Conjure up the sights and sounds of a summer beach with this delightful stumpwork embroidery of gulls foraging in the shallows left by the retreating tide.
by Kay Dennis
photo by Ian Cole

Stitched area: 7 x 12 cm

What you need

• Fine and medium-weight calico
• Silk organza
• 15cm square of clear sticky-backed plastic
• Beads
• Toy stuffing
• Bondaweb
• Felt
• PVA glue
• Craft Vilene
• Fishing line
• 20cm embroidery hoop
• 12cm embroidery hoop
• Blue, brown & gold fabric paints
• Embroidery needle
• Ballpoint needle
• Space-dyed stranded cotton for the rocks and birds' wings
• 100/3 silk for the birds' bodies, beaks legs and seaweed, or stranded cotton (use 1 strand)
• Metallic silver thread
• Sewing cotton

Preparation

Painting the background fabrics

1. Paint a piece of fine calico and a piece of silk organza with the blue fabric paint. To create the dappled effect, dab off some of the paint with a piece of kitchen roll and leave to dry. When dry, iron the fabric to set the paint.
2. On the rough side of a piece of Bondaweb, paint a small area (approx 10 cm square) in brown paint and leave it to dry overnight. Place the painted Bondaweb rough side down onto a small piece of fine calico, iron and peel off the paper backing of the Bondaweb. The calico will be sticky at this stage so leave it aside for a few hours to allow it to dry off.
3. Place the blue-painted organza over the design outline and, using the gold paint, trace the shapes of the birds, rocks 1 and 2 and the post, onto the piece of organza.
4. Place the organza over the blue-painted calico so that it gives the effect of shallow sea, and mount both pieces of fabric into the larger embroidery hoop. (See Back to Basics.)

Making the needlelace pad

When working several small needlelace shapes at the same time, it is easier to make one pad large enough to accommodate all of the shapes.

1. Draw the three body shapes and the three wing shapes onto a piece of plain paper about 15cm square. For ease of working, do not draw the shapes too close together.
2. Cut a piece of medium-weight calico 15 x 46 cm and fold in three to make a pad about 15 cm square.
3. Lay the drawing onto the calico pad, place the sticky plastic over the drawing and tack the layers together.

What you do

It is advisable to read through all the instructions before starting the project, and refer to the pictures for guidance. All stitching is worked with a single strand of thread.

1. Make the bodies of the three birds and their wings in needlelace, using corded single Brussels stitch.
2. Once the body shapes are removed from the backing, add a tiny black bead for the eye (alternatively, work a french knot).
3. Using satin stitch, work rock number 1 directly onto the background fabric.
4. Cut the shape of rock 2 from craft Vilene and stab stitch in place on the background. Work satin stitch over this shape.

5. Cut the shape of the post from felt and stab stitch it in position, stitching down one long side, along the bottom and then up the other side. Dab a small amount of glue onto some toy stuffing and push it down into the felt pouch. The shape should be firm.
6. Cut a piece of the painted Bondaweb/calico fabric slightly larger than the post shape. Turn under the two long edges and sew into position over the felt. There is no need to sew the two short edges in place.
7. Transfer the outlines of rock shapes 3, 4 and 5 onto the fine-weight calico (see Back to Basics), allowing plenty of space between the outlines. Mount the calico into the small embroidery hoop.
8. Embroider the three rocks in a mixture of stitches, such as french knots, chain stitch and satin stitch, with a few bullion knots and french knots along the bottom. When embroidering the rocks, it looks more realistic if your stitches are a little uneven.
9. Cut the three rock shapes, slightly smaller than the embroidery, out of craft Vilene.
10. Cut the embroidered rock shapes form the calico allowing about 6 mm of fabric beyond the embroidery. Work running stitch around the edge of each embroidered rock, a little way in from the edge. Place over the corresponding piece of craft Vilene and pull up the thread so that the embroidery curves to fit. Tie the ends of the thread firmly together.
11. Arrange each rock in position, in order, around the post, making sure that the edge of each rock lies slightly over the previous one.

The birds

1. For each body shape, cut a piece of felt slightly smaller than the body shape outline and stab stitch in place onto the background, pushing a little toy filling into each shape before the last few stitches are worked.
2. Place the appropriate needlelace shape over the felt padding and sew in position with tiny stab stitches.
3. Work the beaks and legs with straight stitches, as shown.
4. Stab stitch the wing in place on each body, leaving the bottom edge standing free.
5. Using the metallic thread, work a few straight stitches below the standing birds and in front of the rocks to give the impression of rivulets of water.

The seaweed

Work clusters of long Venetian picots at the base of the post, and on the rocks, to represent strands of seaweed.

To finish

Stretch and mount the finished embroidery onto a piece of firm card (see Back to Basics) and frame as desired.

Stitches used in the needlelace and Venetian picots:
buttonhole stitch
couching

Assemble the pieces as shown

Further Reading

Beginner's Guide to Stumpwork by Kay Dennis, published by Search Press, price £8.95 (ISBN 0 85532 870 3) available from the EG Bookshop.