Pomegranate - WIP

The Fine Raised Stems I shared a few weeks ago are slowly growing leaves and fruit and I am sorry I have not kept you updated with the progress, other than a few quick pics on facebook.
 A week ago it looked like this...

... bits and half stitched pieces everywhere. The 'bits and pieces' that all come together at the end, is actually one of the things I really like about raised embroidery. Nothing looks like anything until it is all put together at the very end.

Since then..

Next to the red circle on the piece to the left, I stitched a pair of blood-orange half moons with rows of fine stem stitch slowly grading in tone. I have a bit of a weakness for stem stitch used as a filling stitch. It might seem tedious to do, but the end result is so worth it.

Attached to the main embroidery, the half moons become a split pomegranate, filled with seeds of ruby coloured beads.

The red circle, stitched over several layers of felt padding is turned into a smaller fruit,

A tiny caterpillar is measuring the length of the stem. She is done as a blanket stitch loop, couched down with a slightly darker green for the stripes and to get the shape.

To better show just how tiny she is, I left my thimble floating around.
And this is where I am at...

I still need to add the detached leaves, but first there is a hovering dragonfly to be embroidered. The bluish tones I originally had in mind for the body just doesn't look right. I have been circling around the design for the past few days, placing different coloured silks and beads over the dragonfly but I am still to find that 'perfect' colour - it will happen.

Best stitches,
Anna X