Fergus the Gnome – Tips and Tricks for Stitching

October 7, 2025October 12, 2025 Karen BrownLeave a comment

Hand-stitched wool felt Fergus the Gnome decorated with a die cut lemon and flowers in teal, aqua, yellow, lavender, and pink Two photos: one of the front and a second showing the back.

Meet Fergus the Gnome—Spellbinders’ newest Felt Décor project! Fergus is a hand-stitched wool felt doll with endless opportunities for personalization. Using high-quality merino wool felt, I created my own version: a cheerful Lemon Gnome, decorated with citrus and flowers.

the front of hand-stitched merino wool felt Fergus the Gnome decorated with a die cut lemon and flowers in teal, aqua, yellow, lavender, and pink

✂️ Why Wool Felt?

I’ve tried different felts in the past, but they sometimes frayed or stretched, leaving me frustrated. Merino wool felt cuts beautifully with Spellbinders dies and keeps its shape. For this project, I used my Platinum 6 Die Cutting System + felt from the Trend and Holiday Collections—smooth, sturdy, and vibrant.

🍋 My Lemon Gnome

The back of Fergus the Lemon Gnome's coat and hat with all the embellishments.

Fergus can be customized with accessory kits or your own creativity. I decided to make a “Lemon Gnome” using the Citrus Spritz dies:

A die cut lemon + layered flowers for front and back
Teal, aqua, and white wool felt for Fergus himself
Yellow, lavender, and pink flowers for accents

To add personality, I stitched:

Blanket stitching along Fergus’s giant hat brim and coat edges
Running stitches for construction
I stitched with 3 strands of embroidery floss, pulling up, not sideways, to keep the felt smooth.

🧵 Stitching & Assembly

Process photo showing me handstitch Fergus the Gnomes felt hat.

LINK to multiple YouTube Fergus Instruction Videos
Stitches used: running stitch + blanket stitch. I used three strands of DMC floss.
Accessories: Fergus has two coordinating accessories die sets, but I used one of my favorite die sets, Citrus Spritz. Use your favorite dies to personalize your gnomes.
Die cutting: use a regular sandwich in your machine; Spellbinders Platinum 6 dies cut felt beautifully
Stitching: For my Fergus running stitch assembly, I used floss the same color as the felt. For the decorative blanket stitching, I used chocolate brown floss, which contrasted nicely with the teal and aqua felt.
Stuffing: I used cotton fiber filling for the stuffing and then added uncooked rice to the bottom of the gnome’s body to add ballast. I inserted about an inch of rice right before I stitched on the base.
Assembly: Bearly Art Glue worked great for securing embellishments and components. I used a generous amount. I also cut a little triangle from deli paper and inserted inside the coat prior to gluing (see photo 2 down). This kept the glue from seeping to the other side.
Tip: keep floss taut, not tight, for smooth edges

You build Fergus piece by piece—hat, coat, nose, accessories—and then assemble him. He’s adorable, sturdy, and so fun to make.

Process photo showing die cut felt lemon and flowers ready to be attached to Fergus the Gnome

📸 Organization Process Photo

I used my Stash Stax to keep me organized while I created Fergus.

Process photo showing die cut felt Fergus the Gnome in my to the front of Fergus the Gnome in my Stash Stax organizer.

Giftable & Customizable

You can decorate Fergus for any season, occasion, or holiday. Imagine Christmas gnomes, Valentine’s gnomes, Easter gnomes, or even citrusy summer gnomes like mine. They make unique gifts, handmade keepsakes, or cheerful décor.

Spellbinders | Lovely Lemons: Die Cutting, Ink Blending & a Touch of Gold

June 10, 2025December 10, 2025 Karen Brown12 Comments

Today I’m sharing a bright and cheerful card that was pure joy to create—inspired by my three beloved Meyer lemon trees! I’ve cared for these trees for over 15 years, and each winter they gift me with sunny, fragrant lemons. As I wait for this year’s green fruit to ripen, I crafted a lemon-themed card that celebrates the zest of life and all things citrus.

Key Products:

🍋 The Card Details:

This design features two Citrus Spritz die cut lemons, softly ink blended for dimension and realism, along with a few complementary die cut leaves and tiny blossoms.

The background uses the Script Text BetterPress Plate, inked up in Hydrangea BetterPress Ink. I used a simple oval mask while pressing, to keep the impression focused and centered. I then die cut the panel using a Scalloped Oval die from the Scalloped and Stitched Ovals Die Set. You can find step-by-step instructions in my recent blog post.

For the sentiment, I went for a touch of European flair with “Ciao Bella” from the La Dolce Vita BetterPress Plates. But instead of pressing, I used my Glimmer Hot Foil System to gold foil the plate. I love that the BetterPress plates can pull double duty as hot foil plates! This is a quick and easy way to make LOTS of sentiments at once.

The finished card is matted on a vivid blue cardstock that picks up on the hydrangea tones in the background. The result? Fresh, bright, and irresistibly cheerful.

📷 Behind the Scenes:

I am also sharing a process photo showing how I organize my die cuts using the Spellbinders lidded Combo Craft Stax Tray Set. It’s a game-changer for assembly!

And here is a photo of one of my Meyer Lemon Trees. The lemons are green now, but come November, they will ripen into lovely fragrant yellow fruit perfect for cooking.

📌 Related Inspiration:

Interested in learning more? Read my 9 Tips, Tricks and Insights into Spellbinders BetterPress Machine.
Want to see how I used the same BetterPress masking technique in a previous project with a mixed media vibe? Click HERE to check it out.

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Ink Blending for Summertime

June 23, 2018 Karen Brown4 Comments

I was in the mood to do some ink blending and this fruit collection (Create a Smile Fruit Salad) was calling to me. This is such a fun summery stamp set and I wanted bright bold colors.

I started by embossing 5 fruit images and then used distress inks to blend from pink (watermelon) to orange, yellow (lemons and bananas) and ended with green for a nice citrusy lime. I wanted contrast so I mounted the fruit band on white cardstock then drew two black Sharpie lines to frame the colors. Lastly, I mounted the card top on a black base.