Stumpwork

Stumpwork is raised embroidery in which parts of a design are padded, wired or worked separately so they stand out from the cloth. The name is a late-nineteenth-century one for the work English makers did in the seventeenth century.

What does the word cover?

In the 1600s the work was called raised work or embossed work. Merriam-Webster gives 1904 as the first known use of "stump work", and the origin of the word is uncertain. Today it can mean the English style of about 1650 to 1700, which survives mostly as caskets, mirror frames and pictures, or any modern raised embroidery. The Holburne Museum defines raised work as embroidering over padding in high relief.

How is it made?

Common methods are padding under stitches with felt, wool or horsehair, detached stitches worked in the air, and shapes called slips that are embroidered separately and applied. Wire gives edges the strength to stand, and beads, pearls and metal thread add detail. Most surviving pieces were made by young amateurs. The full story is in Teazle's technique article on stumpwork.

Sources

1. stump work. Merriam-Webster
2. Restoration of Charles II. Holburne Museum
3. Stumpwork. Wikipedia
4. Raised embroidery and Stumpwork. Pintangle
5. stumpwork. Dictionary.com

See also

• Trapunto
• Goldwork

Read more

• Stumpwork: Embroidery That Stands Off the Cloth

Last updated October 16, 2026 · Markdown