Sunday, June 18, 2006

Just FELT like a change!

Slight departure from the pinched and stitched square technique, another type of gift bag.


(Click on photo for bigger image)

This is handmade felt. I teased out the wool tops, making a batt, then added some bits of wispy knitting yarn and free machined over it with metallic threads. Then I moulded it around a plastic washing liquid ball and tied it up in a piece of old net curtain. I put it through a 60 degree wash programme with detergent, along with some other bits and pieces that I wanted to felt. Then I dried it out and cut a slit to remove the washing liquid ball. (I've also used this technique successfully by boiling the wrapped washing liquid ball in a saucepan with a little detergent).

I hand embellished it with beads and made a length of machine wrapped cord with some of the knitting yarns I had included in the felt batt and the metallic threads I previously used. I zigzagged a piece of the cord all around the opening, looping it around at the two corners and leaving long ends to make the handle. With a piece of the same cord I made a circle for the button loop and stitched that on, and I made a button with the rest by stitching it round in a spiral. Finally, I wrapped it back around the washing liquid ball, wet it and dried it with a hairdryer to restore the shape. The finished bag is a little bigger than a tennis ball. Here's a closeup showing the beading, edging and button.


(Click on photo for bigger image)

3 comments:

Conni said...

This is a delightful little bag.

allie aller said...

You are so inventive!
How do you keep coming up with these new 3-D ideas?

Bhavani Harikrishnan said...

Looks like an embellished oyster shell. Lovely.
Good health and cheer to you and your family.