Pomegranate and Grapes

Autumn is the last but by no means the least of the Casket Keepsakes. As with each of the kits, there are two elements and each is a needlework accessory: a Pomegranate Thread Winder Keeper and a Bunch of Grapes Scissor Keeper. Both are exquisite!

The supplies for this kit are every bit as lovely and thoughtfully prepared as the previous kits. Very little preparation is required before you can get on with the important stuff – stitching!

Pomegranate Thread Winder Keeper

I have a growing fondness for the Casket Keepsakes that are pouches cunningly disguised as something else. My interest in them began with the Frog Purse in the Ashmolean Museum that I saw on a study day, several years ago, and a yen to reproduce it but little idea of how to go about it. In each of the seasonal kits, one of the accessories is a pouch, each constructed in a slightly different way and I have loved making them all. In the Autumn kit the pouch is disguised as a Pomegranate. The embroidery on this piece is probably the simplest but it is no less charming for that. The front consists of three pieces with the two side pieces folded back to show the mother of pearl sequin and bead pomegranate seeds. The gathered top of the pink silk pouch sticks out above the top of the embroidered front and back and looks absolutely like the top of a pomegranate.

© Amy Mitten/Carol-Anne Conway

Grape Scissor Keeper

When every piece is gorgeous, it doesn’t seem right to have a favourite but I am just going to say it, this piece is my favourite! Each of the grapes is stitched in a different technique and several different threads are used to create them. They are so much fun! The same techniques are used on the front and back of the scissor case, except that the grapes on the back are stitched flat and those on the front are stitched over felted balls so they are very dimensional! The leaf is made separately and attached over the top of the grapes.

The construction of the scissor case is the simplest of all of the accessories. The front and back are laced together leaving an opening at the top for the scissors. One of the grapes on the front contains a secret something to prevent the scissors falling out.

© Amy Mitten/Carol-Anne Conway

Although this is the last of the Four Seasons Casket Keepsakes, Amy has released other Casket Keepsakes which I predict will be every bit as fun to stitch and make as these were. I

Happy Stitching