Sample Tote Made With a Re-Purposed Scarf

Applying 'squid-like'...

...and 'frame-like' pieces of re-purposed bouclé scarf...

...to the surface of my resist...

...and covering them with wool roving.

                                               Flipping the project to side two...

                                   ...adding additional re-purposed embellishments...

                              ...and covering them with layers of wool roving, as well...

                                               ...(but in a slightly lighter shade).

                                               Folding down the top of the tote.

                                           Side one, mid-way through felting...

                                                             ...and side two.

                                  

                                                   The finished tote (side one).                                     

                                                A detail of the bouclé loops.

                                                  Side two of the finished tote.

                                              Continuing my 'tote exploration'...

                      ...for the class that I'm due to teach this September in MN...

                                ...I found a length of discarded, bouclé knit scarf...

                                           ...and just started 'fiddling around'. :)

                                     The synthetic yarn felted-in beautifully...

                       ...and the 'grape-like' bouclé loops remained quite discrete.

                  Note: individual strands of this yarn would make a lovely addition...

                 ...to representational projects featuring grapevines or flowers.


                   

Knitted Bouclé Linen and Silk Washcloths...Plus New Bowls!

                            A friend of mine has been knitting cotton washcloths, lately...

                          ...so I decided to try a similar project using bouclé linen...

                                                             ...and silk yarn!

                                               I knitted them on the diagonal...

                            ...and, when done, wove the ends in as well as I could.

                    (Please remember that my knitting skills are still very rudimentary!) :)

                                 The linen bouclé one has a rough, textured surface...

                                       ...perfect for 'scrubby' use in the kitchen...

                                        ...but I'm keeping the softer, silk one...

                                                  ...for use as a face cloth!

                                       *************************************************

                                           When I was in the UK this spring...

                                ...I indulged my fairly serious 'bowl addiction'...

                          ...with these vintage, handmade and thrift shop dishes.

                                I also found a mug to add to my Moomin collection...

                                                   ...in fabulous orange!! :)

"Rescued' Purse- Part 4 of 4

Drafting a design element.

                                        Punching 'strap holes' in the finished felt.

                                                         Paper patterns...

                                       ...are pinned onto two thin layers of pre-felt...

                                                           ...and cut out...

                                        ...then placed onto a layer of cotton scrim...

                                                          ...wetted out...

                                                            ...and felted.

                                 The intentional 'hairy edges' of my design elements...

                      ...echo the accidental ones along the side seams and purse bottom. 

                      A strap and bag attachment are fashioned from a piece of leather...

                                      ...as well as this Deco-style leather closure...

                                            ...(which masks an earth magnet).

                                    The expanded bottom provides a roomy interior.

                                                             The purse front.

                                                

                                               A close-up of one leather closure. 

                                      The blending of white and brown wool fibers...

                                         ...results in its 'heathery' appearance.

                                            The back of the finished purse.

                                          Naturally, when thinking about 'rescue'...

                 ...these two international symbols of help and healing sprang to mind.

            In creating design elements that mimic the distressed look of my bag...

                                ...I hoped to change the viewer's focus...

                                        ...in a felting 'sleight of hand'!! :)
   
                       

"Rescued" Purse- Part 3 of 4

Removing the resist...

...mid-way through felting...

                                      ...and turning the project right-side out.

                                          
                                                 After a lot of rubbing, rolling...

                                                              ...and fulling...

                        ...the closely-woven cotton has still not really attached to the wool.

                                        The pre-felt sections felted-in, as expected...

                                    ...but the fabric areas look like elephant skin!

                                          After initial feelings of disappointment...

                                                        ...and deliberation...

            ...I decided to 'take the bull by the horns' and just remove the fabric altogether!

The newly denuded purse..

  ...with red felt 'side seams' and bottom...

                                        ...and their attendant 'hairy' fabric edges...

                                          ...(where bits of attached fabric remain).

                                              

                                                This is the point in the 'tale'...

                             ...when readers may throw up their hands in horror...

                                 ...wondering 'how on earth?' their scrappy heroine...

                                          ...will save the day this time?!! (Giggle)

                                            Next time: the 'rescued' purse...

                                           ...with leather appointments.

"Rescued" Purse- Part 2 of 4

Wrapping pre-felt squares (from the reverse side)...

...around the resist edge to the front, then wetting them out.

(The resist's 'flanged' bottom...

...will provide extra room in the finished purse.)

                               Adding the second layer of fabric (design-side down)...

                                       ...and covering it with layers of wool roving.

                                        Placing two layers of commercial pre-felt...

                                           ...onto the extended purse bottom...

                                                     ...and wetting them out.

                                     Flipping the project back to the original side...

                   ...and covering the whole shebang with layers of corriedale roving...

                                  ...from my friend, Cathy Bickell's lovely sheep.

                                          After flipping the project once again...

                                           ...I fold in the rays of brown wool...

                                ...and cover side two with corriedale roving, as well.

                                                    Mid-way through felting.            

                 (Note: a thin sheet of plastic was used to keep the extra bottom flap...

                                 ...from felting into the body of the bag as I worked.)          

                                        Next time: my nuno catastrophe is revealed...

                                       ...and I start to do something about it! :)