Looking for Spring?

I am really getting tired of winter and am looking for spring.  Spring reminds of flowers and gnomes.....

I stitched these two some time ago, and framed them last summer, but I don't think I ever showed them to you.

The first one is by Sue Hillis.....

The second is by Hinzeit.   I have one more gnome piece to stitch before I hang them up, but there just aren't enough hours in the day to get all the stitching done that I want....

And Yet Agnother Gnome!

This cute little guy was found peaking in the window of my Stitching Room on Easter Sunday, while I was preparing dinner.

He looked so pathetic out in the cold, and since it was going to rain overnight, I had to let him in.

My house is being over run by gnomes, and I have no idea who is sending them to me. No one will admit to it, but everyone is a suspect!

Another Gnome Finish!

I stitched another cute gnome chart the other day. This is by Hinzeit. I have to finish the framing on it, the frame is just laying on top of the piece for the stitching, but you get the idea.

I am going back to stitching my rotation now as I have run out of gnome charts to stitch.

A Stitched Gnome!

Gno gnew gnomes have appeared on my front steps since the second one arrived.

All this thinking about gnomes made me want to stitch this design by Sue Hillis that I have had kitted up for quite some time. It is stitched on 28 count Ice Blue Jubilee with DMC floss.

Agnother Gnome!

A second gnome showed up on my front steps today. Poor little guy was out in the rain, so I brought him and and dried him off. He quickly made friends with the gnome that arrived Tuesday. Still don't gnow who to left the gnomes...there are a gnumber of suspects, but gno one for sure.....

Do You Gnow this Gnome?

First off, I need to mention that I rarely use my front door. I enter the house through the garage most of the time.

The other day, when I came home from work, I noticed something stuck between my doors, so I walked up the walk to the front door. On the way up the stairs, I noticed this little guy standing on the bottom step. I don't think he was there on Saturday, and I found him on Tuesday. So, who left him there? He sure is cute, and I would love to thank whoever left him, so please fess up!

On the Third Day of Christmas.....

....my children gave to me......

Well, it was actually on Christmas Eve, when we exchange gifts. My children gave me this garden sculpture of Alien Gnome Bandits! It is one of the funniest things I have ever gotten, and ranks right up there with the Chia Pet I received from my sister one year!

It is too cute to put out in the garden, so I will have to find a spot for this bit of whimzie in the house somewhere.

Enjoy the season!

Left Behind

Last week, you met Gnorbert, who stowed away in a suitcase full of cross stitch supplies and ended up in Richmond Virginia. If you will recall from that blog entry, there was another gnome that also volunteered for that trip, but there wasn't enough room for him. So he was left behind. Here is his story:

Poor Gnikolaus! He was left behind in Des Plaines, Illinois, when his friend, Gnorbert, went off to the wilds of Virginia. He stood gnear the door waving good bye tearfully as he saw the suitcase being driven off in gnifty gnew car.

Gnow, Gnikolaus is a friendly little guy, he even carries a sign to welcome people, gnomes and animals alike. Seeing this, the homeowner lovingly placed him gnear the front entrance, so that he could meet and greet all that came by. He certainly saw a lot going in the gneighborhood from his vantage point. Although this isn't the heart of the city, it is a rather quiet subdivision, but there is more going on than in a rural area. Every day, Gnikolaus would see the homeowner and the young man who lived in the house go off to work and other activities, and he would cheerfully greet them with his welcome sign upon their return. He also saw many gneighbors walk their dogs past the home but they gnever once threatened Gnikolaus, who remembers the story of poor Gnorman's demise at the hands of such beasts. The gneighborhood children rode their bikes and skateboards and scooters back and forth, other gneighbors waved as the drove their cars past the front garden which he guards.

After a few weeks, the young man who mows the lawn thought that Gnikolaus might be bored standing guard gnear the front door in the same spot all the time, and he started moving him around to different areas of the front gardens. Every week, Gnikolaus had a new place to stand. He stood gnear the pretty yellow flowers, he stood gnear the red roses, he stood gnear the pink roses, he stood gnext to the bushes....the possibilities are endless! He seems to be enjoying his gnew home, and we hope he will be with us for a long time.

Meet Gnorbert!

You may remember my blog entries about Gnorman, the gnoble gnome. Just in case you missed it, please go here to read about him: http://stitching-the-night-away.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html

After Gnorman's demise, the Hillis household was very quiet and gnomeless. The Hillis grandchildren were sad, and the flora and fauna in the gneighborhood were quiet. They all missed their friend Gnorbert. The United Brotherhood of Gnomes had offered a reward for the apprehension and gneutering of the perpetrator, but alas, all leads met a dead end. Travelocity spokesgnome, Roaming Gnome, called a meeting and asked for recommendations. The assembly voted to send another gnome to watch over the Hillis gardens.

Two young gnomes volunteered for the job, and found their way from the Jewel/Osco in Elgin, Illinois, to Des Plaines, Illinois, where they tried to stowaway in a suitcase headed for Richmond, Virginia. Unfortunately, the suitcase was packed full of cross stitch supplies and only one of them would fit. They flipped a gnickle and Gnorbert was the lucky fellow to get the empty gnitch of the suitcase. As luck would have it, he picked just the right suitcase to stow away in. Once the suitcase was opened at it's destination, he found himself right on the Hillis property. He was lovingly placed on the front porch, gnear the front door, so that he could greet visitors and oversee the gardens. He is seated on a mushroom with magic solar panels that light up in the dark, keeping him safe from the wild animals that caused poor Gnorman's demise.

So what happened to the gnome that was left behind? You will have to come back tomorrow to find out!

A Tribute to Gnorman

Because he is missed, Gnorman, the Gnoble Gnome has been imortalised in a cross stitch chart by Sue Hillis. This is just a preview, but as soon as the printed version is released guess who will be stitching it!

Rest in Peace, Gnorman

Gnorman the Gnome began his life at a Menards in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. From there he traveled to Richmond, VA, via USPS (with air holes in the carton) and was lovingly placed among the flowers in the garden of the Hillis home. Family members took great delight in moving him about, so that he could have a change of scenery every so often, much to the annoyance of Sue, who spent a great deal of time looking for Gnorman, thinking he had run off or been gnome-gnapped. He lead a quiet life, with gno worries or cares. He was visited by all of the Hillis grandchildren as well as the wildlife in the area.

Recently Gnorman was found to be missing again, but this time gnone of the family members were guilty of moving him. Sue began stalking her letter carrier, thinking a ransom gnote would be sent soon. That ransom gnote gnever came.

I received the following message from Sue today: I am sorry to tell you of the demise of our friend Gnorman...we found him in the woods a few days ago with bite marks on his head and other parts of his anatomy...I am thinking a dog must have had his way with Gnorm...hopefully he lost consciousness early in the assault and was gnot awake for the entire experience. We will have quiet ceremony, and he'll be buried on the corner that we use as a memorial garden for Panzer, Maggie, Puddles, Jammer, and gnow, Gnorman...

Goodbye Gnorman, you were a gnoble gnome! You will gnever gnow how much you will be missed.


Update: In a statement released from the Roaming Gnome, Travelocity spokesgnome, Roaming Gnome stated that he was saddened to hear of Gnorman's demise. "He was more than just a cousin, he was a dear friend." Roaming Gnome went on to say that he would have gladly paid any ransom asked for to return Gnorman to his home.
Local authorities continue to look into Gnorman's demise and have questioned area dogs and have cast tooth prints in plaster in attempts to match the fatal bite marks. The public is asked to beware of dogs absconding with beloved gnomes. A reward by the United Brotherhood of Gnomes has been offered for any information leading to the apprehension and gneutering of the offending dog.



Sue was comforted by all the gneighborhood gnomes that attended the burial. We didn't gnow he had so many friends!