Jumping Hare & Squirrel
This is a small record of motion—
a hare and a squirrel leaping through a garden.
I’ll share a few snapshots from the making process.
Design Details
This is a slightly nostalgic piece featuring a rabbit and a squirrel leaping freely through the air.
I especially love the arrangement of the surrounding plants, which gently frame their movement.
The pattern for this design was published in one of my books.
Although an English edition has not been released, the book is available in Chinese and Korean editions.
(Included in “草花と動物たちの刺繡ガーデン”)
Progress of embroidery
This is how it started—quiet and simple, with only the first stitches in place.
The rabbit’s body has begun to take shape.
At this stage, you can already sense the movement that will appear in the finished piece.
I took a quick snapshot with my rabbit-shaped embroidery scissors to mark the moment.
The surrounding details are starting to come together.
I adjusted and re-stitched parts around the rabbit’s back, making small refinements as I went.
I also kept notes of the thread numbers, while trying to achieve the look with as few colors as possible.
It’s a quiet process of trial and error—watching the balance of the whole piece gradually settle into place.
The squirrel version in progress.
I wanted the beaded berries to stand out, so I added them from the very beginning.
From there, I continued stitching while watching how the balance would shift with the surrounding leaves and branches.
The embroidery is now complete.
It fits perfectly in this oval frame.
Once the piece is placed inside, the movement of the rabbit feels gently held in place—quiet, but full of life.
Seen up close, you can clearly follow the direction of the fur stitches.
They quietly guide the sense of movement through the piece.
Here, the finished embroidered fabric is being shaped into a clasp box.
The ribbon in the background is used as a decorative trim around the edge.
Finished clasp box.
Paired with its matching drawstring pouch for storage.
The squirrel box is finished as well.
Here’s what it looks like when opened.
A glimpse from the book feature.
In this version, the rabbit motif is arranged on a small drawstring pouch.
