Since we’ve been traveling a lot this winter, I wanted a small project to work on. I’ve had a  frame for a small coin purse sitting around for a while. So, I decided to try that.

Unfortunately, the first one I made was too thick.  I had used three layers, the middle layer corriedale. I set it aside and when I returned I tried again.

I like the idea of using silk inside.  I had some yardage from a shop in Florida I purchased last year.  It was close enough to the turquoise batt I had on hand from another project.

The first one was also a bit larger than I wanted. I’m always looking to lighten my handbag.  So, I had adjusted the resist to be a little smaller and used two layers. I also cut the silk to overlap so there wouldn’t be any gaps with the silk.  Of course, there is no guarantee it won’t shift during felting.

I used mulberry silk to embellish it.

When I finished felting, I carefully cut the sides to match the curve of the frame.

Then came the challenge — getting the felt into the frame and staying long enough to sew it on.  I tried Gorilla glue, but that made a mess and didn’t work.  I ended up using a blanket stitch around the edges then a nail file to push it into the frame.

The frame had holes on one side and a longer solid piece on the backside.  In order to get the needle through to the back, I had to run it on an angle while making sure the felt stayed in place.  Very fiddly!

Doing the second side was more of a challenge because the felt kept slipping out. I did manage to finish it without throwing it to the ground or out.  It seems to be fairly sturdy despite using a single cotton thread.

I’m pleased with it, but it was a lot more work than I had anticipated.  I have trouble with working small in tight spaces.  My hands were not happy. We’ll see how well it wears.  But I can guarantee there are no more coin purses in my future unless I design my own without a frame.

Have you made these?  Is there a trick I was missing?