Karen Ruane

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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from three to seven

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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a hexagon pouch and an update on my cloth sample book

This is the piece I spoke about yesterday, a new pouch with hexagons embroidered on to silk dupion. It's very much ''in progress'', there's a lot more embroidery needed before this one is finished. It's circular, round, or at least it will be when it's finished. The lining will be embroidered too and it will close with a drawstring. I am hoping it will be similar to the pouch shown here in terms of shape and size. 

As I am resisting needle cases and all things handkerchief related until the new class begins I have started something else to work on alongside this hexagon pouch. It's another little bag only it won't be ''round''. Just as soon as I can I will share that with you too.

And talking of hankies....a little update of what has been happening with my little cloth book for embroidered samples since you last saw it.

 

Handkerchief extras.

A new mini class....embroidered accessories for stitchers using hand embroidery, handkerchiefs, buttons, beads, sequins.....

the reason for my most recent works with hexagons, flowers and traditional hand embroidery stitches.

Handkerchief Extras.

Begins Monday October 30th. 

6 weeks. Minimum one hour of video per week. 

Private password protected blog. 

Private Flickr group.

Access.... Unlimited. Forever.

Materials required.... List sent upon registration.

***No prerequisites, suitable for beginners and the more experienced.***

You do not need to have participated in any of my previous online learning programmes to take part in this class.

Handkerchief extras, needle cases and layered pouches created from pretty handkerchiefs and adorned with ribbons, tapes, beads, sequins, tassels, buttons and hand embroidery.

Comprehensive demonstration will be given during the six weeks of this programme on the creation of delicate and pretty needle cases and an embroidered pouch created using layers of handkerchiefs and cloth.

Register here.

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loopy buttons and a base for a pouch

Finally I can show you the pieces that have me salivating, have me itching to obsessively stitch bullion loops and sequins to a gingham and silk surface....my work from class. The cloth piece is a drawstring pouch in progress, the circular area is the base. The buttons are ''samples'', ''prototypes'', not the finished item. They still need a little polishing around the edges so to speak, that's why you can see raggy edges and loose threads. The cloth piece isn't damp stretched. That is actually causing me a little bit of angst...it's naked, undressed, definitely not in it's prime.

Today I will work some more on this but I have to say, my suitcase is packed again. I am off to London for a few days  in the morning, long planned, exhibitions booked and some time with my daughter before she travels almost half way round the world on holiday. Normal service should permanently resume next weekend.

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a pocket for a book

Lots of images today....and you're seeing this again but I can't apologise because I could look at it forever. A simple white pocket now keeps this safe when I'm not drooling over it and there are a couple of new pages, tiny samples which you haven't seen before. And still it's not finished......four more samples I think. To be honest I think I got a little carried away, I never intended it to be this crammed, this much work, this many hours of stitch but I am so happy it's evolved like this...I wouldn't have it any other way. Next task? Start another one.....