Modern and Traditional Embroidery Dress

Happy New Year Stitchers! I hope you like creepy crawlies. Here is a collection of Claire Moynihan's embroidered insects. Claire is a UK based artist and her affinity with nature led to her specialization of insect textile art. These beautiful little bugs are constructed with felting and stump work and embellished with embroidery. Both life-size and realistic these tiny creatures form an 'embroidered' entomological collection that could sit happily among a natural history exhibit.

Half way through my first layer of satin stitches - so far I like how it looks with the variegated pink.


I completed 4 layers of floss on each petal.


Pull out the template...


Here is what it looked like before I "fluffed" it ...


I really like the end result with the embroidery floss! I also thought it was easier to stitch with the floss than wool, since wool is much more bulky, but I am also new to wool stitching.

A few more photos of different angles...




I see lots of possibilities of using this technique to add more dimension to my stitching too.



What do you think? Which version do you like better - cotton floss or wool?

I have a few more ideas for plushwork, so you may be seeing some more posts about it in the future.....

The technique is very easy to learn -  if you know satin stitch you can do this!


Done with the first layer.


I repeated two more layers of the same wool.


After I cut all the layers I removed the plastic template.


Here is the finished plushwork flower!


See how fluffy! It reminds me of turkey work.


Here it is with one layer of light blue and adding my second layer of dark blue.


Added another layer of dark blue - for a total of three wool layers.


Cut through the layers and remove the template...



I definitely like the end result with the thicker DMC wool. What do you think?

One of the fun things about being a blogger for Feeling Stitchy is that free books and materials sometimes come my way. I received a copy of Stumpwork Embroidery: Techniques, Projects, and Pure Inspiration by Kay and Michael Dennis to review.

Stumpwork is an embroidery technique that I would like to be able to do. I will be honest and admit that I found the projects in this book very difficult to complete. While each project does walk you step by step through it, I feel as though many projects in the book are geared towards the embroiderer who has a better grasp of how to do stumpwork already. I started a project making a butterfly with 3D wings, but I have a hand injury that's preventing me from finishing because of the dexterity involved.


Stumpwork Embroidery starts out with an introduction to Kay Dennis' journey into stumpwork, and then goes into the history of this art form. I found that aspect fascinating! In this photo below from the book, it's a closeup of a British stumpwork box from circa 1650. Look at that detail and how well it's held up over the centuries.


Some of the projects in the book, like this poppy seed below, are definitely projects that someone who has some basic understanding of embroidery can accomplish.

Completed poppy seeds from the book Stumpwork Embroidery

The author, Kay Dennis, is a big fan of needlelace, and she is exceptionally creative at creating interesting projects! Needlelace is made using needles and thread to create many stitches to make lace. It requires dexterity and an attention to detail. The end result is fantastic!



Once my hand is sufficiently healed, I'm going to dive further into this book to master the techniques. You can find me on Instagram where I share on the Feeling Stitchy and my personal Random Acts of Amy accounts.

Have you tried stumpwork? Have you read this book? Or do you have recommendations for other books or resources on stumpwork? Please leave your comments below!