Orange Flower Purse- Part 1 of 2

Layout...using a wool batt with multi-colored cotton dots.

Prepping for the first petal layer.

Laying out the first petal...

...and the second...

...and the third...

...then adding snippets of variegated pencil roving to the flower's center.

Felting the purse until it passes the 'pinch test'.

Cutting out the handle...

...and stuffing it with wool roving, prior to stitching, to give it a nice, rounded shape.

My across-the-sea friend, Deborah and I...

...have been using each other for inspiration quite a bit in the last few months!

I was especially taken with a flower cushion that she made recently...

...as was our friend, Kelly, who tried one, too...

...and in orange, no less!!! :)

But because I made so many pillows for Christmas gifts last year...

...I was feeling a little 'over them', and wanted to try something new...

...and, surprise, surprise(!), I thought of making...a purse!! Giggle.

 I designed a new, smaller resist with a narrower handle...

...and since I was making it for myself, I decided to make it in orange!! :)

I covered the resist with fiber from a wool batt that was blended with multi-colored cotton dots...

...then made 3 resists out of pieces of bubble wrap, cutting holes into each center.

As each petal was finished, I layered the project with another piece of bubble wrap...

...keeping the holes centered, so that all of the petals would connect in the middle.

 As a decorative element, and to ensure that my layers would felt together well...

...I made basting stitches in the flower's center with a length of silk yarn.

Next time: the finished purse...

...with pearlescent vintage buttons!