Sunday, July 27, 2014

"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'!! :)
   
                       

6 comments:

FeltersJourney said...

The distressed edges of the design elements (my fave is the crescent moon) are great and the leather strap and closure are just perfect!

It turned out really lovely, you wouldn't guess it was a 'rescued' project!
xx

Rachel said...

What a great rescue! Love the balance between the cross and the crescent - is this going to be a medicine bag now?

Heather Woollove said...

Thanks, Deborah! I didn't want to feel like there was something 'missing' after so brutally ripping off the fabric, but I really don't.
Rachel--hahaha...nope, just a purse. :)

Kelly said...

I enjoyed watching the evolution of this project. I really so like the heathers look and the edging. You really do a wonderful job with the leather straps and closures on your bags. Very nice!

Unknown said...

Talk about ingenuity! From failure to success........you make it look so easy. Congratulations! :)

Heather Woollove said...

Kelly and Sandie--Thanks so much!!