Boutis Pouch: Butterflies and Shamrox

This is the latest of my little boutis pouches. Every piece that I create is an experiment with design, materials and stitches. This little pouch was made using traditional materials and techniques: boutis cotton batiste (front and back), cotton cording specifically for boutis (purchased in France) and white cotton hand quilting thread. The stitches that I used are the 3 most common stitches found in boutis: running stitch, back stitch and outline stitch.

The pouch is tri-fold, with 3 different design elements; a butterfly on the front flap, a shamrock on the front of the pocket (underneath the flap), and the "point de Vauvert" pattern on the back. Because "point de Vauvert" is quite heavily corded, it gives the pouch more structure and stability.

The finished pouch has been washed and is tacked to a sheet of foam core to square it up as it dries.

The piece has been primarily stitched with the running stitch, the most commonly used stitch in boutis. On the butterfly below, you can see that I have stitched the antennae with an outline stitch to add emphasis. The antennae would be completely lost if I had used the running stitch here. To highlight them further I also used white embroidery floss. This is the only place in the pouch that I used the outline stitch.

The only other stitch used in this piece is the back stitch, in the "point de vauvert" pattern, on the back of the pouch (below). "Point de vauvert" is a pattern of short lines (3-5 tiny back-stitches each), separated by equal distances from each other. Each row is off-set alternately to the one above it. It is then corded in 4 directions. This gives it more structure and stability.

To my utter horror, as I was cording and clipping cord ends, a moment of carelessness led to a clip in the fabric. Argh!!!! No way to selvedge that one! Until that happened, this was to be a gift for a special friend in France. Ah well.... . Next!

Not to let my disappointment get the better of me, I finished the cording and moved on to assembling the finished pouch. For the lining I used "Radiance", a silk/cotton blend manufactured by Kaufman.

With right sides together, I hand stitched the front flap piece to the lining piece and trimmed the edge.

Next, the pockets are made. The top of the piece, the section with the shamrock, is stitched to the middle section, which becomes the back of the pouch. The same 2 sections of the lining are stitched right sides together.

Once the front flap has been turned inside out, and the pocket lining has been inserted into the finished boutis pocket, the pouch is set to go. Well, pretty much set to go, except for the closure.

Because I wanted something light and delicate, I decided on a little tear drop bead for the button with a crocheted button loop. (See above and below).

The back of the pouch.

The finished pouch.

Having been relegated to the "sample" shelf of my stitching life, it's on to the next pouch for my friend. (Thank goodness it's not meant to be for any particular occasion, so the time-line is not crucial). There will likely be changes! (And..., hopefully a little more TLC!)

Boutis: Traditional French Needlework

" Piqûre de Marseilles" or "Boutis" is a traditional French hand stitched and corded needlework technique, which uses embroidery stitches to create intricate channels that will later be stuffed with yarn, thereby creating a raised design with three layers. It's origins, and it's name, can be traced to the port of Marseilles in southern France to the 15th century. Traditional boutis was a technique invented to embellish otherwise plain white cotton with intricately patterned channels that would later be stuffed with a plump white yarn to give it relief. The resulting corded whitework created an elegant, embossed textile that was much sought after. Not only was it aesthetically appealing, but it also provided warmth and absorbency, so could be used for bed coverings, toilette linens (like towels), clothing items, home decor, etc. The first two photos below are from the collection of Mme. Monique Alphand, a well known French expert and collector of antique t

Amish Hand Quilting in France with Esther Miller

Esther Miller, was born into an Amish family in the U.S., and now lives in Germany where she has for many years taught the techniques and methods of Amish hand quilting to anyone interested in learning these skills. As a child, she would closely watch as the women of her community worked together on a quilt, and eventually she was rewarded with a needle of her own and encouraged to join the group. Through the years, she has mastered these skills and techniques and now generously shares them with anyone who has a genuine desire to learn. Esther Miller in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines in Alsace France. An example of her own work, Esther brings this intricately and perfectly hand stitched wall quilt to class as inspiration for her students. Last week, at the "European Meeting of Patchwork" in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines, in Alsace France, www.patchwork-europe.com , I had the privilege of taking a 2 day workshop with Esther. The Amish quilting method requires a free-standing simple

Blocking and Squaring Boutis

The door of her cage has been opened. She is free to fly off and find her destiny. After many months of hand stitching and then many more months of cording, my little "colibri" is ready to set off on her own. As this was my first attempt at designing so large a boutis piece, it was a learning curve. All of the tight swirls, curls and circles are a great deal more difficult and time consuming to cord then are the longer more gentle channels. Maintaining an even tension is absolutely necessary throughout the process, so patience comes in very handy when doing the cording. The process of stitching and cording a work of boutis subjects the fabric to a lot of handling and manipulation that can distort the design. For this reason, once all of the stitching and cording is complete, the boutis must be washed, blocked and squared. The first step of washing is to remove all traces of the marking pencil as well as any soil that may have collected over the many months of working w

Cynthia GilbrethMay 20, 2015 at 7:50 AM
It's lovely! How did you mend the little clip?
MonicaMay 20, 2015 at 8:33 AM
Oh nooo! But you know, Cynthia's comment shows how small the flaw is. But yes, I saw it. I greatly admire your ability to finish it after that! I'm not sure I could.

And, the finish and the design are both really beautiful. It is such an elegant piece. And, certainly the next one will be too!
l'alternativaMay 20, 2015 at 12:14 PM
E' un gioiello stupendo, è venuto benissimo, io non vedo difetti. Qualche anno fa ho fatto una farfalla a boutis, è un lavoro molto impegnativo. Complimenti!!!!!!!!!
Emi
Donna in SW PAMay 21, 2015 at 3:09 PM
Where can you buy the cording that you talk about?
Seams FrenchMay 21, 2015 at 6:05 PM
Hi Donna. This boutis cord can be purchased on-line at: http://www.lacouseriecreative.com/broderie/boutis/. It's called "cotton wick", no. 8. My experience with this store has been very positive and quite fast.

Seams French

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