Finishing Projects

Finishing Projects

I’ve been trying hard with Ruth’s Daily Dose of Fiber challenge, but so far that mostly consists of me rewriting the same list each day 🙂  I have managed to complete a few projects recently though. The first one was a small shoulder bag I started a while ago when I was using my felt offcuts. I think these kinds of bags are known as ‘passport bags’, it’s big enough to fit a camera and coin purse in. I had some nice fabric that I salvaged from a worn out camera bag, so I used this on the inside flap. It might look familiar because I took photos of the magnetic closures for a post not so long ago.

BagI covered over the tops of the magnetic closures with felt-craft felt on the inside and a nuno felt offcut for the front, before sewing the sides together-that’s usually something I’d forget to do!

bagOnce it was all sewn up, I finished around the edges with blanket stitch in the same maroon colour I’d used for sewing. Another project I finished recently was a felt placemat. I made the felt sometime last year and used a piece to make a mirror case, and cut out the placemat, but I never got around to blanket stitching the edges, so one day last week when there was about 30 minutes of light, I finished it off.

coasterThe last project I managed to complete this week was a set of two coasters for by the kettle. I used a plain piece of felt and cut an 11 x 7 inch rectangle, and a square roughly 6 x 6 inches. I zig-zag stitched around the edges then did random straight stitching, first one way, then the other. This thickened up the felt and because I wasn’t aiming for neatness, I didn’t need to concentrate hard or strain my eyes 🙂

trivet

square coaster

What have you been working on lately? Have you finished any projects you had waiting for a while?

10 thoughts on “Finishing Projects

  1. The passport bag is very pretty indeed! Your lovely placemat would remind me of the sea at mealtimes, and stitching the other mats is a good idea to make them strong (looks good too).

    Don’t worry about re-writing the list – my diary shows that if I didn’t manage to achieve what I wanted, then I carried it over to the next day. But the important thing is that I no longer beat myself up over it because I do spend my minimum 5 minutes on the target and that is achievable every day.
    I just got the calculator out – 5 minutes every day equals 30 creative hours in a year!

    1. Thanks, Lyn 🙂
      I suppose at the very least my diary is getting filled, even if I will spend over a day re-writing lists this year 😉
      That’s a good attitude, that you have.

  2. As you probably figured out, I am a workaholic. However finishing is a different sort of animal. I try not to rush my finishing. Sometimes I put it off also to make sure this is the direction I want to go. I don’t think that finishing should be rushed into. But I do finish everything eventually. You should be very proud of that shoulder bag. It is really wonderful.

    1. Thanks, Judy 🙂
      Yeah, I’d noticed you’re always working on something! That’s the good thing with fibre arts-there are many stages, so we can leave them and come back when we’re ready.

  3. Zed – it’s always good to finish something up. I have lots of projects in the midst right now. I have two books to bind and 4-5 more applique homework projects to complete. But I keep pushing along and doing as much as I can each day.

    Your bag is great and I love the stitching that you did on the kettle coasters. I also love how machine stitching hardens the felt and makes it more durable.

    1. Thanks, Ruth 🙂
      It is usual for me to do most of my felting in winter when it’s cooler and do the sewing/making up/finishing etc in Summer when I can see better, so I don’t get too panicy about unfinished work, but yeah, it is nice to see it finished 🙂
      It sounds like you’re really enjoying your stitching and beading.

  4. I don’t know how well I am doing on the challenge but I do think about it everyday so that’s a start. The place mat reminds me of the sea too. It looks like the sun over the water if you turn it a little. The bag is great. I hung the one you sent me up on my studio wall.

    1. Thanks, Ann 🙂
      I would have thought just putting away that World of Wool order would use up a couple of hours fibre time 😉
      I’m glad you like your bag.

  5. Ha i’m with Ann zed at least i think about doing something every hour of every day but havent had much luck in doing hardly anything lately. I love your bag and those coasters are always a good thing, i’m still using the very first one you sent me at work for my cuppa !!! The stitched kettle coasters are a great idea and very cool 🙂

    1. Thanks, Kaz 🙂
      Yeah, I definitely get more thinking than doing done at the moment, but at least we have ideas for when we get time, eh? 🙂

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