Try It Out Tuesday : Embellishing A Bag.

If you remember, I made some flower patterned cloth on Thursday, and said I would use it in a project this week.  My original intention was to use the flowers to embellish a tshirt, but I came across this bag in my stash, and decided to embellish it instead, as it was a good colour for the embellishments. 

I started by putting fusible on the flowers I wanted to use, and cutting three out.  I put one aside for later, in true Blue Peter fashion (!), and fused one on each side of the bag. 

I then put some firm interfacing on the back of each flower, a square big enough to support it, and stitched into the sandwich.  Though this interfacing was sold as fusible, it turned out not to be, so I simply held it into the right place, and anchored it with the machine foot.  You might like to pin it, but don't fuse; the next stage, after stitching, is to cut the excess away.  You could also use Stitch and Tear, if you prefer it.  Or, if you have neither, try one of the heavier weights of Lutradur (not XL; it's too heavy).  It will only use a very small scrap.

I stitched in my own style, which is not regular at all... I prefer it that way, because I think it defines the piece well.  You could, of course, use a decorative hand or machine stitch instead, if you wish, but I chose straight stitch so that you could still see the chunky drawn edges of the flowers.  Remember that florists wrapping, like Lutradur, doesn't fray, so there is no real need for stitch other than as support for the fusible, and to add a little visual interest and contrast. At this point, just trim the excess interfacing away (told you not to fuse!).

I then added some stitch in the same contrasting thread at the top of the bag, to pull it all together.

Hmm.  Not bad...but not finished, either.  I would have been happier with bigger flowers, or more flowers, but I have a Plan...  which you'll see on Thursday.  This method works just as well on anything textile... try it out!