Ania Bag

At the end of my last post, I had begun this embroidery, Ania, on my way to another bag. As I mentioned, Kasia Jacquot hasc sold off the last of her coloured linen panels and has moved on to  Stick and Stitch versions of her designs.

I have bought the Stick and Stitch version of Ania with a view to embroidering a top to go with the orange pants I embroidered. As you can see, there is a vast difference between the colourways.  I decided to largely stick with the original printed colours.

I also decided, however, to use a variegated approach on the leaves - a variant introduced in some of her examples. (The teal colour below is the accurate one!)

I enjoyed  all of this one. They are such clever designs to stitch. The stitches themselves are routine and familiar, but you have to keep thinking about colour, stitch choice, alternatives, density. Nothing is to be taken for granted - and they are designed that way. 

The result is highly textured - and rich.

I had intended this to be added to a blue Semco craft bag, in the same way previous panels had been added to similar bags, so ironed and pinned it accordingly.

I wasn't sure though. 

I tried folding it into a pouch. While I liked the way this displays the stitching up close, I was worried the same stitching would not stand the wear it would get when the pouch was used.

I tried it folded smaller and reflecting the shape, placing it straight and angled.

In the end, I settled for the smaller version placed straight in the centre, machined it on and ironed it again.

At the moment this is my favourite of the Kasia Jacquot bags I've made so far. The embroidery pops. While the bag will be used, I feel the embroidery is less likely to get in the way of it than it would have on the pouch, and somehow the smaller format draws attention to the embroidery more directly.

Next I think I'll tackle Aurora.

Another Veronka bag

 

Kasia Jacquot is moving away from designs printed in colour on linens. Her latest focus is on stick and stitch versions of her designs.I’ve bought a couple of those to try, but it was her colour-printed linens that first drew me to her work, when I saw a couple of them tin the Art Gallery shop during the Radical Textile exhibition. As part of her shift to stick and stitch she had a sale of the coloured linens and I bought some. Enough, in fact, to keep bags flowing for a while.

I mounted this one up at the end of November to give myself a break from knitting. It is the Veronka pattern I had embroidered back in March. I used a snap frame so I could see the whole square design. 

I didn't get far with it as Christmas demand took over.

On New Year’s Day, having finished my knitting project, I returned to it. I was short of a few of her preferred threads, and Create in Stitch was closed for a well-deserved holiday break, so I substituted. 

I've been mounting each finished panel on a suitably coloured Semco cotton craft bag from Spotlight. I store each panel with its intended bag, but I didn't find one with this panel, so when I discovered they were on sale at Spotlight, I paid a visit and stocked up. I also bought a few replacement threads. Of course, later the same day I found the missing bag tucked into a pouch!  I think, however, the white one in the new batch is a better match than the original calico I chose.

The snap frame worked but the plastic screws on my wooden sitting stands have all worn. Even with plumbers’ tape they need constant tightening. I worked the centre heart, then the lower flowers, followed by the side ones, adding a few dashes of yellow on the leaves and the last of the dots. I really love the pattern, the colours and the texture.

I took it out of the frame to finish the edging. As well as the outer row of running stitch I  caught the herringbone down with the same over the crosses.

It has been a pleasure to stitch, a variety of stitches, colours and shapes that change as layers are added, but not large enough to become repetitive or boring.

I machined the finished panel on to the bag: stronger, I think, than hand stitching.

This is the finished bag, before ironing. I will leave that until I have several finished bags - or something else needing ironing.

Until then, it is folded up  as it will eventually be as a  shopping bag.

Meanwhile, I have started on the next one, Ania.