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Do you look at 3D embroidery and find yourself in total awe? (I’m raising my hand over here.) It’s like those who can do it can work some sort of magic—alchemy with thread. But, techniques like this are more accessible than you might think. Embroidery artist Megan Zaniewski shows you how to create impressive works of thread art in her new book, Stumpwork Embroidery and Thread Painting: Stitch 3D Nature Motifs.
In this expansive and beautiful book, Megan shares the basics with you—from supplies you’ll need to essential stitches—before diving into the book’s projects. She demonstrates exactly what you need to know to complete them. This includes how to transfer an embroidery pattern, understand the nuances of thread painting, and create wings using a wire slip.
Learn more about embroidery artist Megan Zaniewski’s new book, Stumpwork Embroidery and Thread Painting, and how you can win an e-book copy!
“I honestly love all the projects in the book and had so much fun designing and stitching each one, but I think the Mallard Duckling pattern holds a special place in my heart,” Megan tells me. “A lot of people learned about my work through my duck embroideries (and the bubbles!) and they’ve been my most-requested pattern by far.” She designed and revealed a duck pattern in her book. “The little yellow duckling is adorably bright and cheerful and really sums up how I wanted the book to feel. I want my readers to have fun with these projects, and fall in love with the process.”
In addition to the duckling, there are a variety of projects that will appeal to every kind of embroiderer. Megan’s encouraging writing and expert instruction make what seemed impossible now possible. “The hardest part about stumpwork and thread painting is getting past any self-doubt and just diving into a project, and I think you’ll discover it is easier than it looks” Megan explains. “I am an overthinker and the ‘wow!’ factor of stumpwork and thread painting definitely put me off from even trying it as a beginner embroiderer because I thought it was far outside my skill level.”
Megan wrote the book with her past self in mind. “I wanted these techniques to be approachable and fun for beginners and seasoned embroiderers alike. If you are interested in learning to add dimension and depth to your embroidery or to embroider more realistic subjects, I think you’ll find this book’s step-by-step approach (with lots of photos!) simplifies the process for readers and addresses common questions and concerns with helpful tips and guidance in an easy-to-learn way. I hope these 15 projects help transform my readers’ apprehension to confidence, so that they can comfortably plan and stitch their own 3D designs beyond the book.”
Stumpwork Embroidery and Thread Painting is available on January 25, 2024. To celebrate, I’m hosting a giveaway! Win a free e-book copy of Megan’s book when you leave a comment on this post telling me what you love about embroidery. The giveaway deadline is February 5, 2024, at 11:59 PST.
43 Comments
Jennifer
January 25, 2024 at 11:40 amI love how with embroidery my adhd brain goes quiet. I just have to focus on a stitch at a time and knowing if I don’t focus I get poked helps! Thank you for the review on this book!
Jenny Bolhofner
January 25, 2024 at 11:49 amWhat a beautiful article and showcase of talent! I love embroidery because even equipped with the same stitches or knowledge, every stitcher has their own, unique style.
Melissa
January 25, 2024 at 11:55 amThis book looks amazing! I have eagerly been waiting for my copy to be delivered. The pictures alone made me want to get this book. I love that embroidery is like coloring with thread and this book looks like it brings this idea to the next level.
Maegan Anderson
January 25, 2024 at 12:16 pmEmbroidery helped me through a tough time with my mental health. I love just stitching away and seeing a project come together !
Nanna
January 25, 2024 at 12:16 pmI’ve followed Megan for a long long time, and her work fils me with wonder og inspiration. I’ve wanted to try threadpainting and stumpwork for a long long time, to both supply my own abstract embroidery inspired by moss and corals, but also to fill the walls with victorian-inspired frames of 3d-insects in my little hobbit appartment. Thank you for this review!
Becky Harris
January 25, 2024 at 1:01 pmI just the peace and focus that embroidery gives me and discovering that despite classing myself as not very artistic, I actually not that bad !
Stephanie Tudor
January 25, 2024 at 1:06 pmThe possibilities are endless with embroidery. It’s like drawing with thread.
Laura McGarrity
January 25, 2024 at 1:37 pmI have always loved Megan’s work. I can’t wait to be able to stitch her duckling pattern!
Amanda G
January 25, 2024 at 2:02 pmI love learning new ways to embroider and I’m finding so much joy in it! I’m so excited to get my copy of Meg’s book. Her work is remarkable!
Cassandra Eastburn
January 25, 2024 at 2:13 pmI love how embroidery forces me to slow down and be mindful. I often recognize how my breathing has slowed, very similarly to when I’m having acupuncture done. It regulates my nervous system to do this craft that I love.
Jessica DeVos
January 25, 2024 at 2:30 pmI love that embroidery is so versatile! Even using the same stitches, just changing up your materials or textiles can give you such a vastly different effect. I’m so excited about Megan’s book!
Rebecca Newstead
January 25, 2024 at 3:01 pmI love the meditative process of embroidery, I have been ill in recent months and having an embroidery on the go has been so good for passing the time and creating something beautiful!
Sara
January 25, 2024 at 3:13 pmIt is just so peaceful and accessible, just about anyone can get hold of the basic tools !
Sol
January 25, 2024 at 3:25 pmLove the peace that I feel when I am doing any kind of embroidery ❤️
Emily Tran
January 25, 2024 at 5:29 pmI love embroidery because you can create so much detail and the accessibility of such a large range of colors in thread. I’m excited to explore the 3D effects in Megan’s book–it’s a game changer!
Daniela RG
January 25, 2024 at 6:04 pmWhat I love most about embroidery is the ability of this activity to really be an active meditation in me. It is the time when I can really relax and disconnect from everything, it is my quiet space, my happy hour and it always makes me feel so proud of myself and my creative process. ✨
Gwen Parsons
January 25, 2024 at 9:53 pmI love doing hand embroidery. Love seeing ut all come together and just find it relaxing. The oart I enjoy most of a project!
Marcela De Leon
January 26, 2024 at 1:44 amAbsolutely stunning!!! I love embroidery because it’s such a revelation to make something lovely with your hands!! For me it was a great, encouraging entry point to arts and crafts.
JessZ
January 25, 2024 at 11:25 pmLove being able to take it on the road with me. I can work on it while I wait for my daughter during ballet, piano and violin. It has also sparked conversations with other momd that led to great friendships.
Kathy Scharf
January 25, 2024 at 11:26 pmWow! So excited for this book! Can’t wait to learn how to create this type of beauty!
Kasia
January 26, 2024 at 12:11 amHello
Im from Poland. I love Your method and style 3d! During embroidery I can fell internal calm, I can relaxed and go to the another world with my neddle and thread. All my free time I spend with this method. When I see my finished needle paint i fell satisfied. I dream about this book. Have a nice day!
Kateryna Fedorenko
January 26, 2024 at 6:17 amI’ve been admiring Megan’s work for a long time! A true artist she is the book is looking like a treasure ✨☺️ I’d be so happy if I win As for the things I love in embroidery – uniqueness of each creation. Because you’ll never manage to repeat a stitch exactly the same. And everything in the process is so meditative, calming and clearing the mind… it’s my true love ❤️
Amy
January 26, 2024 at 7:52 amI love what Embroidery does for my mind. It’s soothing and challenging and creative all at the same time. Stumpwork and is
Thread painting is something I’ve wanted to try but it also feels overwhelming, this book looks so helpful!
Rachel
January 26, 2024 at 9:11 amEmbroidery is so amazing as you can make art with just thread and is such a soothing process for many people. It also gives new life to old clothes/bags that I otherwise wouldn’t be so attached to before embroidering onto it
Maria Teresa Ghiuro Valentini Abdullatif
January 26, 2024 at 11:32 amI am from Brazil. I follow Meg’s work on Instagram and I’m completely in love with her work. I’m dreaming about this book. Embroidery for me is, in addition to therapy, complete peace of mind and lifestyle.
Sam
January 26, 2024 at 3:10 pmI got into embroidery during the pandemic (probably like a lot of people)! Finding art was so helpful at such a stressful time.
Connie S Fidgeon
January 26, 2024 at 11:15 pmI love how embroidery transforms a piece of cloth and some thread into a work of art! It turns something flat into something dimensional (this book is even more dimensional than I’ve seen or done in the past). Plus, even if multiple people are given the same pattern, the results can be so uniquely colorful and original.
Emily
January 28, 2024 at 11:06 pmI love this! I’m so excited about trying Stumpwork, I love the 3d effect!
C.J.
January 29, 2024 at 11:01 amI love its versatility, there are so many styles to choose from and so many items to use them with.
Even with the simplest stitches you can get beautiful results.
Ruth Jozwiak
January 29, 2024 at 3:06 pmI have been a cross stitcher for years and Megan’s posts were suggested to me on Instagram on my craft account. I instantly fell in love with them because they look so realistic and capture beautiful moments in nature. I can’t wait to give it a try myself.
Vera
January 30, 2024 at 1:23 amI love the colors, the textures, and the beauty of the embroidered piece when it all comes together.
Emily B.
January 30, 2024 at 12:51 pmI’ve never done any kind of embroidery but all of Megan’s designs have inspired me to try it out! It’s always fun to see where your creativity leads you.
Rebecca
January 30, 2024 at 1:40 pmI haven’t tried embroidery yet, but I’m inspired to try thanks to meghan, after discovering her Instagram over 1 year ago I’ve been hooked! I’d love a copy of her book, maybe just maybe it will give me the confidence to give it a go!
Even though my my mum’s been an embroiderer since before I was born, meghan’s work had shown me you can actually wear your embroidery and you can make butterfly’s that you can hold like the real thing. Thanks for the opportunity
Aida
January 30, 2024 at 9:30 pmGosh her book looks incredible! I can spend hours pouring over her Instagram posts. I love embroidery because I get to play with colour and beautiful fibres and my hands stay nice and dry, unlike with paint or pastels. It’s meditative and beautiful and gentle. Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
Tien
January 31, 2024 at 9:37 amI’ve always wanted to learn how to do embroidery as a child because I wanted to be able to do custom embroidery on my own things some day! Now I love it for being a creative outlet for me and I love how the possibilities with thread are endless.
Kim
January 31, 2024 at 11:29 amWhat stunning art! I love the slow process of making something. Sometimes, it feels like a leap of faith to work through initial doubts toward the promise that something wonderful will emerge.
Carlotta
January 31, 2024 at 2:03 pmEmbroidery is calming for me! It’s wonderful to learn new techniques! This book is amazing! Can’t wait to try some of these!!
Kelli cree
January 31, 2024 at 2:18 pmI love that embroidery is portable! I’ve lost my knitting needles to TSA, but not my sewing needles!
Courtney
January 31, 2024 at 3:26 pmI started embroidery as a way to heal from some ‘stuff’ and try a new fiber craft. I absolutely love working with fiber. The slow, intentional movement of stitching is calming. When my ADHD hyper-fixation led to learning about different types of embroidery, I stumbled across Meg’s Instagram page and went down a stumpwork rabbit hole. It does look a bit intimidating – however, all of the reviews I have read about this book launch make it look much more approachable. I would love the chance to get my hands on this book and I would start with the monarch butterfly!
Astrid
January 31, 2024 at 5:18 pmI love how meditative embroidery is and how many different techniques there are for expressing your creative ideas! Very excited to try stump work in a future project
Francisca Vasquez
January 31, 2024 at 7:34 pmSuch a wonderful review of the book! I’m also a knitter, but I have to say that I discovered that embroidery calms my mind and heart much more than knitting. For me, it’s a very meditative art and a beautiful way to give love
Andrea
January 31, 2024 at 9:41 pmI love seeing embroidery creations come to life as I work on them and love how embroidery calms my anxiety.
Renee Levesque
February 1, 2024 at 9:14 amI am just starting my journey with thread painting and I can’t wait to start incorporating stump work as well. I finally found an hobby/ passion that allows me to be creative and I’m good at it lol!!!