Stitch Floral

Recently I made an inventory of my fabric stocks and once again realized that I have to do something with the pile of rather small scraps. They are left from the days I was into patchwork. My passion for it faded away, but the fabric is still taking place in the drawers. So, I decided to make a challenge for myself – to get rid of all the fabric by making some useful stuff! Naturally, featuring hand embroidery. The first product of this challenge is going to be a textile lunch bag!

The idea of making the bag came out of necessity. I wanted to make something cozy and fun for keeping my tools and threads for current projects. Usually, I keep all my thread stock in special cases with divisions into colors. But when I stitch something particular, I take the thread I need, needles, scissors, pen and put it into a... former ice-cream container. Not that there is something to complain about... To tell the truth, this thing is very convenient. But my stitching soul asked for something embroidered and cute. Add to that my determination to get rid of fabric scraps and the need for a textile bag was born.

As I was brainstorming ideas, I stumbled upon this tutorial and decided to give it a try. I chose to use a piece of natural linen. It's not bleached and the weaving is quite open, so it has a nice rustic look to it. A bright piece of American cotton is going to complement it. The main colors of the fabric are yellow and deep pink, so I decided to reflect it in my embroidery. 

I drafted the pattern with a pencil right on fabric. The whole surface is going to be covered with embroidered leaves motif worked in DMS yellow floss. Thanks to the rustic look of the linen, the color really pops up and appears to be golden!

The leaves are stitched with fly stitch, you can check this post to learn how to work it. The lines are all stitched with stem stitch. I'm using two strands of floss thread in the needle while working the whole piece.

I already started adding tiny hearts worked in blanket stitch. They add lovely brightness and liven up the pattern, I love it! I'm still contemplating on whether or not I should add french knots here and there. I don't want to make the pattern too heavy.

Can't wait to see the result! Looking at the color combination and fabric choice, I already feel the Boho vibes coming from it. I will keep you updated on the progress of this project! Also, expect a new freebie this week! One of my favorite patterns - oriental pink poppies!