Thursday 13 June 2013

Flap Bags

I recently decided to play around with flap bags.  I had an anonymous comment on here asking about how to make them and I realised I've never really posted much about flap bags.. and hadn't even felted one for ages!   SO, I've been tinkering around and taking photos as I went :)    

Bag #1 

Resist material.
I like using foam floor underlay for laminate floors
It comes on 10m rolls from places like B&Q
Adding 50% to the size of the resist to allow for shrinkage
I cut the bag resist.  The shape at the top will become the flap.
Cut pocket resists
My main ingredients :)
I used nice leather sew-on bag handles
First thing layed upon the resist will show as the inside of the bag.
I scattered tussah silk fibre and a few merino 'flowers'.   
After laying the pockets on the first side, followed by 2 fibre layers
I flipped it.

Rays Folded over.
I use 6 fibre layers for each side of my bags.  I think it works best to only
use 4 layers on the flap area though.. otherwise the doubled up thickness on the finished
flap can be a bit bulky
Lots of tussah silk scattered over the top layer.
'Flowers' are made from tufts of merino and cut from prefelt
Part way through felting I cut across the top
And removed the resist from the flap, laying it on top of the resist I carried on working it.  
I had reoved the resist from the flap just a little too late for the 2 sides
to felt together easily,  a little stitching to hold it down helps
Felted HARD - I got my 50% shrinkage.
Stuffed full of tea towels and drying on the radiator
After it dried I stitched magnetic snap fastners on
And the handles
A couple of vintage coat buttons sewn outside over  the
snap fastners
Pockets

:)

5 comments:

Billie said...

Wow, this is really pretty. Thanks for posting the pictures. Billie

Kerry O'Gorman said...

This is an awesome, easy to follow post and I SO appreciate it as a novice wet felter. Thankyou so much...Beautiful...lovely...to die for , colours and patterns!

FeltersJourney said...

Thank you Billie & Kerry :)
Hope it helps, I'll be posting about a couple of other flap bags soon too
xx

Kelly said...

Posts like these make my fingers itch to felt something! Beautiful colors and layout. :) The goaties send smooches!
Kelly

FeltersJourney said...

oh yay Kelly, get those itchy fingers felting :) I love seeing your work (and your gorgeous goats :)!
xx