Karen Ruane

pouch

There has been a lot of interest in the pouch I showed yesterday in my latest video.

A couple of photos of it for you today.

The background fabric was purchased in Portugal last year.

The white pouch

Following on from my post yesterday I have decided to use the white pouch to store the things relating to my little artist books.

The pin pillow and needlecase won't live in there, it will be the threads, papers, ribbons and other snippets.

Next up, deciding which pouch to keep my wrapping cloth things in.

pouches

Three pouches, all hand embroidered, all hand finished, made over a very long period of time.

The Grandmothers flower garden pouch was made very recently, the others....wow, eons ago.

I have these out because due to having two projects very much in progress I am constantly buried under supplies and materials for both.

Surely it would make life easier if each project had it's own pouch?

One for the wrapping cloth panels, one for the soft, delicate artist book pages and the tools needed for each......threads, fabrics etc.

Two projects, three pouches? I'm in the process of deciding which one won't be needed....

white and patchwork, a new hand embroidered pouch

You may have noticed my absence recently. Well I haven't been idle.

I finished the piece I showed you yesterday and I made myself a new pouch.

When I make these pouches I just embroider a square of cloth before adding a backing, (which becomes the lining). I then fold the piece, hand finish the edges and hey presto.

Usually the cente opening is left open but with this one I have added ribbon ties and vintage glass buttons.

Below are images taken before this was folded into shape.

 

the drawstring pouch

I did it!! The drawstring pouch is finished, hand finished, hours and hours of hand stitch to create the drawstring and attach the upper binding along with the hours of pleasure when embroidering the surface and adding pretty embroidery to the lining. I feel such an sense of accomplishment.

It is now  in the shop. It was always going to go in the shop. I wavered last night with thoughts of keeping it for myself but really....how many bags does one girl need? Too many and some remain unappreciated so the shop it is. (but if there are no takers it won't be a hardship to keep it lol)

More images now

I also took some photographs whilst I was working on piecing it all together yesterday evening....

I hope you like it. The angst was definitely worth it for me.

 

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and so it begins

I did it. I took a deep breath and started to put the hexagon pouch together. The outer surface and the lining have been cut out, the cord for the drawstring has been measured and cut then finished with hand stitch, running stitch to be precise and the channel for the top, to run the cord through is ready to be pinned into place. Phew. So far so good....no fatal errors. This may not be the way you would put one of these together but if it gets me to my end goal I will be happy however it happens.

There is a still a fair way to go. There's lots of tacking to be done, a label to fit in somewhere and it will all be finished with hand stitch before I remove the tacking.  Pins...mustn't forget to pin the edges of the lining before tacking too.

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sequins, bullion loops, silk and gingham

Last time you saw this I was actually stitching on it, there was a short video. Do you remember? If you missed it it's here. I worked on it a little more last night, embroidering more bullion loops and dropping more sequins than I managed to stitch but it's progress, slow progress but progress all the same. THis piece will also be a drawstring pouch. Yes, I am starting another drawstring pouch whilst as I mentioned yesterday I am anxious and stressed about putting the last one together. What can I say....I'm a glutton for punishment. 

If I make enough of them I may get used to the final construction process which eventually should get easier right? That's the theory I'm working on anyway and besides that, I love them, I want to make them and finish them and titivate them and gaze at them for hours on end.

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126 stitches for the lining

The central area is now embroidered meaning this piece from here is finished and waiting to be damp stretched before being lined.....when the lining is complete. As you may recall the pouch has 290 stitches around the edge. The lining will have 126 stitches around the edge, spaced differently to the outside. I have started that process (second image). I just noticed too, (in the last image) that one of my little clusters is missing a green French knot! Did you notice that? I best rectify that....the sooner the better.

 (I really wish I had an open mouthed emoji to put here) 

Now for a reminder.....Hankie class starts on Monday. We will be making pretty needle cases and bags. You can read more about that here. If you are already registered you should have received sign in details for our private blog yesterday. If you didn't receive those please let me know.

And London.....a live workshop....you can read more about that here.

It's dark as night here and pouring with rain. I hope the sun is shining for you and if it is please send a little my way.

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290 stitches

Two hundred and ninety stitches around an edge. That's fifty eight web stitches and two hundred and thirty two French knots. This is a circular drawstring pouch in the making. There will be more web stitches and French knots scattered across this surface before I begin the lining......there will be web stitches and French knots on there too. There may even be hexagons, not as many as you can see here but I might be able to fit a single ''flower garden'' piece in there somewhere. I would like this little pouch to be titivated to the n'th degree.

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Last time you saw this there were three patchwork motifs. After a lot of cutting, tacking and sewing there are now seven and as you can probably see in the second image marks have been made for another two. Once the patchwork has been applied there will most likely be some hand embroidery added. I haven't quite decided what, where or how much yet....I'm thinking. This will be a drawstring pouch. I will embroider the lining too, something else I am thinking about.

I am going away early next week for a few days. I will be in the North of Scotland doing not very much at all whilst at the same time hoping to stumble across a fabric shop or two, a thread shop even.  I may not find anything remotely related to embroidery but I will have fun looking. 

Because I won't be here I will be de listing everything in the shop so if you want to register for ''artist books'' before I leave and have a whole week to work on what has already been shown over there then go here to read more and register. 

Similarly, if you are thinking of registering for the hankie class which begins shortly after I return then go here to read more and register for that one, you will then have an extra week to gather your ''bits and bobs''.

I will still be here tomorrow and Monday so don't breathe that sigh of relief just yet.

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