If At First You Don't Succeed...

This is a story of persistence.

I wanted to make a large piece of felt for a shawl (my first), but I didn't want to make it too colorful and thus limit its use.

...so I made it from some dull-ish taupe/grey roving, but added some burgundy pencil roving in random swirls for a little 'lift'.

I fitted it to my youngest daughter and made two button-holes, found some cool leather buttons that I thrifted from an old sweater, and sewed them on.

When I took a look at it and tried it on, I really hated it.

It didn't 'work' at all...not the fit...not the size.

SIGHHHHHHH...what to do?

I decided to make a purse from it, using a pattern that I drew on interfacing.

I pieced the strap and sewed a wide piece of twilltape inside of it for strength, and added one of the buttons as a closure. I then lined it with grey commercial felt.

After it was sewn together, it appears that the pencil roving was actually
designed to flow like that, from the flap to the body of the bag, and back again.

Happy accident, indeed! :)