LAVENDER BAG
DEDICATE A SPACE FOR YOUR HOMEGROWN HERBS OR KEEP YOUR LINENS SMELLING SWEET WITH THESE SIMPLE SEWING STEPS
Sew your own drawstring pouch featuring garden herb motifs and textured stitches
MATERIALS
Cotton fabric: 21x28cm, linen x4 Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of dark brown, light brown, dark green, dark sage green, light green, light sage green, lilac and purple Sewing machine with standard foot Cotton string: 80cm length
Mixed wooden beads x6
Embroidery hoop: 15cm diameter Basic embroidery kit
STITCHES USED
Backstitch, Fly Stitch, French Knot,
Lazy Daisy Stitch, Satin Stitch,
Split Stitch, Stem Stitch, Straight Stitch, Whipped Backstitch
NOTES
Find the template on p80. RS = right side(s).
01 Transfer the design from the template onto one panel of your cotton fabric using your preferred method. We used carbon paper and a sharp pencil. Position the template 3cm from the bottom and side edges, leaving a larger gap of fabric along the top edge – this will form your cuff later on.
02 To stitch the sage, start by sewing the stalk using two strands of dark sage green or light sage green to create a line in Split Stitch. Then, work a second line in Split Stitch alongside the first, stopping about halfway up. Switch between the light and dark sage green to give a more natural appearance.
03 Work the smaller sage leaves using three strands in light sage green. First Backstitch the outline of the leaf, then fill using Satin Stitch, working the stitches diagonally from the base of the leaf to the top.
04 For the larger sage leaves, work the leaves in Fly Stitch using three strands of dark sage green. Work these stitches closely together so they give a solid appearance, with no fabric showing through.
05 Next, stitch the rosemary. Starting from the stalk, work one line of Split Stitch in two strands of dark brown until about halfway along its length. Then, add two more lines using two strands of light brown in Split Stitch throughout the entire length. Stitch these lines alongside each other, keeping them tightly together without any gaps.
Work the rosemary leaves in Straight
06 Stitch using three strands of either dark green or light green, working the stitches in small clusters. Finally, add two or three Straight Stitches per cluster in two strands of light sage green on top, as an accent colour to create shading.
For the lavender, work the stems in
07 Whipped Backstitch using two strands of either dark green or dark sage green as a base and two strands of light green as your whipped colour. Alternate between the dark and light colours on the neighbouring flowers to give the design more depth.
To stitch the lavender leaf sprigs, use two strands of light green and Stem Stitch for the stalk. Outline the leaves with Backstitch and then fill with Satin Stitch in two strands of either light green or light sage green.
To embroider the lavender flowers, use
08 three strands of both lilac and purple. Working Lazy Daisy Stitch, start the flower heads in lilac, placing the stitches sparingly, but making sure the bases are facing the
central line of the flower. Then, switch to purple, working down from the top of the flower heads. Work each row of the flowers closely together, slightly overlapping the rows, to create a fuller look. Work all the loose lavender flowers in Lazy Daisy Stitch too, alternating between lilac and purple.
09 To make the bag, wash and iron your finished stitching. Hem your edges using overlock stitch (or blanket stitch if overlock is not an option for you) around the outside edge of your stitched piece and all of the other fabric pieces. Then, place the stitched panel and one fabric panel together, with RS facing, and sew a 1cm seam along the two sides and the bottom edge of the bag. Repeat the same with the remaining two pieces of fabric to create your lining.
10 Turn the embroidered bag RS out and insert the lining bag into it. Where the top of the inner bag extends beyond the outer bag, fold it over so it overlaps the front layer and pin in place. Stitch in place, making sure you are sewing through all three layers of the fabric at the same time.
11 Turn the top edge over again by about 2cm, creating a cuff and a channel for your drawstring. Sew a seam along the centre of the cuff, leaving a 1cm gap in the middle of your front panel. Using a pencil or an erasable pen, lightly mark dots 1cm apart along the entirety of the seam and use this as a guide to sew a string of French Knots around the cuff, using four strands of light sage green.
12 Tie one end of your string to a safety pin and push it through the gap in the front panel. Push the pin through the channel of the bag, drawing it out again through the same gap. If you have one, use a large needle to thread your beads onto both ends of the string – otherwise, ease them on by hand. Secure them with big knots on both ends.