We are thrilled to welcome Meg Zaniewski of @megembroiders to our blog to share an original tutorial using stumpwork (or 3-D) embroidery. Meg's new book Stumpwork Studio: Mastering 3-D Embroidery with C&T Publishing explores the materials and techniques of stumpwork with 15 nature-inspired designs. Her expert instruction will give you the confidence to "stitch freely and approach the creative process with playful curiosity." We are so excited to get a sampling of that with this fantastic project!
Explore a playful side of embroidery as you stitch this colorful and vibrant 3-dimensional purple-striped jellyfish. This pattern will introduce you to a couple of versatile and easy-to-master stumpwork embroidery techniques (padding and raised stitches) that give the jellyfish its impressive depth and dimension. Iridescent beads and stitched bubbles add some additional movement and sparkle to the finished design. You can display your beautiful finished jellyfish in its hoop or in a frame.
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Time: Approx. 12-15 hours
Additional Supplies:
Two 9 x 9" squares of Kona Cotton in Storm
Jellyfish Pattern (click to download)
Bell Pattern (click to download)
Thread Color Map (click to download)
Directions:
1. Print Bell Pattern onto Sulky Sticky Fabri Solvy paper and set aside for later in the project (Step 8.) Transfer Jellyfish Pattern to 9 x 9” square of cotton fabric using preferred transfer method. I used white tracing paper. Layer transferred design over second square of fabric and secure both squares in oval hoop. Tighten hardware until fabric is drumtight.
2. Place hoop onto needle felting pad.
3. Take a small pinch of Oats wool roving. With slow and careful up-down movements, poke wool into top (Bell) of jellyfish with 38 gauge felting needle. The needle will felt, or anchor, wool to the fabric.
4. Continue felting Bell. Add more wool roving as needed to fill shape completely. Finished Bell should be firm and smoothly rounded. If it is not, continue felting until wool roving becomes dense. The finished felted form should be about 1 cm tall.
Tip: This step is very important, so take your time. If the wool roving is too loose or uneven, it will be difficult to embroider over it. The embroidery will not sit evenly across the form and the finished result will look untidy.
5. Once Bell has been felted, flip hoop over to reverse side and trim away some of the excess wool roving fibers that have been poked through with small and precise scissors. This helps prevent the backside from becoming too bulky when Bell is embroidered later on.
6. Split stitch some of the Tentacles with Sulky 4030 thread and a size 9 needle. Split stitch remaining Tentacles with DMC Diamant 225 (Old Rose) thread and a size 7 needle.
7. Embroider Bubbles with a mix of French and Peking knots with DMC Diamant 5200 (White) and a size 9 needle. Add additional sparkle by embroidering iridescent rainbow beads throughout Bubbles with Sulky Invisible thread and a beading needle.
8. Retrieve Bell Pattern on Sticky Fabri Solvy paper from Step 1. Cut around pattern and remove sticker backing from paper.
9. Adhere pattern sticker over felted Bell shape.
10. Embroider Bell with long and short stitches of DMC embroidery floss. Separate each length of thread to one strand and use a size 10 needle. Stitch direction begins at base of the Bell and curves gently to fill rounded shape. Keep stitches about 4 mm or shorter for smooth blending. Refer to Thread Color Map for color placement, but keep in mind that no jellyfish is exactly alike! It’s okay if yours does not match mine precisely.
Tip: Take care to use a light hand when stitching through the wool padding. Do not pull your stitches too tightly, as this will compress the wool padding and distort the stitches so that they do not lay smoothly against the felted form.
When finished embroidering the Bell, remove embroidery from hoop, wash away stitch stabilizer, and lay fabric flat to dry. Once dry, return embroidery to hoop.
11. Thread chenille needle with silk ribbon. Bring ribbon up through fabric at base of Bell. Create a small bump with ribbon and anchor it in place by piercing middle of the ribbon.
Tip: Use a shorter working thread length (approximately 7”) when working with delicate fibers like silk ribbon, as they are prone to tearing.
12. Pull needle through to create the sitch. Do not pull too tightly so ribbon maintains its rounded and raised shape.
13. Repeat Steps 11-12 in a random chain-like pattern to create flowing center Tentacles (called Oral Arms.)
14. To finish jellyfish embroidery, trim away excess fabric leaving a 1 1/2" margin around outside of hoop. If you’d like alternative finishing methods, including tips and tutorials for framing embroidery, see the Finishing Methods chapter in my book, Stumpwork Studio.
15. Using embroidery floss, embroider a running stitch around border fabric.
16. Pull thread ends to gather and cinch fabric. Tie off and trim excess thread to secure gathered fabric. As an optional step, cut a piece of wool felt the size of the embroidery hoop and whip stitch it to backside for a neat and finished look.
Enjoy your finished embroidery!
Remember, embroidery does not have any rules. Feel free to have fun and stray from the pattern to make it uniquely yours. Experiment with different fibers and techniques to see what you like best. Here are some suggested alternative ways you can alter the pattern for a new look:
- Instead of stitching the tentacles in Step 6, try couching down the metallic and Sulky threads at random points along the thread, so that they sit curled loosely atop the fabric for a more realistic and 3-dimensional effect.
- Add DMC E940 Glow in the Dark thread to the jellyfish’s bell and tentacles for a lifelike, bioluminescent glow.
- Do not tack down the ends of the silk ribbon. Rather, let them hang freely and loosely from the fabric for interactive design that truly moves!
This piece offers just a glimpse of the many ways you can bring your embroidered subjects to life with needle and thread. For more 3-dimensional embroidery techniques and step-by-step animal and plant patterns, be sure to check out my book Stumpwork Studio: Mastering 3-D Embroidery with C&T Publishing! Happy Stitching!
