Someone asked whether I was using reference photos.  Yes!  Of course. :)  These are the two main photos that I would stare at while I would stitch away:

cute fennec fox face
standing fennec fox

The top photo clearly shows the adorable whiskers that fennec foxes have.  So I had to add some to my little guy.

Gah!  I threaded a super-long piece of thread on a needle, then came through the head and out at the nose from the angle I wanted the whisker to sprout.  I pulled the thread until the end was hidden (no knots in these whiskers) and then snipped the thread to the length I wanted.

This thread is crazy-thick and actually difficult to use for other applications.  It was an accidental purchase that's been sitting in my thread box.  But when I realized I needed some whiskers, I instantly thought of it.  Woohoo!