Tuesday 14 June 2011

Summer bag & purse

Just a quick post.. time is getting away from me again, can't believe its been a week since I posted our holiday pic!

 
Thought I'd tell you about my new bag..  I made it a couple of weeks ago actually, it came away with me and was very well used :)

For summer adventures I like a backpack type bag, to keep my hands free for whatever; scrambling over rockpools, helping kids and/or dogs.. you know how it is as a mom!  My trusty denim backpack (which I've used for about 8 years!) finally gave out a few weeks ago.  So I decided to make myself one..

Of course it HAD to be felt.. in 2 of my favourite coloured fibres.. with shiny, colourful decorative bits, and I decided to add some pretty cotton fabric my mom gave me too. 


I love these buttons for some reason...
I did take photos as I was making it but somehow managed to lose them! 

Basically I made a pretty long seamless bag, which was wider at one end (this is the bottom).  I'd used merino, so I felted it as hard as it would go - shrunk at least 40% & its lovely and pebbly now.  After cutting the flap I set aside the spare bit of felt till later.   I used pins and steam to set the folds in the sides.

The straps are sewn from the pretty cotton fabric, machine stitched into place.  I later hand stitched squares of felt over the top to look prettier & add a little more reinforcement to the area where the straps join the bag.

I wanted this bag to have a drawstring closure too, so out came the lucet..
Use thick blue crochet cotton to lucet a long cord. 
The nice thing with lucetted cord, it doesnt fray when you cut it to length.

I sewed a sleeve of cotton the same width as the bag top, with a channel running along the top for the cord to pass through - and stitched this into the bag an inch or so from the top.  I handstitched the closure loop in place then machined stitched the flap lining into placed, going over the loop as I did.

Unfortunately I did all three things without sitting back and just looking and evaluating what I'd done.  I sewed the sleeve in place the WRONG way round!  The back of the fabric is showing.  At the point when I noticed, too much would have to of been unpicked to take it off and turn it.. so for now I'm ignoring it.  I may try adding a piece of the pretty fabric over the white bit - well maybe, if I feel like it.. 

Luckily this bag is for me.. so I can ignore my mistake if I want to

The swirly pattern is made from the lovely bright pencil roving brought at Wonderwool,
there is loads of sari silk fibre too
I wanted a robust and functional purse, so decided to sew the zip into a cotton liner, then machine stitch the felt on.  I just love using this purse :) it feels nice in my hand.


The blue button is one that my lovely husband picked up off the floor when he was out walking - he knows that I have a thing for buttons & brought it home for me :)

Anyway, I'm off to make a cup of tea and find some lunch - just got back from work & I'm feeling pretty ravenous!

TTFN xx

4 comments:

Heather Woollove said...

Really wonderful projects, Deborah!! I've never seen a lucet before. It looks very interesting (and useful)!
XXO-

Kelly said...

What a fabulous bag! I swear a gal can never have too many!

FeltersJourney said...

Thanks girls :)

Heather, I discovered luceting at work (living history) its a REALLY old braiding tool that the Vikings used and has been around since. Might have to do a little post about it sometime :)

xx

Clare Atfield said...

Hi there,

Just thought I would check in - finally have a working computer. An email may come later :)