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STITCHSusie SCHOOL’s “Use French knots to create an embellished purse”

Essentials There’s a whole family of knotted stitches, of PISTIL • Linen fabric, 25cm x 40cm which the French knot is probably the most well known. It • Contrasting silk lining forms a neat, round single knotted stitch that sits on the Bring the needle up • Lightweight wadding • Felt, scraps surface of the fabric, like a little bead. In this project, we have 1 through the fabric at • Six stranded embroidery also used a variation called pistil stitch, with a straight line the bottom of the stalk. threads, selection Hold the thread taut • Coordinating sewing thread forming a little stalk, with the knot at one end. This versatile between your finger • Crewel needle stitch can be used as an accent, worked in lines, or clustered and thumb, take the • Erasable marker pen needle under the • together. They are generally used alongside other stitches, thread and wrap it • Purse frame but in this project they are given a starring role. around three times. Dimensions 13cm x 15cm stitch a purse Go to www.sewmag.co.uk 1 to download the template. Print and trace onto card. Insert the needle Place it on linen fabric and 2 back through the draw around it. Place in an fabric at the place where embroidery hoop. you want the French Cut out seven small circles knot to be positioned. 2 from felt. Pin these in place on the linen, keeping When the embroidery is seams, flattening it to form a triangle. them at least 8mm from 5 complete, remove the fabric Measure 3cm up from the tip of the the edge. Thread a crewel from the hoop, place face down triangle and mark a line across the needle with one strand of on a folded towel, and press with corner at this point. Stitch along this and a hot iron to remove any creases line. Cut off any excess, 8mm from the oversew each one in place, in the fabric. stitching. Repeat with the other corner with small, even stitches. Cut around the embroidered of the outer bag and the inner lining. Thread the needle with 6 front section of the purse. Turn the outer bag out and place 3 three strands of thread. Using the original card template, 9 it inside the lining, right sides Starting with the central cut one piece from linen for the together. Pin and stitch the two flaps circle, surround each with back, two from silk lining and two of the bag together. Leave a gap Pull the needle to a border of French knots. from lightweight wadding. Mark between points B on one side. Turn 3 tighten the knot. Change colour and outline points A and B on both the linen the bag out through the gap, then tuck Repeat the process to with a second border, just and the lining. in the seam allowance on the opening create a series of knots outside the first. Tack one piece of wadding to and slipstitch closed. and stalks. Using the picture as 7 the wrong side of each linen Use the point of a scissor blade 4 a guide, continue piece, stitching with an 8mm seam 10 to push the edge of one side of embroidering circles of French allowance. Place these right sides the bag top up into the gap of a purse knots around the felt circles, together and stitch the sides and frame. Using three strands of embroidery and lines of French knots in base between the points marked A. thread, stitch through the holes in the between. Include pistil stitches, Repeat for the two lining pieces. frame, and through all layers of fabric, radiating out from the centres Take one corner of the outer bag in back stitch. Repeat on the other of the circles. 8 and match the side and base side. Add a wrist strap if desired.

44 sewmag.co.uk sew tutorial

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Sewing success! You need both hands to work French knots: one to manipulate the needle and the other to hold the thread taut. Stretch the fabric in a hoop or frame to help.

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