tutorial: stitched fabric pouch
I finally started stitching again. Last year was such a creative slump for me... well not so much a whole slump but definitely less real creative making than I wished for. And lots more angst. We all had that didn’t we!!?? In my online chats with people I found that some dove deep into their making (and my online courses were super popular last year), but some did less making and creativity than they’d ever done before. And it made us feel lacking in that energy that quiet making gives.
It took me getting sick (three seizures in four months - and massive tiredness, brain fog, lack of everything, overworked, stress..) to finally take notice of all the advice I’m always giving you. Be gentle, slow down, breathe, and make stuff with your hands. That necessary everyday advice that is so so easy to let slip away when we need it the most.
Actually, it took my thoughtful insightful doctor prescribing me to set aside time each day to my making. He’d previously checked out my website (which made me secretly happy, because he’s a gp who goes above and beyond, but doesn’t need to), and knew that hand-work, making with my hands, was my meditation. My mindfulness.
So, he told me that what I needed was every single day at the same time - to create a routine about it. That’s what people do with exercise and meditation, isn’t it. I followed his advice. Mostly, as best as I could … around life, and being a mother, and erratic sleep patterns and energy levels.
For the past few weeks I have almost (almost almost) spent some time every single morning with my stitch work. And a few days with a crochet project (I’ll share that next week because it’s one of those ‘makes me happy’ projects, and practical too - see a snippet here).
Before the kids get up, if I’m not too tired from a 2am, 3am, 4am wakefulness - I get up with my husband at 6am. (He wakes at 5am). And for 30-45 minutes sip coffee in the early morning light and stitch. I have been making sure that I DO NOT check my phone for messages, instagram notifications or emails. This has been a bad habit that I knew I was doing (still am some mornings stupidly), and now I am being quite strict with myself to kick it.
Since such dedicated time, I thought I’d share what I’ve managed to make. I wanted small and simple projects. I liked the idea of finishing things… while stitching and making for the sake of it is SO SO good and an important part of my own inner creative self, also finishing things is good. It’s one of those self-propelling actions that keeps you making more.
All the fabric is scraps from my naturally dyed fabric kits. Often when I dye these kits I don’t get any for myself, as I sell every last piece. But this time I set some aside for me, and it felt good doing that. I always save little bits of threads, and make extras for myself when I’m dyeing for customers. So the threads are my naturally dyed threads too from various seasons; some are silk, some Sashiko cotton, some crochet or embroidery thread. (Here’s a little about the threads that I use).
This is a super simple, yet crazily satisfying, drawstring pouch bag. You can use it to store your phone, your glasses, special treasures, stitching supplies, money for the farmers market, a notebook and pen for every day noticing, scissors or snips for those overhanging ‘have to sneak now’ blooms we spot on our daily adventures. Well… I don’t need to tell you what to put into your little fabric pouch. But I’d love to suggest that you make one or two.
Perhaps you’d like to join my free online slow stitching course where I show different stitch techniques, as well as how to make string using fabric.
Here’s a project pattern for you: How to make a drawstring fabric pouch.
It’s hand stitched in a Boro-style or slow-stitching, or messy wonky process of stitching. This is slightly different than the two pouches in the photos above, but it’s a pattern that I’ve already illustrated and thought to share with you. To make the one as above, which has two channels for drawstring rather than one that spans the whole top of the opening, you simply make two smaller fabric channels for your drawstring and stitch each to one side of the bag.
I then put the string through from both sides and run it all the way around to loop back to itself, and the second string enters the channels on the opposite side and loops back to itself. This way you can pull the strings from both sides rather than one side, and it pulls the bag up a little more evenly and easily.
Linen fabric dyed with dahlia, marigolds, orange cosmos, rudbeckia flowers all from my garden, and madder root powder.
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