Helloooo from my Studio…

Hi Reader!

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Good heavens—it’s been awhile since I’ve dropped into your inbox to say hello! Between running my “day business” of graphic design, spending time with family (gotta see those grands and great-grands), and other life stuff that’s come up lately, I’ve barely been squeaking in my passion project of hand embroidery.

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Are you feeling the same kind of overwhelm? I’ve been itching to get the rest of my Cookie Cutter Collection of holiday embroidery designs out to you now. I’m one of those folks who loves that dopamine hit of instant gratification. LOL. ;-)

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Well—you’re in for a treat. I may not have all of the designs ready just yet, but I do have a couple you can stitch right now, and a sneak peek of what’s coming soon! Woohoo!!

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Warning—This is more like a newsletter today and a bit long. Sections include:

1. The Holiday Bell Ornament
2. The Santa Star Ornament
3. A Little Back Story
4. Behind the Scenes: My Studio This Week (+Sneak Peek)
5. So… When Can You Get These Designs?
6. About the Elf Ornament Workshop Replay

✨ The Santa Star

This little Santa has been around the longest. I designed him back in 2002 as a gift for my Dad. (I know because I stitched the year on the back!) That was right after I’d closed my brick-and-mortar needlework store, and I was craving some peaceful stitching time.

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My dad and I used to make ornaments together when I was a kid, so this one holds a lot of heart. I’ve always loved Santa ornaments—glass, wood, stitched, you name it—and this design became my way to keep that magic alive. The star shape just felt joyful and fun, and when I added some rayon ric rac from my stash around the edge, the sheen gave off the perfect sparkle that catches Christmas lights so beautifully.

🔔 The Holiday Bell

The Holiday Bell takes me right back to my childhood. My mom had a silver bell decoration from the 1960s that played “Silver Bells” when you pulled the little string. She’d hang it in the doorway between the entry hall and the dining room, complete with mistletoe. I used to ask Mom to pull that string every single time I passed through. For little 5- year-old me, that sound was pure Christmas magic.

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🎄 A Little Back Story

These ornaments are called the Cookie Cutter Collection because, quite literally, I used my favorite cookie cutters as inspiration. It started one year when I saw a tree decorated with cookie cutters tied up with ribbon. That sparked the idea: what if I illustrated what those cookie cutters would look like as characters?

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And so, each design began as a playful sketch that I later stitched in traditional Redwork embroidery style.

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I love showing alternative ways to use my designs—especially for families who want to craft together. If your kids are too young (or too wiggly!) to embroider, they can color in the designs with crayons, colored pencils, or markers.

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Each pattern includes:

• A full-size embroidery design and stitch guide,
• A bonus page with multiple outlines you can print and color, cut out, and hang as ornaments,
• And a second page with smaller outlines—perfect for making gift tags.

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It’s a lovely way to add personal touches and include the kids in the holiday magic.

🧵 Behind the Scenes:
My Studio This Week (+Sneak Peek)

Okay—now for even more fun! Here’s what I’ve been working on lately: a full suite of twelve ornaments in this year’s collection—a whole dozen of holiday cheer!

I’ve been experimenting with different mediums, too. Some I drew in classic red line style using my light board to trace directly onto Arches 140 lb. Hot Press watercolor paper.

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For those who like the details, I used a Tombow Dual Brush Pen in Primary Red (#847)—the pointy end, not the brush end!

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This technique is a simple way to create instant ornaments for anyone short on time or attention span—ha!—and it gives the same nostalgic Redwork feel on crafty paper instead of fabric.

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Then I took it a step further and painted another batch in watercolor:

You can see I still have some left to paint and finish with adding a green cord to hang these ornaments on the tree (or elsewhere).

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For these, I switched to Arches 140 lb. Cold Press watercolor paper for a bit of texture and used my Greenleaf & Blueberry paints along with my favorite da Vinci Maestro Tobolsky-Kolinsky brushes (sizes 2, 4, and 6).

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I took my time and let myself just play with the paint—it was relaxing and grounding. Of course, for kids or casual crafters, any watercolor set and brush will do. The joy’s in the making, not the materials.

🎁 So… When Can You Get These Designs?

You may be thinking, “Okay Sherri, this all sounds wonderful, but when can I get my hands on these designs?” Ha! Maybe you’re not—but if you are, here’s the scoop:

I’m working on them as we speak and plan to release each one as soon as the PDF files are ready and uploaded to my store. My goal is to have 2–3 ready each day this week, with a full release by Sunday, November 2nd.

That way, you’ll have plenty of time to stitch some before Thanksgiving weekend—when most folks get their trees. (My husband and I are usually last-minute tree hunters ourselves.)

If you’re quick with a needle, you could stitch one to three a week and be ready by Thanksgiving. But even if life gets busy, there’s still a good 3½ weeks after that before Christmas to finish a few more.

Please stay tuned—I’ll email you again once I have 4 or more ready online. I promise not to flood your inbox. ;-)

🎬 About the Elf Ornament Workshop Replay

Ah, yes—the infamous Elf Ornament workshop replay.
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Sigh… after realizing I completely botched the original recording, I made plans to re-record a fresh version. That’s still on my schedule, but right now, getting this new ornament collection into your hands feels like the bigger priority.

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If you’re eager to see that workshop replay first, or if you have a favorite ornament you want me to release early, let me know!

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Here’s the lineup so far:

• Reindeer
• Santa’s Boot
• Candy Cane
• Christmas Tree
• Teddy Bear
• Gingerbread Man in PJs
• Holly and Berries
• Snowman
• Holiday Candle
• Angel
• Santa Moon

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I’d love your input on which one to prioritize.

Have an amazingly fun Halloween this week—I’ll be out walking the neighborhood, soaking up all the creative decorations.

Cheers,
Sherri 🧵✨

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Sherri Goodman | Needlework Design Studio
​https://sherrigoodman.com/

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