pink raw edged slow stitched pouch - work in progress
I’ve made a few of these little pouches lately. And I’m in love with the pattern, the project, the process, and the finished piece.
It’s such a satisfying make!
Can I admit something - when I come up with these sorts of projects I get a bit too excited. This one came about by playing and exploring. I bought the wool felt because I wanted to do some natural dyeing for a different project, and I know that it’s so delicious to dye with. The outcome of dyeing with wool felt is generally spectacular, and no results of it not working well.
Some fabrics, with natural dyeing, aren’t amazing. Sometimes the finished colour or pattern is a little bit so-so. But this lush wool felt I knew would work out, regardless of what colour I dyed it.
Some fabrics, with natural dyeing, aren’t amazing. Sometimes the finished colour or pattern is a little bit so-so. But this lush wool felt I knew would work out, regardless of what colour I dyed it.
As I was working with the structure of wool felt it sort of evolved into this design. The purse became itself. Of course, based off other knowledge in my head about how this sort of material works, and other projects I know and have designed before.
The project pattern is available in my Stitch Circle Community, but I wanted to share some of the process shots here. It really is the sweetest little pouch.
I’ve had this piece sitting lingering in my ‘I’m working on’ pile for a little while. Photos are a good reminder for me of when I started. But it also doesn’t matter too much. Things wait until they’re ready for the next phase.
Though, honestly, I wasn’t loving this. The colours and textures weren’t really doing it for me. Especially not when compared to this yellow one that I’m infatuated with and have been using every day since I made it.
But, Sam came and sat down and stroked it. Pointing out the fabric, the colours, the parts he liked about it. Funny how when someone else points stuff out, and says how much they like something, it’s puts it in a different light.
It does for me, anyway. Sam is good at showing me to look at my work anew. Often I’m a bit meh about something, then he looks closely at it, and shows me his appreciation of it. It’s so good having someone in my life who sees my work and doesn’t just gloss over it.
This pink was dyed with cochineal - not sure why I bought some; I think one of my children wanted pink. Or maybe I needed a quick win of a bright and fabulous dye colour. The felt and silk, as well as linen all come up in slightly different hues and depths. That’s the great thing about natural dye and about natural fibres.
The graphic patterned piece is some barkcloth (I think that’s what it is) that I’ve had for a million years. I’ve been saving it for the ‘just right’ project. There’s a decent amount, and I didn’t want to waste it by cutting into little pieces. But they just sort of sang out to be used together when tumbled into the same basket.
Yay for conversations with our materials, and listening to them when they talk!
The purple is divine silk velvet. I have a coat in the fabric material (different colour), and the lovely women sent me a few scraps to play with. My daughter made a tote bag for her friend using the other pieces.
I’ve layered the fabrics, then stitched with Sashiko thread. And slashed the length of each layer. When I worked in a dress shop (when my kids were little and before I started our business) the designer was highly influenced by her mother’s quilt-making, and the slashing is one technique. But maybe I’m wrong on that?
I had a skirt (from the brand) that was all layers of fabrics slashed with raw edges. I loved that piece. Of course, not so great if you don’t like frayed edges of fabric. But anyone who’s been around here for a while knows I’m a raw-edged frayed girl.
Some other blog posts you might like:
