Not A Failure

I was not happy with the way my dark olive green Sophie bag felted. I left it in the washer too long, I guess, and the spinning caused creases. Though I lucked out with the white bag the other day, I don't yet quite have the hang of felting in the front-loader. 

I was upset about it. 

I tried rewetting it, pulling it and tugging it, and steam-pressing it. Still it was no better. 

Definitely not nice enough for a handbag. My original plan was to buy some of those rather nifty handbag handles available at JoAnn's -- probably wooden ones -- and attach them somehow. But this bag was not worth the few bucks to spend on the handles.

I was trying to decide what to do with this thing. I figured I'd have to throw it away or use it as a car-washing rag.

But yesterday I was going through stuff to make a donation to a friend's collection for a rummage sale. I ran across a bin of my handspun yarn. Remember when I used to spin? Me (almost) either! But I did spin wool for a while there, and I have a nice little bin of handspun yarn. 

I gathered some of it up and decided it would make a pretty felted bag. Love those greens!

(Side note:  Aren't the lichens on my rocks cool?)

Then, I don't know what happened -- more rummaging around for the rummage sale, I guess -- and I ran across one of my beautiful Celtic brooches. A spark went off in my brain. 

I tried something.

I rolled down the upper edge of the failed Sophie bag, and put the brooch on the front of it. I arranged the handspun in the bag, and....

...handbag no longer, but coffee table decor. 

It's a way to display the beautiful vintage Celtic brooch that I would probably never wear.

My photos don't do it justice, but to say I don't hate it any more is a bit of an understatement. 

There are some days when I think that there is an artist inside me somewhere, just screaming to get out.  

Oh, hey! Happy Easter.

 

 

 

Comments

[Joansie]

Great job. Happy Easter!

[Manise]

Great fix! Happy Easter!

[Amy]

I definitely didn't think it was a failure before but now, you hit it out of the park! I sure hope that you plan on bringing that to your class as well - to show that you can do more with felting than just a handbag.

By the way, gorgeous broach!

[gayle]

OMG that pin is gorgeous!
I was going to suggest needlefelting as a way to disguise creases, but you don't need that advice now...

[margene]

Perfect! It just the right color for your livingroom and a lovely idea!

[Joannah]

1. V. Nice.
2. Love the pin.
3. Love the color combo.
4. Love the lichen.
5. Happy Easter.

[Rho]

Cool!

[Midj]

Way cool! Great display piece!

[Cookie]

Well done!

[Stacy]

I kinda liked the way it looked, but like it as a table ornament too. Brooch certainly jazzed it up and changed the entire thing, didn't it?

[Seanna Lea]

It is always funny to me how a relatively simple change can cause such a large change of perspective! Lovely job.

[marianne]

Love what you did with the bag/handspun/brooch! You little artist you! and LOVE the lichen!!!!!! yes, you have very cool lichen on your very cool rocks!

[Patty]

Very nice! Going to the wedding next week? ;-)

[Suzanne]

Happy Easter! What a great use of the bag and pin. Lovely handspun, too.

[elizabeth a airhart]

how very very nice

[lisa]

Hey, can you turn it upside down and put your head in it? Another nifty way to display that very nifty brooch...

[Connie G.]

I thought the bag looked fine, but the pin and the yarn -- Wowee!

[Trista]

Your Easter Peep Cocktail gave me a laugh! And then I just love the progression of the not so perfect bag, not so loved brooch and some forgotten handspun into art!! Indeed they look amazing together there on the coffee table. It is sort of a knitter's Easter basket, no?