A la Boutis Provencal Bonnet – Digital Pattern

Boutis provençal is primarily practiced in France in areas of Provence and Marseille. Although the technique may look intricate, it is actually quite easy to execute with a few basic tools and materials. In short, it is a padding technique, but differs from both trapunto and quilting. Traditionally for trapunto, the back fabric layer is slit open for the insertion of small pieces of stuffing, then the slits are hand-stitched closed. Boutis work involves stitching a design onto two layers of fabric with nothing between. This creates narrow channels between the stitching lines. Yarn is inserted into the channels with a large, long needle through the bottom fabric layer. This creates the raised, dimensional texture on the right side. Holes created by the needle close naturally when laundered. The pattern for our featured boutis piece, an adorable bonnet designed by Marie Yolande, and her technique for executing boutis are included in this e-pattern. This pattern was excerpted from the book Sewing for a Royal Baby. Download this e-pattern instantly and start sewing this project today!

This e-pattern also includes a bonus PDF, excerpted from Sewing for a Royal Baby, featuring general instructions for some of our favorite techniques.