STUMPWORK PORTRAIT TUTORIAL - Getting Started and Making the Head

Part 1 - Getting Started and Making the Head

Ever since I made my first stumpwork portrait I have enjoyed creating these images from small scraps of fabric, some thread and beads. With frugal means and a few hours you can easily make your own charming characters.

It has been my long-time intention to make a tutorial, and finally, I have completed a series of how-tos for stumpwork portraits. They are inspired by Fay Maxwell, whose excellent book Ladies with Hatitude I warmly recommend.

The Tutorial can be found under the tag Stumpwork Portrait Tutorial at the top of the blog.

The first part is here. Let's get started.

First of all, I collect the following 

MATERIAL

• Embroidery hoop
• Fabric for the background, enough to fit into the hoop
• Fabric for the face and neck
• A ball of wadding for stuffing
• Fabric scraps and ribbons for clothes
• Beads and buttons for decoration
• Sewing thread to match the skintone of the face
• Stranded floss for the outline of the eyes, eyelashes and eyebrows
• Stranded floss for the iris
• Black sewing thread
• White sewing thread
• Stranded floss, yarn, sari silk... any fiber for the hair
• Needles
• Pins
• Scissors

HEAD and NECK

Cut out a round or oval shape, stitch a line of Running Stitch along the edge.


Place a ball of wadding in the middle and pull the thread


Gather the fabric round the ball of wadding and stitch it shut.

Don't worry if it looks uneven.

Stretch some background fabric in the hoop.
Fold the piece for the neck to a width that is in proportion to the head. Fix it to the background fabric with a pin.

Place the head on top of the neck.

Stitch the sides and top of the head to the background. Even out any puckers.

Don't stitch these areas yet.

Next up, Part 2 - NOSE
which will be published in a couple of days' time.