Saturday 2 February 2013

The Egg-Bag (part 1)

I haven't done any felting for ages! And it was hard to decide what to make to break the felting fast. How about an egg?
I have been wanting to try a one piece handbag with an integrated handle, so here goes.
I used 3 layers of merino wool around an egg shaped resist with a slightly flattened bottom.
To make the felt very strong, I incorporated a layer of cotton scrim between the top 2 layers of wool. I'm not sure if this has made very much difference, but I had some purple dyed scrim.
I carefully felted and fulled the piece using a bamboo blind and cool water with savon de marseille.  In this picture it is lying on the resist, so you can see how much it has shrunk.
I also added small pieces of silk in a random way as surface decoration, but they have all but disappeared into the felt.
It is still damp, and I have cut a curved line to remove the resist and form the handle and flap.
And the same on the other side.
Here it is stuffed with plastic bags and drying. I am feeling very pleased with the shape. 
I am planning to put some thick cord into the handle, and stitch the edges together, so that it holds its shape even with some weight in the bag. 
How should I decorate it to finish it off? - any ideas welcome! 


2 comments:

  1. Deborah-Did you ever finish it? One idea: If you try another one, get it to the pre-felt stage and then sew all over it with wool thread (gently) and finish felting it. Your design will already be there when you're done! :) good luck with your renovations!

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    1. Thanks so much Heather! That is a really good suggestion. To tell the truth, the reason I haven't finished this piece (or added to my blog!) is that we are still rather chaotic after this house move and I haven't a clue which unpacked box it's in! Also I need to make curtains and paint walls. Frustrating, but we are having a garage built and I will have a studio above this, which is very exciting. So this autumn I'll get going again. Also I'd love to find a felting embroidery course to do. Are you in the UK? any suggestions welcome.
      In the meantime I am trying to develop ideas, inspired by blogs like yours. Love your strong shapes and bold designs.

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