First project of 2024: Voices of Women bag

I enjoy making tote bags by embroidering linen. They are useful, a decent size to work on, and make good gifts. This Christmas I gave away the last of my  finished bags. I wanted to begin the new year with embroidery, rather than knitting, so I launched straight into this bag on New Year's Day.

I bought this linen from Tessuti months ago. It was their own single run and I could immediately see its potential for bags so grabbed some. I now began by cutting it to size and pencilling in some quotes in the spaces between the faces.

The linen was quite fine, so I added interfacing to the back. Although it had been iron-on interfacing, it didn't iron on (this could be age related, but I gather it is frequently a problem) so I used it without adherence. 

I chose fairly short quotes that I liked and didn't overcrowd my canvas - three quotes on one side, four on the other. The distribution enabled me to use a 6" hoop for the embroidery, which gave me maximum tension on the fabric.

As all the embroidery was of words, I used Quaker Stitch, for which good tension is essential. I thought at first I would use green and purple thread, the suffragette colours, but changed my mind in favour of red - a better contrast with the black and white fabric, and appropriately the traditional colour of the goddess in ancient embroideries. 

 Quaker stitch was designed for, and works best in, wool, but I managed to get this working reasonably well with a perle 8 cotton. I needed to pay close attention to the needle angle. Perle 5 would have been easier to work with, but the Perle 8 gave better definition on this fabric.

I worked the names of those quoted along the bottom of each side, or, in a couple of cases, close to the quote - wherever it seemed to fit.

I found black linen for the sides and lining and used the main fabric on the base. 

I'm satisfied with the first embroidery project, and the first bag, of 2024. Someone will want this.  I have fabric for at least 2 more, and there are plenty of words and names out there to use!