Stumpwork is a form of raised three-dimensional embroidery which was really popular in the 17th Century. It was used to decorate boxes, mirror frames and panels and often depicted scenes from the bible. In addition to the embroidered elements items such as wood, wire, beads, feathers, hair and metal threads are found on historical pieces.
Stumpwork embroidery was normally worked with no thought given to keeping all the motifs in scale with each other. Insects were often bigger than people in the same scene!
A vast number of techniques were used to create the finished items including surface embroidery, needlelace, applique, needlepoint and beading. Some areas of the design were padded, others were worked separately and then attached. We will cover some of these techniques in this little stumprwork bunny project.
Let's start our bunny in basket stumpwork design
What will you need?
2 pieces of background fabric, 8" square and 6" square
Firm sew-in interfacing
White and fawn felt
Size 32 paper covered wire (often used for cake decorating or by florists)
DMC stranded cottons in white, peach, black, brown, green and a flower colour
Crewel needle
Paper cutting scissors
Pencil
You will need to start by downloading the stumpwork pattern sheet here.
Then trace the handle pattern from the pattern sheet onto the your larger piece of background fabric, having the ends of the handle at the centre mark.
Using 2 strands of brown cotton embroider the handle in rows of whipped chain stitch.
Cut the two smallest basket shapes in fawn felt. Attach the smallest first with stab stitches in 1 strand of brown, around the edge, then place the next piece on top and attach. Try to have the top of the second piece just cover the ends of your handle.
In the same way attach the two smallest felt head shapes, just above the top of the basket.
Tack the piece of interfacing to the back of the design.
Trace the ears and largest basket piece onto a spare piece of background fabric.
Stitch a row of backstitch around the outside edge of the ears and, starting in the centre with peach thread, fill with long and short stitch.
Then work out towards the edges with white long and short stitch. Don't worry about keeping the stitches too straight and even,they are supposed to be representing the rabbit's fur and look better if they are slightly untidy.
Position a length of wire around the outside of the ear shape and attach with buttonhole stitches (keeping the looped edge to the outside). Cut around the ears closely but leave the ends of the wires sticking out from the bottom of the ears to use when attaching the ears.
Attach the ears to the top of the head, with the right side facing outwards, by poking the wires through the fabric and interfacing and hold in place on the back with overcasting stitches. Bend the wires at different angles to help to secure them.
The interfacing is used in stumpwork embroidery to help prevent the wires being visible from the front.
Attach the largest felt head shape (white) over the previous padding and covering the raw edge of the ears.
Embroider the head with long and short stitch in 2 strands of white thread.
Using green thread, work two rows of velvet stitch to represent grass poking out of the top of the basket. Do not work over the front of the rabbit's head.
Stitch the third basket shape, using 2 strands of brown thread, in Bokhara couching. Try to stagger the couching stitches to create a basketweave effect.
Cut around the basket about a quarter of an inch away from the edge of the stitching. Turn the unstitched edge over to the wrong side and gathering slightly, tack it to the back of the basket.
Attach the loose basket shape to the background around the sides and bottom leaving the top free. If desired you can pop in a little toy filling to pad the basket even more.
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The paws are worked in a similar manner to the ears (omitting the peach areas).
To attach them, poke the wire through just below the top level of the padded basket and stitch in place. Fold the paws down over the basket making sure the front of the work is visible.
Add some needlewoven cup stitch flowers and needlewoven picots for leaves on the "ground" below the basket.
Lastly, add satin stitch features on the head, or use tiny black seed beads for his eyes.
I hope you have enjoyed stitching this litte stumpwork bunny with me. Wouldn't he look nice as a stitched Easter card?
