Wildflower Panel : Stumpwork Tutorial Panel 8–Fuchsias.

Panel 8 - Fuchsias.

Threads: DMC 470

Ribbons : Groves and banks Deep red / GB Deep red organza. / GB Sage Green.

Cake wire hoop, spare cotton scrap.

Headpins / red 10/0 seed beads.

Leaves.

I started working the leaves first, by stem stitching the outlines then filling with satin stitch.

When the leaves were complete it was time to do the stems. Using the cake wire measured to length on the design with extra to take through to the back it was a case of laying the stems in and couching them down then overcasting them to the fabric. There are a few loose floating stems too.

The loose floating stems are taken to the back and secured then using 2 strands I wound around the cake wire and secure the wrapped stem at the leaf.

Next came a stumpwork floating leaf. First I drew the leaf shape on the fabric and mounted in the hoop.

The taking the cake wire you have to couch it and bend the wire to shape as you go. Leave a long tail as this will blend in with the other stems later.

Using detached button hole stitch, work around the edge of the wire, then fill the leave with long and short stitch and finally wrap the long tail wire.

Next I cut the leaf out, as close to the edging as possible.

I put this to one side as I shall add this leaf last. Next was the ribbon work, taking the red organza ribbon I made narrow ribbon stitches for each bud and a wider ribbon stitch on each flower. Then did the same with the dark red for each bud and flower. Now these ribbons were my own choice of colour as I have some dark red fuchsias and prefer them to the sickly pink the design called for. Using some G&B sage green ribbon i stitch of the bottom of each flower and bud where the stems met the base of each bud and flower. Not only does this finish the flowers and bud it also covers where the stems meet the flower and hides exposed wire or wide holes on the fabric around the wires.

The design called for bells on the fuchsia but they looked like pink swan vesta’s to me, and I was looking for something a bit more ... well a bit more, so I decided to put a red bead on a head pin and wrap the pin, treating like cake wire stems.

I thought this gave a more delicate bell and there's always something in my stash to use and who says there's no need for bling of a sort.

This is the bells being added

The last job was to add the free floating leaf

and so we finish with this

Next time : Foxgloves, Rain Daisies, A Dragonfly, Wild Dagga and Rock Roses.