Pane di Casa by Elisabetta Sforza

There has definitely been a resurgence in baking home-made bread recently. There isn’t much that can beat the warm, yeasty smell of a loaf baking in the oven, or the taste of a fresh slice of bread, still steaming hot, cut from the end of a crusty loaf.

But even before we rediscovered the passion for baking at home, there were plenty of bakeries and even many supermarkets which were offering fresh baked loaves in a variety of types and flavours, from sourdough to rye, multi-seed to olive bread.

With all of these lovely breads on the market or being baked at home, the question then arises about how to keep them fresh?

Many of us resort to plastic, as it is often the nearest thing to hand, but most of us agree that reducing plastic in our lives is an admirable goal.

So, what did people use to keep their bread fresh before plastic became ubiquitous?

One answer to that question comes from the French. The nation who brought baguettes to the world most definitely has a vested interest in maintaining the freshness of their bread. Therefore, it is little wonder that historically, their bread has been kept in linen bags.

Linen naturally attracts moisture, which helps prevent the bread from drying out. It is also reusable, washable and breathable and, although those French ancestors wouldn’t have considered it, it’s very eco-friendly.

But as embroiderers what are we compelled to do when we see a piece of linen without stitching on it? Get our needles out of course!

Fortunately for us, Elisabetta Sforza has designed this stunning, linen bread bag titled ‘Pane di Casa’ from Inspirations issue #106, just in time for a moment in history when many of us have begun or returned to baking our own bread.

Pane di Casa is an elegant bread bag, adorned with a colourful spray of wheat, poppies and cornflowers in the style that Elisabetta is famous for.

The roughness of the natural linen gives a perfect, rustic feel to this project. It has also been delicately finished with four-sided stitch and cleverly joined at the sides with bullion knots in a style ideal for allowing your fresh bread to breathe.

Wonderful texture is achieved through a combination of bullion knots and needlewoven picots, as well as cast-on stitch for the poppy buds. The main design is then set off by the colourful twisted cord which secures the mouth of the bag, protecting your loaf and keeping it fresh.

We can’t think of a better gift for a loved one, or a better project to decorate your kitchen whether you are spending more time in it now or not.

Both beautiful and practical, imagine delivering a perfectly made sourdough which you’ve finally mastered after months of trial, wrapped snugly in this delicately embroidered and endlessly reusable linen bag. Nothing says ‘love’ more than a home-baked, home-stitched delight.

Make Your Own Pane di Casa

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Pane di Casa by Elisabetta Sforza is an Italian linen bread bag adorned with poppies, cornflowers and wheat in surface embroidery.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Pane di Casa includes everything* you need to re-create this enticing bag: Fabric (unprinted), embroidery threads and needles.

Pane di Casa kits are currently on back order as we await the arrival of threads from France, with wait times unfortunately expected to be 2-3 months. We appreciate your patience.

*Please Note: To cater for flexibility of purchase, instructions are not included with our kits. For step-by-step directions on how to create this project, please refer to the magazine/digital pattern.