The Old Farmhouse Gathering: The Gnome Home Tutorial by Baggaraggs

Ok Class, take your seats...Not PICK your Seats...(giggle)

Today we will work on making a Traditional Gnome Home Gift Envelope from those Trusty Paper bags you painted some days ago...RIGHT!!!!
These Colors are, I think, Typical for the Gnomes that Live at the Baggaraggs, I think I might have an Alpine group of them, since they seem to go for a Swiss Look, and I can hear periodic Yodeling...
So we started with a green painted Grocery bag. Pictured here with my Trusty PINKERS:

I cut out a shape that I felt would be slightly longer then what I wanted because the back part of the house will be cut so the front part of the house can form a closure lip. I know that sounds complicated but I took a PHOTO and I will show that part to you in just a minute.

HOLD YOUR HORSES!!!

Here is the house shape I cut. EYEBALL IT. For those of you who do not wish to EYEBALL It, The house is 12 inches tall and about 6.2 inches wide.

Ok. NOW, we will cut a piece off the bottom of the back of the HOUSE. Like this:

here is what the Back looks like folded up. It would be better if my photos didn't SUCK but...I am trying my best. FOLD That Bottom Part back, so that it makes the LIP of the envelope. The crease will be the line where your Door will be situated.

Now the Wild Rumpus STARTS...Begin to sew on your embellishments with the largest pieces first. I started with a Polka-dot taffeta Gable. AGAIN use a ZIG-ZAG or satin Stitch. a Straight stitch will cut the paper.

Build your gable and doorway as you see fit.

I put a piece of vintage netting over the finished gable with sparkles inside. I would actually not suggest the sparkles or GLITTER as the Net did not secure them and they delivered their magic onto me at intervals...spilling out little bits of silver stars...I did also put a vintage stamp there in the gable, and The Gnomes said that was alright...the Stamp is from Bulgaria, and one of them has a sister from there.

Make your Doorway

as the actual door and some vintage lace as a door frame.

I also added some Bricks to the side of the walls.
You can see there that the door is not situated on the bottom of the house. Its because that Bottom part gets folded backward to make the closure of the envelope.
At the Bottom of the front of your HOUSE, sew your seam binding on the raw edge of the lip of the envelope. DOWN at the bottom where it will be folded backward.

Here it is sewn on and folded to the back. Set your Grommet now and sew on a button to the back of the house where your string can close the envelope securely. It looks like this on mine:

Now...sew your One side seam, beginning with the roof and down the side.

Sew down to the bottom of the wall of the house but STOP when you reach the part that folds over.

Iron it. You can cover it with a dish towel if you want to protect your IRON. Make sure that the Lip is folded backward on the bottom. I added a tag and a rusted bell at the roof. Gnomes are just crazy about BELLS. My tag says Dear Santa, so this envelope could hold the secret wishes of That part of your self that is and always will be a Child.