Little Pieces

One of the fun things about stumpwork is all the little pieces you make and attach. They are a lot of work sometimes and sometimes are a bit fussy to work with, and above all demand patience. But the result is quite often worth the trouble which is why I do this type of needle work.

First the beetle.

I haven't been so big on insects in my embroidery, but they are growing on me. So many possibilities with them.

This beetle has 3 layers of felt for the body. I do satin stitch over, then I added some metallic thread. It's so nice and sparkly. I will add wired antennae at the end.

The leaves - I have done two styles of leaves. The larger oak leaves will be at the top, and the little ones on the side somewhere. Mr. squirrel joined the photo too.

Next I have two acorns and some "berries"

These are all made with strips of rolled felt, then covered with either threads or beads. As you see the berries are rather large next to the acorns. They ended up a bit larger than intended, so I may or may not put them on the piece. I have to see how it looks together.

And finally some thread-covered wooden beads.

I actually  made these for another project, but I didn't think they really fit it very well. You can use any type of wooden bead for covering with thread. The trick is to get a file in the middle and make the hole larger so the thread will fit in there. The larger the bead, the bigger the hole will need to be.

Those are my little pieces! Next time you will see them all in their place on the fabric. :)