of cream or natural linen or linen-cotton, washed and pressed

Threads: DMC 6-strand embroidery floss, one skein of each colour; use 2 strands throughout. Lengths are the 2-strand thread you stitch with, with spare, cut in 18 in (45 cm) pieces:

- DMC 321 Red: about 51 in (130 cm)

- DMC 414 Dark Steel Gray: about 51 in (130 cm)

- DMC 352 Light Coral: about 9 in (23 cm)

- DMC BLANC White: about 14 in (36 cm)

- DMC 699 Green: about 6 in (15 cm)

- DMC 729 Medium Old Gold: about 13 in (33 cm)

Notions: 6 in embroidery hoop, size 7 embroidery needle, water-soluble fabric pen or a light pencil, scissors

Stitches: running stitch, backstitch, straight stitch, detached chain (lazy daisy), French knot

Transfer

Print the template page at 100% (actual size) and measure the 1 in scale square; if it is not exactly 1 in, check the print setting. Tape the template to a window, centre the fabric over it and trace the hat, the brim, the pompom, the nose, the beard and its strands, the moustache, the holly leaves and berries, the stars and the ring with the pen.

Put the fabric in the hoop so it is drum tight, with the screw at the top.

Stitch guide

Running stitch: Bring the needle up on the line, go down 1/8 in further along, come up again 1/16 in on, and repeat, so you get even dashes with gaps between them.

Backstitch: Bring the needle up one stitch length along the line, go down at the start of the line, then come up one stitch length ahead of your last stitch and go back down into the end of it, so the stitches touch.

Straight stitch: One single stitch: come up at the inner end of the line and go down at the outer end, keeping the thread smooth and not too tight so it lies flat.

Detached chain: Also called lazy daisy. Come up at the base of the petal, go back down in the same hole leaving a loop, come up at the tip of the petal inside the loop, and go down just outside the loop to tack it in place.

French knot: Come up where the knot goes, wrap the thread twice around the needle, hold the wraps snug with your other hand, and go down right next to where you came up, pulling the thread through slowly.

Order of work

1. Stitch the dotted red ring around the design in running stitch. DMC 321, 2 strands.
2. Backstitch the hat in red in one line: from the left end of the brim up to the tip, which bends over to the right, and back down to the right end of the brim; leave the inside unstitched. DMC 321, 2 strands.
3. Backstitch the brim in grey as one long rounded band across the bottom of the hat, all the way round. DMC 414, 2 strands.
4. Work five white French knots in a small cluster on the tip of the hat for the pompom. DMC BLANC, 2 strands.
5. Backstitch the round nose in coral, just under the middle of the brim. DMC 352, 2 strands.
6. Backstitch the beard outline in grey in one line: from the left end of the brim down and round to the point under the chin and back up to the right end of the brim; the fabric inside is the white beard. DMC 414, 2 strands.
7. Backstitch three short grey strand lines inside the beard: one down the middle and one curving down on each side. DMC 414, 2 strands.
8. Work the moustache as two grey detached chains (lazy daisies), each starting under the nose and pointing out and a little down. DMC 414, 2 strands.
9. On the front of the hat, work two small green detached chains for the holly leaves, one pointing left and one pointing right. DMC 699, 2 strands.
10. Add three red French knots where the two leaves meet for the holly berries: two side by side and one just above them. DMC 321, 2 strands.
11. Work each of the four stars as six gold straight stitches out from one centre point (24 stitches). DMC 729, 2 strands.

Finishing

1. Rinse the fabric in cool water to remove the pen lines, roll it in a towel and press it face down on a soft towel.
2. Put it back in the hoop centred, tighten the screw, and trim the fabric to 1 in outside the hoop.
3. Run a running stitch around that edge, pull it up at the back like a drawstring, and tie off.

Counts: 43 running stitch dashes in the ring, 1 backstitched red hat, 1 backstitched grey brim, 5 French-knot pompom knots, 1 backstitched coral nose, 1 backstitched grey beard outline and 3 beard strand lines, 2 lazy-daisy moustache halves, 2 lazy-daisy holly leaves, 3 French-knot berries, and 4 stars of 6 straight stitches each (24).