June 2010 Chilly Hollow Newsletter Article

Recently I just mounted three finished needlepoint canvases on the front of purses I picked up on sale here and there.  They all look great and it was pretty easy to do. 


In one instance I put glue around the margin of the stitched canvas, then cut it out close to the stitching and glued it on the front of a purse pocket.  In the other two instances I whip stitched the canvas to the front of fabric purses.  Whichever way you attach the canvas, it looks great, turning a $15 cheap sale purse into something unique and special.  Here are my three masterpieces:

The mermaid canvas bag (Melissa Shirley design)

http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2010/06/final-product-mermaid-purse.html

The South Seas Fiji purse (Leigh Design)

http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2010/06/south-seas-fiji-purse.html

The Cape Cod Dogs tote (Elizabeth Mumford painting licensed by Needlepoint of Back Bay)

http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2010/05/remember-cape-cod-dogs.html

If you have trouble finding good purses on sale locally, Beth Gantz Designs offers totes in a variety of colors.  Click on the Finishing header to see photos of some of their bags decorated with their stitched designs.

http://www.bethgantzdesigns.com/totes

Needlepoint of Back Bay has two sizes of self-finishing totes that resemble the classic beach totes as well as a variety of styles of canvases that fit the tote space perfectly.

http://www.needlepointofbackbay.com/product_pages/totes.htm

Charles Crafts distributes two sizes of bags you might be able to get through your local crafts emporium.

http://charlescraft.com/totesandshoulderbags.aspx

You can do this, too.  If you are not really up to finishing a purse yourself without help, take a look at the Pischke Pocket kits.  Stitched on 10 count canvas, the kits come with a cotton woven tote bag that coordinates with the design and all the threads you need to follow the included instructions and make your own Pischke Pocket bag.

http://pischkepockets.com/

UPDATE:  The Stitching Sisters have a review and photos of these totes on their blog.
http://nystitchingsisters.blogspot.com/2010/06/surprise-in-mail.html

Want something a little more complex?  Julie Pischke is known for her tote canvases and carpetbags.  Check out the tote canvases currently for sale.  I love the Conch House tote!

http://www.islandneedlepoint.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=26&osCsid=dd9a4a745ef129ec4786be2970cd4074

And of course you can find lovely bags from Lee and Stirling, ready to insert the canvas of your choice.

http://www.newleesneedlearts.com/files/catalog/leather_bags/album/index.html

http://www.stirlingcases.com/products.php

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow