The Challenge: A Floral Crewel Stumpwork Design

While Bunny Goodman was taking the Embroiderers’ Association of Canada (EAC) Crewel Advanced course she was given a challenge by Helen McCrindle, her EAC Crewel Course Counselor at the time. She asked Bunny to design and complete a project by combining two methods of embroidery: stumpwork and crewel yarn work. Thus began a journey into the design of this project she appropriately named The Challenge. Before the invention of the camera, traveling salesmen would take along hand-drawn pictures or better yet a scaled-down model of what the full-sized project would look like. The Challenge’s first embroidery is the small, miniature salesman’s model; the second embroidery is the full-sized larger project. The Design Bunny incorporates motifs that are common and popular in crewel designs surrounded by an embroidered border. Everyone can identify carnations, pomegranates, and bumblebees. Nature at its best! The stitches used: stumpwork, crewel, couching, Turkey knot stitches, double buttonhole stitch, fly stitch, Pekinese stitch, vertical satin stitches, horizontal weave, and straight stitches Includes: design template, materials, instruction photos, and instructions are offered alongside the photos in an article format. It does not include how to make the stitches.

Bunny Goodman
EAC Seminar 2019
Recipient of the EAC Original Design Awards – Professional Division
[email protected]