First off - I warped up my loom and started with this...
Which I had great fun weaving. Herdwick (the marled grey yarn) and plain white wool warp, along with a weft of Axminster orange (plain weave) and herringbone (Herdwick) alternating with plain weave (white wool). Fast to warp and fast to weave.
Eventually I cut it off and fulled it.
And this was where I got really excited. It fulled beautifully. I was very pleased.
Next up I needed to decide how to make my bag. Unlike the original design, I wanted a lining. I also had a bit of difficulty sourcing plain leather to cut and use. Eventually I bought some pre-made handles, with the holes pre-punched so I just needed to sew them on to the woven fabric.
Then, things got... interesting. The weaving was the easy part - but the sewing up became a bit of a chore! Although I loved sewing by hand as a child, too many years of repairing clothes (why hello coats where the buttons aren't sewn on properly!) has left me very reluctant to sew.
I started sewing up. And then I stopped.
I ran out of energy and things weren't as easy as I had assumed they would be. I kept putting it off. I didn't want to do it. Well, I wanted the bag - I just didn't want to do the bits between fulling the material and the end result.
I managed to get the two sides sewn up. I attached the handles. Then I measured out the lining.
On trying to attach the lining I realised it was too small.
I re-measured, and cut a new lining.
This again did not fit.
It was a silly mistake - but I realised the woven material had bulkiness I had failed to account for. So I re-measured and cut a third time. This time - success!
I pinned on the material and plotted how to sew the lining to the bag.
I began sewing. Then I unpicked it and redid part of it.
And then...
Realised I'd put the handles on wrong. It was not my best moment.
Fortunately I managed to correct that! Just.
And finally, finally. I sewed the lining in.
Okay. I admit. There are bits that I could improve. Bits that I have already started considering how to do it next time. But! I am very very pleased with the end result. So here - in all its lovely new glory - is my handmade and handwoven carpet bag.
