Another bag

The "internal metal purse frames" arrived, and so now we have them in three sizes at the store.  I know how hard it is to figure out how to use them, so I wanted to include an instruction sheet with each one.  So, of course i thought that I needed to take a few more photos of the process.  That meant making another bag.  Of course.

 
I decided to make this one rather long, but shallow, with the idea of it holding knitting needles. 

 I had been wanting to use this really great Joel Dewberry decorator fabric that is pink and white and red.  I happened to have some red and white ribbon on hand as well.  And of course black and lime green always add to a project!

 I used a layer of batting quilted to the outside fabric, and a layer of iron on interfacing to the lining to give the bag a bit of body.  Of course I took lots of photos on how to put the lining and the outside together, with the fabric channel to hold the metal tube.  You sew around the top edges and turn the thing inside out through a gap you leave in the side seam of the lining. 
After all that, I didn't end up using the new photos in the instruction sheet.

But it does hold knitting needles pretty well.

Internal Metal Purse Frame

 This is the second purse that I made using this hardware: (the "internal metal purse frame")

 I wanted to show you how to use one of these because it is easy to do, but hard to figure out if you're like me.

It helps if you've made a tote bag before sometime.  This one is a simple tote with a lining and two straps. 
 So all you do, is when you sew the lining and the outside of the bag together , and you insert the straps, just add a folded over rectangle of fabric into the seam as well:

 Then you dismantle the frame by pulling out the little screws at either end that hold the two sides together.

 run each of the metal tubes through the fabric rectangles, and then put the post screws back in how they were before.  There are two other little ends that you screw in to the ends of the posts so that it is all secure!

If you missed my other post about the bag made with a ribbon panel, it was here

(On this bag, the handles were sewn on later, not sewn in between the lining and the outer piece)

(Oh, and of course if you want to use try this out yourself, I tracked down a source for them and placed an order, so I hope we'll have them available at the shop in a couple of weeks, in 3 sizes!)

some Felty Loveliness

Ready for some felt-love?

Yesterday (and a few other moments here and there) I finished up a few felt projects that I had wanted to do for a little while.  I love working with felt!
First up was a bracelet kit I had purchased in Houston.  I made it primarily to use as a sample at the shop, since I placed a substantial order with the company.  This is a teaser-- you will go bananas when you see it all arrive.

The bracelet was not too hard to make, assuming you have a couple of basic jewellery making techniques, such as opening and closing jump rings,

The main difference between the felt balls made by this company and the previous felt balls we had from the Artgirlz company (which seemed to go out of the felt ball business to pursue other endeavors), is the absence of a hole drilled through the ball.  Instead, you use a large, flat needle that separates the felted wool fibers and opens up a temporary hole for you to poke the wire through.  It took a few tries to get the hang of it, but then it was pretty clear sailing. 

The wire is strung with a couple of other beads, and then the straight end you coil into a spiral.  Then you attach all the little beads, about 50 of them to the bracelet's main chain with jump rings. 

This is my finished bracelet in a tray along with some other felted goodies that I'm gathering together for the display when the order arrives.
After that, I pulled out some green felted wool fabric, and wrapped it around some cardboard cylinders that I happened to have around.

I decorated them quite simply with some scraps of ribbon, and a few felt beads.
And what is that little animal you may be asking???
That little puppy is a needle felted dog!

 He is my first attempt at making a three dimensional figure out of wool roving and a basic single barbed needle.  He took about an hour of poking at the wool, and I only jabbed myself about 3 times.  You have to be really really careful about that!!  He is a bit stumpy, but I like him!
 Finally, do you remember the time when I started to knit a sweater and then had to stop because I couldn't buy any more wool to finish it?  Well, I did NOT rip out the sleeve that I had knitted.  Instead, I have turned it into a purse.

 I added a bit of crochet along the top edge, and sewed up the folded up sides.  There it languished for a month or two --( how time passes!).
 I decided to use this lovely turquoise silk to line it, also adding an iron on interfacing to give it a bit more body.  The lining is definitely necessary so that the bag does not stretch all out of shape>

 When I picked it up by the handle, of course it slumped.  So I merely cut a piece of wood dowel a little shorter than the width, and encased it in another piece of the lining and slip stitched it across the top edge:

 Did you notice the strap handle????
I love it!  It is by Sang Woo company, and it is Detachable!! Yes, you can buy one handle and use it interchangeably on more than one bag.  Brilliant!

 And that concludes Felt Friday for michelle!