Knitted Domino Bag

Another finish!

This started out as Potholder # 2 from Domino Knitting by Vivian Hoxbro. I really liked the way the colors worked together and decided to make another one and turn it into a bag.

I like bags but making them intimitdates me. After staring at the parts for a few weeks I finally decided to do it. I've made my share of errors assembling bags. I've sewn the pocket in upside down and made the lining too small.

This projects first mistake involved the straps. I remember seeing something somewhere about i-Cords with clothesline on the inside for strength. That sounded like a good idea. I knitted the i-Cords and then got some clothesline to stuff inside. That doesn't work. Had I done more research I would have learned that you knit the i-Cord around the clothesline (and there are great tutorials out there). Instead I ended up using a doubled up white shoelace for strength. It was actually possible to thread it in the i-Cord and will make a servicable strap.

My main worry was that one strap would be longer than the other. Luckily they turned out the same length. I tried hard to get them sewn in at exactly the same spot on both sides. They are slightly off. The i-Cord resists pinning and keeps shifting.

The next mistake involves the lining. I got a tear in a favorite shirt (cotton/silk blend) a few weeks ago and decided it would make the perfect lining. However, I'm used to sewing quilt fabrics together, not something lighter. I used the light fabric setting on the sewing machine but the same thread and needle I would normally use. It probably would have been easier with the right tools.

The sewing machine ate my lining! I was able to get it out but there is a small rip in the corner. I just moved the seam so the rip is in the seam allowance and now that corner of the lining won't extend all the way into the corner of the bag.

Since the material is slightly flimsy, I attached it to a strong upholstry ribbon around the top. I sewed the i-Cord handles into this ribbon and hand sewed the lining in using the ribbon.

Now, I just need to be brave enough to use the bag. I'm sure it will hold together but I'm afraid that the knitting will snag on something. I'll probably save it for special occasions.

I think the next bag like this will be out of wool and felted. That will make it much sturdier.

Comments

More Wildflowers of America

Since I have framed the stitched Bleeding Heart from Curtis Boehringer's Wildflowers of America I decided to track down the other 3 wildflowers that had I stiched earlier. I chose these flowers because they reminded me of the forests of Ohio where I grew up - Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Wake Robin and Bloodroot. The Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Wake Robin where both finished with fabric frames. This was a favorite finishing technique of mine for a long time. On the back they are dated 1999 - that was a while ago. I remember the quilt store where I purchased the fabric, but not its name. It's gone now but it was in an old Victorian house in Old Colorado City. The turrets where lined with bolts of fabric and hey had a great selection of plaids. I had never heard name Wake Robin before and it means nothing to me, but the flower is definitely a Trillium. Back then, I dutifully followed the pattern. Now I would have used the name Trillium ...

Diverted by Dorset Buttons

I learned how to make Dorset Buttons yesterday at our monthly EGA meeting . These little buttons are so much fun to make! We only got three rings so that's how many I made. If I would have gotten more I'd probably be still making them. One nice thing is that they are very forgiving. I made countless mistakes on my first one and you can't tell. A quick google revealed lots of websites with historical information and tutorials on how to make them so I'm not even going to try to describe the process. Some people made their buttons with yarn, others used perle cotton. One of the examples had beads on it, so once I got home I had to find some beads to sew on. That's it for now. I'm going to be keeping my eye's open rings to use. I'm also going to have to go through my yarn stash. Using yarn gives a totally different result and I want to try some yarn ones too.

It's about time - the big reveal

My bright quilt was finished in June but I wanted to wait until both were done before sharing the pictures. Quilting the blue quilt didn't take long but finishing the binding sure did. I did procrastinate a bit as it was too warm to have a huge quilt on my lap for most of the summer. After this, I'll probably do all the binding on my sewing machine (and stick to smaller quilts). Notice the cut-out corners? That was a challenge. I found instructions here and it looked easy enough but I wished I had practiced some. After a lot of finessing I finally got good miters but I could have done much better. The cut-out corners allow the quilt to hang nicely over the edges of the mattress and it's a perfect match for a full sized mattress. But, the top edge isn't even close to the pillows. I wonder how the quilt fit on the bed it was made for. Here, at last, is the original quilt that I was copying. I just...

Erica's Stitches

Search This Blog