The Santolla Purse Kit

Named after customer extraordinaire Deb Santolla

Learn to weave tapestry with the Santolla Purse Kit. The full 57-page tutorial will be available for download after purchase. 

In my first decade of weaving tapestry I got hooked on making tapestry purses. I made a whole lot of them and sold them in galleries. They were very unthreatening to make and they comprised small bits of weaving I could easily wrap my head around. I was able to experiment endlessly. Eventually I gave up this practice in order to move into large wall hangings.

I got a hankering to make a purse again (inspired by GIST’s new Dwella Rug Wool), and after a few trial and errors, I came up with this sweet little design. I wanted to create a pattern that would repeat itself, but in surprising ways. On my third try I came up with the final design: rows that include five small rectangles and one rectangle fifty percent larger. The large rectangle would move from left to right for each section and then be covered by a few rows of the yarn matching the larger square. 

The final piece is folded such that the warps are horizontal, not vertical. This gives the purse a very different look from what one observes when weaving. 

The kit includes:
-6 42-yard  bobbins of Gist Dwella Rug Yarn
-11 grams of 11/0 Myuki Delica Beads for finishing
-2 silver-plated D-Rings (note: these are different from the photo) 
-Cotton material for lining
-A bobbin of C-Lon thread
-1 two-inch tapestry needle
-1 beading needle
-1 100 yard bobbin of 12/9 Seine Twine (If using a loom 28" or larger, you will need to purchase an additional 100 yard bobbin.) (Please contact us if you plan to weave this on the 48" Lily Loom.)
-An adjustable leather purse strap

This kit makes: An 8" x 16" tapestry for a final purse size of 8 x 8

What else you need to begin: 
-A 12" or larger Classic Series Mirrix Loom with a 8 dent warp coil and a shedding device. For looms 28" and larger, you will need an extra 100-yard bobbin of seine twine. (Please contact us if you plan to weave this on the 48" Lily Loom.) (Note: You can also weave this without a shedding device.) 
-64 heddles (one roll or you can make your own) 
-A good pair of scissors
-A measuring tape 
-A bead mat or piece of cloth to hold your beads for finishing 
-A beater (or fork)