JP "brick" purse

I love stitching purses for shop models.  That probably contributes to the fact that Needle Nicely has always sold a lot of purse canvases.  The purse I started stitching this week is one from a series of purses that Julie Poitras designed.  I call them her brick purses because that is about the size the finished product turns out to be.  You'll have to excuse me, though, because I thought I had taken a photograph of the entire canvas when I received it in the shop.  It's not to be found in my photograph files, so I will try to take one to include in my next post.  Actually, this won't be a very exciting stitching experience because it is being done entirely in continental and basketweave.  I'm using some black medici from NN's hoard of background colors and combining it with the silver lacquer Balger metallic. When it was announced that medici would be discontinued I stocked up on white, ecru, navy, black and as much khaki as I could find.  My supplier asked me if I were a hoarder--my response, "but, of course!"

I'm about 35% finished with the basketweave/continental stitching on what will be the inside front of the purse.

 In this photograph you can see how I have basted the remaining part of the canvas so it doesn't flop and get in the way.  When stitching a large canvas (like this purse and Gunther the nutcracker I stitched last summer), I like to use smaller stretcher bars.  I then move the canvas down as I complete the stitching.  I prefer stretcher bars rather than roller frames because I think the bars keep things tauter. 

This shows the C-clamp that I am using to attach my frame to the table in the shop where I do my stitching.  I can sit and stitch and watch the front door, or converse with customers who are shopping.