Local Landscapes

Early yesterday evening my husband drove me around to take some pictures of the local landscape. Whilst the quality of the photos is mostly quite poor (probably operator error!), I am really quite pleased with some of the compositions and am starting to play around cropping and reshaping.

Tudor Windows

Another piece of drawn thread work ............



....................... made into a little bag. This was originally one of my C&G samples, "Tudor Windows", and framed with a crunchy gold metallic paper behind it ............. I loved it (except the frame). After ditching the backing and frame, I just couldn't find the "right" gold in a fabric so have had to compromise - it's not the same but I don't think it's too bad.

Having spent the last few weeks "tidying up" some of the pieces laying around, it's time to move onto something "new". Problem is, I have so many ideas it's deciding what to do next!

Herb Garden Bag

The purple dye (top end of the picture) didn't take to the hessian very well but eager to get on (and don't chive flowers turn this colour when they are past their best?), I proceeded with the stitching. Still being disappointed with the dyeing, it didn't get framed as intended but has lain around since summer of last year. Now being on a mission to complete some of the "unfinished" pieces, I thought about making it into a little bag .................

Selecting the fabric to place behind the stitching was quite a challenge. Nearing the end of a whole afternoon searching through and trialling different fabrics I found one that didn't enhance the bit of murky (purple) hessian - polka-dot lime cotton!

Transfer Painting

Green powdered transfer paint from Omega Dyes sprinkled onto wet paper, left to dry and ironed onto 100% polyester fabric.



The same ironed onto synthetic velvet produces a softer effect. I love these beautiful surfaces - almost too nice to embellish with stitch - and I like this green so much more than that of the other branded transfer paints I have tried - either green products or by attempting to mix greens.

Rock garden

The "shell" for this vessel was another discarded sample using wireform - transfer painted organza laid over a fine cotton with rows of straight stitching was too rigid for what I wanted at the time.


Venetian & woven picots, cup stitch, bullion knots and a few beads provide lots of texture.

Rock Pool Treasures

Not exactly recycling but putting to use some samples and other bits and pieces that have no real use in their present state and don't very often see the light of day. The hand dyed velvet "cup" was a discarded prototype for part of a larger piece. With a wireform insert, it holds it's shape nicely so I thought it might make an interesting little "bowl".



Probably one of my most treasured experimental samples! A machine embroidered sandwich - fragments of glitzy fabrics and threads trapped between clingfilm and water soluble - provided just the fabric for the insert. It was hard to part with but it's done now!

Llots of crunchy beading to depict the treasures of the rock pool - a very tactile piece!

"Citrus Fruits" Bag

A bag of many guises! The design for this started with an idea for spiral shells, then grapes moving into a contemporary interpretation. I saw a magazine picture of a celeb wearing three co-ordinating vests in yellow, orange and green, thought the colours looked good together and bore this in mind whilst doing some colour trials. Before I knew it, the ideas moved to techniques (and a similar colourway) from an old C&G sample (rocks).

Of simple shape and design but loads of texture - hand stitching, beads and trapunto on transfer painted poly/cotton. Aside from the colours (orange, yellow and lime), I think the finished design looks very much like cut citrus fruits - segments within the rind!

Towers of Flowers

I need to find just the right "button" to complete my second bag so thought I would post something else for now. The "Towers of Flowers" were from a tutorial by Helen Cowans in Stitch magazine last year.

For some years I have concentrated on my own designs but I couldn't resist having a go at these. I find I work well constructing smaller elements which are then fitted together so they were just my thing and, of course, the colours - which I have only just noticed are the same as the "Summer Garden" bag I have recently completed!

Although not so organic (not always a good thing!), I found it easier (and neater) to stitch the panels together by machine and covered the wires with satin stitch in metallic threads.

Having finshed the "Towers", I immediately set to work on another set, this time using starfish & shell motifs. I just adore them!

"Summer Garden" Bag

I first heard about the Sew, Mama, Sew bag competition after reading about it on somebody’s blog but, unfortunately, I can’t remember whose.

Having decided on chenille quilting as the technique and a square as the shape of the bag, the pattern was determined by folding a piece of A4 paper into a square and using the offcut as the side and base panels. I then made a mock up with paper and sellotape to ensure that the size would work and worked out the stitching design on graph paper. The main panels are approximately 8” square and identical.

Originally, I had thought about using a navy/blue colourway but I soon changed my mind once I sorted my fabrics out and came across the gorgeous slightly sparkle cerise fabric that I purchased at Alexander Palace several years ago. I had been saving it for something special and this was just the project. In addition, the predominant colours (cerise and lime) in the bag are just the same as some of the plants in my garden right now. Each chenilled panel comprises 6 layers of fabric (some hand dyed) - (from bottom to top) cerise, orange and yellow through to lime.

I had been thinking about some linear surface decoration (a small amount of stitching/beading in the cerise colourway) on the uncut channels but, having seen the results of the cut panels after washing and tumble drying, I very much liked the surface texture and contrast of the uncut channels against the cut edges of the other lines - see close up photograph - so decided to leave as it was.

The bias binding and handle tabs were cut from the same cerise fabric as the bottom layer of the quilting pile and each panel was bound separately before being hand stitched together to form the shell of the bag. The lining (tonal yellow fabric) was made separately with each panel (a quarter of an inch smaller than the washed and dried outer panels) being constructed separately, hand stitched together and then placed into the outer bag before being slip stitched into place around the top. Small squares of craft vilene were covered with fabrics and stitched into place in the central squares to give a little contrast. The bamboo handles were purchased from Hobbycraft earlier in the year with no specific project in mind - my husband reminded me about them and this was just the opportunity to use them. I think they work really well..

Although I have tried to ensure that the rigidity of the panels (layers of pelmet Vilene & insertion of plastic canvas) will help the bag to keep it's shape, this bag is not designed for everyday use but for occasions when something a bit more special is appropriate.

The tabs for the handle findings looked a little long so I have taken the bag apart and made them a bit shorter which I think looks better.




I have made a couple of felted bags in the past but this is my first “fabric” bag and I am quite pleased with it. The finished article has inspired me to do more bags and I have another on the go though it won’t be ready in time for entry into the competition as there is quite a lot of hand stitching on the front panel and I have yet to decide on the finishing/handles etc..