Soutache at Stitches From The Heart ShopSoutache Swatch. Say that three times, fast! Yesterday at about noon-ish, I received a call from Brandi, Manager of the Stitches From The Heart Yarn Shop in Santa Monica. My office is about 5 minutes from the shop. She breathlessly told me that they'd just received a large donation of soutache. Soutache is trim, used in decorating clothes, pillows, home items, etc. In the late 80's, early 90's, soutache handbags were quite the rage. Carrie Forbes was a major designer of these bags for Saks, Barney's, Neiman's, etc. They cost over $150 and up at the time. I used to crochet a lot of handbags out of soutache and corde'. This practice was resurrected from the 1940's and 50's when crocheted handbags were the rage. I have many old pattern books highlighting these bags.
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I rushed over to the shop on my lunch hour and picked out a few different colors of soutache and some rat tail too. Rat tail is also trim with a satin finish. It can be worked up into quite a nice evening bag. Later in the day Brandi called and told me that a customer came into the shop and purchased the rest of the cache.
My Soutache and Rat Tail ChoicesI've sold most of the old soutache bags I made years ago. I still have a few that I use once in awhile. I used to purchase soutache at Kagan Trim in Downtown L.A. Kagan Trim moved to the City of Vernon a few years ago, but most of this stash was purchased there in the late 90's...Kagan dates their labels!
Crocheting with soutache can be hard on your hands. It's quite stiff. I thought it might be easier to knit with the soutache, so I did a knit swatch and a crocheted swatch. The knit swatch is springy. The crocheted swatch provides a sturdier fabric. I may combine both techniques for an upcoming handbag.
Knit Swatch - Size 8 Needles
Crocheted Swatch - "G" Hook
You have got the connections and the soutache to boot! Love the color choices. Can't wait to see what you create.
ReplyDeleteI always forget the name of this stuff -- but I love it!
ReplyDeleteI remember a gorgeous black soutache bag you showed me.
Sounds like you have a find there... those swatches look great. The soutache seems to have great texture.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I was just discussing soutache with a friend on Sunday! I still have several reels of the black corde that were my mom's--she crocheted several bags out of it back in the late 40's/early 50's. Wish I had some of them now!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great purchase! I love your colour choices, especially the green you've used in your crochet swatch. The old patterns are fabulous! I have a pile of old knitting and sewing patterns that my Mother-in-Law gave to me, some of which belonged to her mother, and date back to the 1920s and 30s. I really treasure them but haven't been brave enough to try and knit any of them yet!
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice page... I liked your projects, hope to come back soon :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentines Day!
Ooohhh! I'm jealous! It's always fun to play with new stuff! Ellen, do you know my mom, Peggy Baxter? I believe she was up at the store yesterday... You might have seen her? She runs the Long Beach chapter of Stitches from the Heart.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the "rat tail" detail.
ReplyDeleteI have a spool of red left over from a sewing project, I have made a nice cord from it- I never considered one could knit with it, nor with soutache (I always just thought it was just used as a trim for garments).
do any of you know of places to get soutache? I am in need of some!
ReplyDeleteHi Vision,
ReplyDeleteSoutache is a trim. You might find it in industrial fabric shops. There was a place in downtown L.A. called KAGAN TRIM. I don't think they're located there any longer, but you might want to "google" the name.