The Noble Oak by Di Kirchner

There is something fascinating about the idea of using one medium and transforming it into the convincing likeness of another.

You might refer to this as the ‘art of material illusion’.

This is when a chef makes a cake to look exactly like a sneaker or a potter uses clay to create a vase resembling a paper bag.

In embroidery, we frequently apply this same principle - using thread to re-create the likeness of flowers, feathers, fruits, and countless other objects in the hope of making them as lifelike as possible.

Interestingly, to achieve this, stitching itself becomes merely the foundation. We then elevate the challenge by not just mastering our needle and thread skills, we also seek out specific materials and inventive applications to re-create or mimic our subject matter.

The Noble Oak by Di Kirchner from The Handpicked Collection 4 is a fabulous example of material illusion.

It’s easy to look at this project and on the surface enjoy it as a wonderful and fun idea to create a beautiful organic embroidered brooch featuring three perfectly formed acorns sitting atop gracefully lobed oak leaves.

And on one level that’s exactly what it is.

Yet consider all the decision points that Di had to work through to arrive at this conclusion.

How would she go about forming all the specific shapes, re-creating the textures, performing the material illusions to make it as lifelike as possible and then fashion it all together to form a brooch robust enough to actually wear?

Imagine for a moment you announced to anyone who is not a stitcher, I’m going to use some cotton threads, wire, a few beads, some fibre-fill and a dash of glue to re-create a cluster of acorns nestled on some oak leaves, what would they say?

Furthermore, a few days later you return and present to them a finished version of The Noble Oak.

Surely, they would think that some magic trick was at play!

Yet here we are, admiring exactly that. A perfectly formed arrangement of three acorns and three oak leaves that are unmistakenly three acorns and three oak leaves created using nothing but the fine art of embroidery.

For our final trick here today, ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to share with you just how easy it is to create your own version of The Noble Oak.

Now before we reveal how the illusion happens, it’s worth mentioning a few key points.

Perhaps the greatest gift that Inspirations Studios can give to our audience is to take a project like The Noble Oak and demystify it in such a way to give everyone enough confidence to make their own.

This is what we strive for in all our publications.

However, this is only possible thanks to talented designers like Di Kirchner, whose ingenuity, perseverance through trial and error, and wealth of experience have paved the way for remarkable projects like this.

So as an overview, here are the four steps to create The Noble Oak:

Acorns: Cut out three acorn shapes using wool felt. Stitch edges together using sewing thread to form a rounded shape. Stuff each acorn with fibre-fill. Wrap each nut completely securing threads firmly. Attach a small bead at the base of the acorn to add detail.

Needlelace Caps: Using detached blanket stitch, stitch around the bottom of each acorn to form a delicate, lace-like cap. Work stitches in rounds, decreasing gradually so the lace snugly fits the acorn shape. Secure neatly at the top.

Leaves: Transfer the leaf outlines onto dark green fabric. Couch thin wire around the outlines. Fill each leaf shape using long and short stitches. Embroider leaf veins with stem stitch. Once complete, cut out each leaf.

Construction: Group the completed acorns and leaves together. Wrap threads and wires securely to form a stem. Stitch a locking brooch pin to the back of the leaves.

While this is a simplified explanation compared to the actual step-by-step instructions included in the book, what we like about this style of summary is how approachable it makes the project and hopefully gives you enough confidence to create your own The Noble Oak.

Whether you source your own materials or purchase one of our Ready-to-Stitch kits, your foray into the art of material illusion is within reach…

PS – Don’t forget to check out Di on Instagram to see more of her amazing designs.