Sampler Bag Start

The weather has been getting warmer, but winter isn’t over yet!  Cherry blossom petals are falling in other parts of Japan, but snow is still falling in Hokkaido.

Margaret sent me this mattress ticking fabric and the directions/pattern for a sampler bag after seeing my attempts at the TAST stitches. 

The bag pattern features 47 rows of stitches and embellishments – 24 rows of stitches along the white stripes and 23 rows of braids and beads along the dark stripes in between. I plan to substitute called for threads and colors with what I have in my stash.  I don’t have so many braids, so I’ll figure out what to do about that when the time comes.

Here is what I’ve done so far –

Row 1

Herringbone stitch. DMC perle cotton #8.  I substituted 3689 for the called for 819.

Row 3

Double feather stitch. The called for thread was kaleidocolours RF 010 cornflower. I substituted JL Walsh silk perle #61.

Row 5

Ermine filling stitch. The called or thread was Au Ver a Soie, Soie D’Alger stranded silk, 1444 dusty blue.  I substituted Caron Waterlillies #44 Ice.

Row 7

Couched herringbone.  The called for threads were YLI Pearl crown rayon in #225 maroon and # 286.  I substituted Iris rayon in #145 and #000.

Row 9

Fly stitch.  The called for thread was Leah’s variegated perle cotton #8 in #801 multi-berry (gold).  I substituted LJP overdyed perle #8.

Row 11

The called for stitch was satin stitch circles, DMC perle cotton #5 in 321 red. I changed to diagonal chain stitch with Weeks perle #8 in Liberty 2269.

Row 13

I changed long and short scalloped  blanket stitch to long and short blanket stitch. The called for thread was  Au Ver a Soie, Soie D’Alger stranded silk, 2914 peach.  I substituted Caron Soie Cristale #4024.

Thank you Margaret!  I am really enjoying this project. I'll have progress to show soon.