Colourful Silk Eastern Paisley Embroidered Bag

With embroidery inspired by Eastern paisley designs, this patchwork bag is stylish in sumptuous silk yet practical with roominess. Pair it with a beautifully draped dress and a smile, and people will think you’ve just stepped off the plane from New Delhi

Essentials

Fabric: silk dupion, red; pink; violet; turquoise
Interfacing, non-fusible Ribbon, metallic: red; blue
Ric rac: yellow; red
Cord: gold; red; purple, 1.2m of each
Thread: embroidery, DMC Mouline Special; sewing, coordinating
Buttons, glitter Beads, glass
Pen or pencil, transfer Needle, crewel

Dimensions List

31cm x 53cm

Embroider a bag

Mark out three rectangles measuring 11cm x 15cm on each piece of coloured silk but do not cut out. Download the motifs below and transfer them to the fabrics. Place one of the pieces of silk in an embroidery hoop, making sure a motif is in the centre.
Thread a crewel needle with two strands of contrasting embroidery thread. Stitch the designs in any order, using the picture as a guide. For thicker lines, use chain stitch; for thinner lines, use split stitch; use satin stitch to fill in small shapes.
Once completed, press each piece of fabric carefully on the wrong side, then cut out each rectangle of fabric along the marked lines. Arrange the silk pieces on 29cm x 64cm of non-fusible interfacing in four rows of three, with edges touching. Stitch in place.
Cut four 28cm lengths of blue ribbon, four 28cm lengths of red ric rac, five 20cm lengths of red ribbon, and two 20cm lengths of yellow ric rac. With the fabric right side up, pin and tack the ribbons in place, hiding the joins in the patchwork. Stitch the edges down, then place the ric rac on top of the ribbons and sew in place.
Fold the patchwork in half, right sides together, and stitch the side seams, leaving the top open. Snip the corners and turn right side out. Fold the ribbon at the top of the bag to the wrong side and slip stitch the edge to the interfacing.
Stitch six glitter buttons in place along the central red ribbon, where the different trimmings intersect. When stitching the buttons, add a bead to the centre of each one.
Cut 29cm x 64cm of silk fabric for the lining and fold in half, right sides together. Stitch the side seams, turn out, then slip inside the bag. Next, fold under 2cm to the wrong side on the top edge of the lining. Match the side seams of the lining and bag, then pin together.
To make handles, cut each length of cord in half. Take three cut lengths, one of each colour, and plait together. Bind the ends to prevent unravelling. Repeat with the other three lengths. Pin the handles to the inside of the bag and stitch firmly in place, then slip stitch the folded edge of lining to the folded ribbon.
Stitch six glitter buttons and beads to the top edge of the bag. Place four of them at the base of the handles: when sewing, take the needle through all of the layers to secure.