Strawberry Stumpwork Needlecase

Stumpwork Strawberries!




Stumpwork is a technique I have long admired and so ready to try. A few attempts fell flat, (no pun intended). The secret to stumpwork is to create dimension on a flat surface using traditional embroidery stitches. I always stumbled on the turned edge. Either the fabric frayed with all the stitchin and would not turn, or my stitches along the edge were never close enough to the edge.


Let me tell you my secret. I actually stopped trying to wing it and actually read how to do it right. I can be kind of like a man who doesn't pull out the directions until I can't figure out what to do with all the extra nuts and bolts. I like to dive right in and fly by the seat of my pants. Of course, a lot of trial and error doesn't hurt. Sometimes a technique takes more than a few tries before it works. I have a long way to go before I reach a level of those works I often admire. It just feels good to figure out something new and actually love the end result.




Here you can see how far the strawberries stand up off of the surface of the foundation. You can use wool or fabric or even felt. It does help when the edges of the fabric don't easily fray. I tried it with a loosely woven linen with disastrous results.

Add some pretty, standard embroidery stitches, some pretty vintage buttons and your project comes alive!

This is my new needle case design that I really love. A tri-fold design offers some nice sewing features.




The inside cover includes a stuffed wool pincushion lining. I added a little pocket and felt pages to hold even more needles and pins.

Here is another needle case in gray wool with sweet vintage buttons. You can find it in my Etsy Shop- Fiberluscious.


Here is another with a more modern flavor.



I hope you give stumpwork a try. A small project or sampler piece makes learning fun.