Tag Archives: bag

Pepper’s travel bag

Posted on by
9

Mr. Aitch, Pepper, and I went to my brother’s “cottage” on Lake Chautauqua last week for wine tastings at various vineyards in the area. The weather wasn’t as cooperative as predicted but we still had fun, tasted multiple wines, and ate well. (Too well. I’m glad I packed elastic waist pants!)

We’ve only taken Pepper with us on the road one other time and boarded her other times. She needed her own travel bag. I used a heavy canvas bag for her before but it was a bit small and promoted my former working environment. Not that that’s a bad thing but I wanted a bigger bag with dog-related fabric or designs.

Some of the fabric I acquired from my BFF had the perfect design. Five and a half yards of the blue bone fabric. The piece was evidently leftover from a quilt as it was only 20 inches wide. Whatever, it would work for my purpose.

I cut the solid back and handles off the original canvas bag for the bottom section and handles for Pepper’s bag. I used a layer of fusible fleece on both the outer and lining fabrics to give the bag more stability.

I added a vinyl pocket to the front, a slip pocket inside, and a snap to keep it closed. The best part was that I used what I had. The straps/handles are dark green but I’m OK with that. And Pepper doesn’t care either.

Perfect for a Doggie Travel Bag!

Patti

Don’t tread on me details

Posted on by
2

My Don’t Tread on Me purse/bag went from this…

..to this in a few steps.

After the first cycle through the washer.

That blob of stuff in the upper left is what I pulled out of the washer and was attached to the bag as it felted.

Second cycle…and more fuzziness.

The raised lines are felting into the bag.

I needed a third hot/cold wash cycle to get the final felting I wanted.  This is a close-up of the strap.  See all that fuzz?!?!

I started defuzzing the strap.  See the difference between the left side and the right side?

The main bag portion getting sheared.

These duckbill scissors worked great and I didn’t worry (too much) about accidentally cutting into the felted fabric.

A piece of foam cut to size serves as a stabilizer under the lining.  A flexible glue holds it in place.

Voila!

Don’t tread on me?

Posted on by
8

Finally finished last week!  And I L.O.V.E. it!030-me-w-purse

The zigzags remind me of tire treads so I decided to name my purse “Don’t Tread on Me.”030-felted-front-001

The treads felted flat into the knitted body but are slightly visible in the lower section in certain lighting.  Perhaps less felting would have retained the raised texture.032-felted-front-closeup-002

The ombre effect turned out well.031-felted-back-001

Love the swivel hook and triangle ring.033-felted-hook-001

Fully lined.034-inside-empty-001

All the stuff I carry…036-labeled-stuff

…has a place.035-inside-full-002

Project details later.

I cheated

Posted on by
8

Yes, I must confess that I cheated on my yarn diet.

I wanted to make a new felted purse and use up some gifted yarn at the same time.

004-yarn

I even swatched!

001-swatches

5 inches by 5 inches on the left.  4 inches by 4 inches on the right after hand felting.

Only I don’t have enough yarn to complete the project.  I’m making up the pattern as I go and I thought I just might have enough yarn when I began.

003-front-001

 

Two balls of yarn knit and one to go.  It’s not going to be large enough for my liking.

006-back

The back is plain.

008-bottom-002

 

 

007-bottom-001The bottom is 5 x 15 inches.

008-front-003

The bag is 7 inches tall…so far.  the purse/bag will shrink at least 20% according to my swatch.  The swatch was felted by hand and I will probably do this in my washing machine so it will shrink faster.  Not as much control but results in a denser fabric.  And did I mention that it’s faster?

Well, I found that Lopi yarn is still made just not distributed by Reynold’s. No guarantees that the color (light ash heather 0054) would match exactly as they would be different dye lots.  So I bought two balls each of ash heather (color 0056), heather grey (0057), and dark grey heather (0058).

009-yarn1

My plan is to gradually start working in the next darker ball of yarn then add each color going from light to dark.  I will keep the zigzag in the lightest color for contrast and continuity.

005-front-detail-002

My other option is to rip it all apart and begin over with the darkest color on the bottom and transition to the lightest color at the top.

010-yarn2

Which would look better?  Go from light at the bottom to dark at the top?  Or have the dark on the bottom and to light at the top?

Or am I over thinking this project and just go with what I’ve done?