Inspirational Diversion: Stumpwork Embroidery on an Ostrich Egg

Well, it’s mid-week, and a great time for an inspirational diversion, don’t you think?

I have to admit, this one has me wanting to grab the Dremel drill and hunt down an ostrich egg!

Check this out…

Christine Marks, a reader here on Needle ‘n Thread, began experimenting with embroidery on eggs several years ago, and just recently returned to the adventure.

She sent along photos of this beautiful embroidered ostrich egg that she just completed.

It features, in stumpwork, the flowers and nuts of the gumnut tree (eucalyptus tree). I asked if I could share them with you. I figured you just have to see this beauty!

There is a standard hole in the base or top of the egg, through which the egg is emptied. I’m pretty sure this is where the red gum flowers are anchored.

All the embroidery is worked with DMC and Anchor stranded floss.

The foundation embroidery stitches that pass through the egg are worked with a very long needle, so that the needle can exit and enter the egg from the design holes on the other side of the design. (The gumnuts and leaves are repeated on the front and the back of the egg).

Because Christine couldn’t find a needle long enough to manage embroidering an ostrich egg (16cm or longer), she made her own needle using cake decorating wire, folding it in half to the length she needed, and gluing it together, leaving a small opening at the folded end to use as the eye.

While the foundation stitches need to be worked through the egg, the rest of the stitch – for example, the raised stem stitch and the needle lace on the leaves – can be finished from the outside surface, using a regular needle.

The outcome is spectacular! This is quite a showpiece!

I’ve been wanting to get back to embroidering eggs for a long time. I’ve written about the process before – you can find my Index of Articles on Embroidering Eggs here, covering tips and processes. I have so many ideas that I’d still love to explore with this very specific approach to embroidery.

I think I like the idea because of the challenges it poses, if you are determined to do it on a whole egg that has not been cut open or has not had a portion of the back removed. I also love the outcome and the wonder it arouses in people when they see embroidered eggs. It’s not your typical ground fabric, after all!

Some day, I may get back to that. In the meantime, though, I thoroughly enjoy looking at Christine’s beautiful work of embroidered art!

Needles In!

Just a quick note to let folks know that all the Tulip Needles have been restocked in the shop – including the Bullion Knot Needles I wrote about last week. You find all those available here.

I’ve been toying with some tutorials (and a project) that involves working with milliner needles and (depending on how big you want to go) their larger counterparts, the bullion knot needles. I’ll be sharing those with you in the near future!

Have a lovely Wednesday!