Felted to the Finish Line

Four and a half hours of measuring, cutting, sewing, ripping, re-sewing and sore fingertips. And now I get to jump up and down with glee. You first saw the messenger bag ready for felting in this post.

My process for felting has an extra step. Boiling water in the washing machine. This was such a huge project that it took two kettles of actual boiling water for the magic to occur. Our hot water heater is set just hot enough for bathing and clean dishes. This is how it is set. Just two clicks past Warm. Thus, the shot of boiling water any time there is a felting project.

Snowy, the grandcat, enjoyed helping while I sewed lining. It is so easy to plot the lining for rectangles. Don't laugh, but the bottom of the bag is a sturdy 1/8" thick wood length from the craft store. The front panel and both sides are reinforced with two thickness of plastic mesh canvas. There is no reinforcement on the back side, because I wanted some flexibility to curve around the hip.

First, I cut the wood and plastic guts and fit them inside the bag. When those were exactly right, then I cut the lining fabric with seam allowances. The planning and thinking and fiddling all worked out. I was so very pleased when the whole thing was finished that I actually took time to put away the sewing machine and pick up all the bits of thread and clean the mess.

Look carefully at the top photo of the completed messenger bag. Only one grommet on the flap shows. I've added a second and when my patience returns, a third grommet will go in. Pure decoration and no practical purpose. Sure does look good.

Wool Smells Better

Terrible wild fires here in soCal. Let us all hold dear thoughts for those who are personally impacted by loss. The smell of smoke is everywhere and here in Riverside, we have brought the dogs indoor - too much smoke in the air. We are closely watching a fire in San Bernardino near the freeway.

So today I actually had almost an hour to work on what will one day be a thick felted messenger bag. This one has i-cord bind off as contrast. All that is left to do is finish the flap and i-cord all around that, make a strap and then felt.

My plan is to worry about lining later. First I have to decide who gets it and then customize for the lucky man. Look for the pattern at Knitty all the way back in Summer 05

I have looked at different possibilities for the strap. Right now I am leaning toward a purchased adjustable with the felted strip sewed on. And should there be a buckle closure, or magnets, or snaps or nothing? Way too many possibilities and this one is not yet speaking to me.