Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto

Textile Art Book Reviews

At Mr X Stitch we love to review textile art and embroidery books for you. There are so many great books to discover, packed with needlework inspiration and textile techniques, so we dive into each book to find out what’s good, what’s bad and let you know why you should pick it up.

Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto offers insight into this embroidery technique, however is it the one for you?

Introduction

Floral motifs have long since been an integral part of Stumpwork.  This book offers a modern perspective on this technique with an elegant selection of projects for you to try out, brought together in a book that effectively teaches a complex embroidery skill with calm composure.

Who Is The Book Aimed At?

Stumpwork Flowers is one for the keen embroiderer, someone who has something more than lightweight knowledge.  While the instructions are thorough, the technique of stumpwork can be a challenge for someone with little experience, and while that shouldn’t put you off, you should be prepared to take some time to complete the projects.

Sachiko Morimoto is a practicing teacher, who has studied at The Royal School of Needlework; we can be confident of the book’s professional and accurate instruction.

Having an interest flowers is key, as this technique is time consuming, and it helps if the design you choose can hold your interest till the finish!

Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto
An excellent ensemble for embroidering!

Content

The book contains nineteen beautiful designs to choose from.  There are eight projects showing how to take your needlework further and make the designs into practical items, such as motifs held on book covers and napkins. This is a nice way to ground the technique and I imagine the outcomes would make one off thoughtful gifts.

Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto

Instructions covering the basic embroidery stitches are detailed nearing the end of the book and there are plenty of visual instructions with clear wording and diagrams. Each project is broken into component parts and if they are worked through diligently, the end result will be as prescribed.

What Is Good About This Book?

The photography, especially in the extensive gallery section, clearly conveys the pieces to their full potential.  The pictures illustrated and unfussy, simply showing one piece at a time and allowing them to be the stars of the show.  This makes for easy understanding and visualising.

Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto

The variety of wild flowers featured is a particular highlight and the time spent making them will really allow you to admire the power of nature. The projects should be savoured rather than rushed, and the design of the book complements the quiet, zen-like approach that flows through the content.

I love the vibrancy seen within this sample:

Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto
Wild Strawberries

The projects contain a good mix of techniques, allowing you the chance to appreciate how to combine different stumpwork elements to good effect. These core principles can be applied outside of the floral context, but the natural subjects do provide the technique an opportunity to shine.

Is There Anything Wrong With This Book?

As mentioned at the start, this is not a book for the casual stitcher as the techniques are challenging, but the outcomes are worth it. If you are more an all round crafter than an embroiderer, the projects held within may leave you a tad cold, or indeed go over your head, and if you’re not that interested in flowers, there may be other stumpwork books that will have greater appeal.

Instructions pages from Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto
Clear instructions are given for each separate project.

The instructions are excellent but may also appear daunting; you will appreciate the patience needed to accomplish such distinguished pieces.

Conclusion

This is an excellent instruction book for helping you apply one of the more challenging embroidery techniques in a floral context . It is a must-have for the keen embroiderer and will empower you to make elegant flower embroideries for friends and loved ones.

Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto is published by Search Press. You can get your copy by clicking on our affiliate link – thanks!

Share The Love

Want More of the good stuff?

Sew Eco by Ruth Singer

Sew Eco by Ruth Singer is a compelling guide to sustainable textile arts, offering innovative projects and insights for eco-friendly creativity.

Read More