Olga bag

This is the Kasia Jacquot Olga panel, mounted ready to stitch. Now that birthday projects are completed I am back to the remaining 6 of these panels I have matched with bags.

I began with the leaves. There are a lot of them! 

I worked the first one in a dense leaf stitch, but moved to fly stitch, since it didn't make much difference to the look. 

I used the full 6 strands as Kasia recommends, running out of thread and substituting a slightly darker shade. I think that works. I used two strands for the veins in an attempt to mimic the print. I think that works too.

The stems were next - a relaxing, flowing task after so many leaves.

There was variety in the flowers, even though the stitch was fundamentally satin stitch. The shapes are cleverly varied, which keeps the stitching interesting.

I was tempted to work the blue circles with French knots but in the end stuck with the suggested satin stitch. I'm pleased I did. I think it provides unity, rather than raising the question What are those things?     

I get enormous satisfaction from these panels. They are the perfect mix for me of ideas and improvising. The colours in this one are harmonious and soothing. Once I've got that I can  work within the parameters.

Out of the hoop and ironed, the panel needed to be slightly trimmed to square it off,

I had chosen a blue bag and machined the panel on, deciding it needed a border for the transition. I tossed up between an unobtrusive blue or a defining orange. I initially thought blue, but changed my mind at the last moment.

I think it was the right call.

I find it very hard to machine the panels on dead centre. I pin them but think tacking might be the solution.  It has been ironed, but will benefit from hanging for a while.  

Let's see what's next.

Marta bag

 

I chose Marta as my next bag in this series of Kasia Jacquot panels on Semco craft bags, partly because I was looking forward to working on the cheery green fabric, and partly because I wanted the contrast of the black bag. I had worked the design before but couldn’t remember the palette I had used, and didn’t look it up.

I used the Kasia colour palette as a basis, but substituted a brighter pink and a darker purple. I had both handy and thought I’d just go a bit brighter.

The colours contrast rather than blend. It has no match that I know of in the real world, but I quite like my cheery fantasy flowers.

Kasia’s example gives the leaves a small brown vein where they join the stem. I intended to put it in but forgot to go back and add it. I think it’s OK as it is.

I’m pleased with the result. pink is not usually my thing, but I find this bold and uplifting.

I ironed it when the embroidery was finished, turned under a hem, debating in my head whether to embroider the hem as well as stitch it. I inclined to embroider it. 

That was firmed up after I’d machined it on, and got a couple of inches out of line. I unpicked the couple of inches, embroidered it down and continued all the way around.

Again, I’m pleased with it and have hung it with the others.

My Kasia Jacquot bag stash

The Aurora bag was the seventh I have completed from the Kasia Jacquot printed panels I accumulated, either as kits or simple panels, paired with Semco craft bags purchased from Spotlight. (Ania, Veronka2, Eve, Marta, Stanley Veronka1). I have given two away, and will no doubt do the same with the remainder. At the moment one of them holds my remaining Kasia Jacquot purchases awaiting attention (photo below),

I don't often get the iron out, so while I had it out to iron the Aurora bag I ironed the remaining panels and their designated bags, spreading them out on the table to dry.

I had to spray them with water in addition to using the steam iron in order to get out the creases. 

These are the 8 waiting to be stitched and constructed. The green one is in a hoop waiting to be embroidered. It marks half-way. 

Now they are dry, they are rolled and stashed in a bag, along with a couple of Stick and Stitch kits.

What, you will ask, is she going to do with 15 bags? A question to which I don’t have a definite answer. I will give them away, either as gifts, or to a cause. I wasn’t motivated by a target market. I love the panels - the designs, colours, creativity, and I love stitching them. I also think bags are useful and might as well be attractive.  Who wouldn't want one?

Oh, and if the unlikely happens, and I get bored with stitching these, I still have enough Ink and Spindle fabric for 20 more tote bags cut out ready to stitch. 

Better get on with it.

Aurora Bag

I got going on the Aurora embroidery almost as soon as I finished Ania. When you're on a good thing.... 

I worked the outside border and thick brown stems first, going along with the stitch suggestion of herringbone. I had some variegated thread - purple through to brown - which I used on the border, reverting to plain brown for the stems.

One example for this design shows the leaves stitched in a light green thread over both underneath colours. I liked the idea and tried it. 

I'm pleased with the result. I used two different light green threads, the limey one sparingly.

Again, I rejoice in the way the colours and use of 6 strands give dimension to the piece and make stitching so interesting and rewarding.

 I ironed and pinned it to the chosen bag as soon as it was finished. deciding to stay with the whole piece rather than reduce it. The uneven shape and corner decoration seemed to demand space.

 

I'm a bit inclined to add a herringbone border around the edge of the panel, but for now I'm pressing on with another panel and bag. I have another Aurora panel to play with, so might work it out between the two resulting bags.

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.

Three more Kasia Jacquot panel craft bags

As a break from knitting a couple of weeks  ago, I embroidered Stanley from the set of Kasia Jacquot Work it your Way panels I bought. I really enjoyed stitching it.

Colour printing of the background as well as the design - is a breakthrough. It leaves the way open for stitching as embellishment of the printed pattern, rather than filling. 

I followed the recommended limited colour pallet rather than my own.  No regrets for that, It's fabulous. 

When I finished I ironed  and pinned it on to the chosen bag, turning under a hem of about 1cm..  After adjustment, I stitched it on by machine.

I then went around the hem with a herringbone stitch.

The bags come folded and held by a band of the same fabric. I attached this fabric band to the top of the embroidered bag so it too can be folded to fit into a handbag.

It's a slightly tight fit, and does result in creasing, but that will soon come out when filled with groceries!

I moved on to Marta, where the leaves and stems captured me. Again, I love the choice of colour. The design flows with stitching. I've stuck with the recommended six strands. It's thread hungry, but effective.                          

 

I didn't have a green bag, so went with the pink. Green, I think, would work better, but this has impact. I spent a while looking at it, hoping I could avoid the herringbone edge, but I'm glad I succumbed.

Again I added the folding option.

This week I moved on to Eva my favourite of these three.

As with all of these panels, it almost fits into a 12" hoop. I embroidered all that fitted, then moved it to finish the left edge. Again the leaves captured me. 

The two colours work together to lift the piece, and the closely embroidered stems really pop against the purple. I debated purple or white for the border, settling on white.

There are two more of the Work it your Way set I bought. I have loved working them so much that when Kasia Jacquot had a studio sale 10 days ago I ordered some more.  

Instead of two more, I now have five to work.     

I hope someone likes them as much as I do!