A new easy pouch, with pockets

[caterina]

Hello!
I thought to show you the pouch that I finished yesterday for my daughter. I tried to fix all the things that I thought not good with my first one: the thickness and uneveness of the felt and the lack of pockets first of all.

Here is it:
www.dropbox.com/s/15dhiy7evoqrdnl/img_20210921_094553.jpg?dl=0
The colours are my daughter's favourites :-)
I used a different type of tying in this one, because my daughter does not know how to tie a bow, yet, so I thought a button type of thing would work better for her. I really do not like the thing that I found in my buttons box to use, I will have to go and buy a paler or brighter one, but it stands for now.

The pockets:
The little one
www.dropbox.com/s/z2ir8vzkazkc1az/img_20210921_094604.jpg?dl=0

The big one inside:
www.dropbox.com/s/u2pw0hwzez6wd7b/img_20210921_094615.jpg?dl=0
This one I will maybe split in two smaller pockets by stitching it vertically in the middle.

Thoughts: I found out that I don't particularly like working with many layers of felt to get thicker felt.
Also, I do not think that heavier is better for the purpose that I had in mind for this pouch, although it is true that there are surely no holes poking out in this felt.
I did not manage the cutting of the pockets very well, the result was so ragged that I had to use thread to make it neater...and I should have rubbed the edges quite a bit to make the edges neater, but it just was too much for me. I do not know if the pockets edges were too ragged because I used inadequate scissors or it just is that way when you cut: I used my sharpest pointed scissors, that unfortunately are also very small. I will try with other types maybe.

All in all, I think that my daughter will be happy of this pouch, and will use it quite a lot.

[MTRuth]

Great job Caterina! I would call this a full sized bag as opposed to a pouch. Bags are a lot of work especially when you start adding pockets etc. I usually use a pair of sharp, larger fabric type scissors to cut open resists but it's easy to be a bit ragged. You can always trim again with scissors after your first cut to get an even edge. Then rub the edges to have a more smooth finish. All in all, it looks like you did a good job and your daughter should be quite pleased.

[lyn]

It's so 'girly' and such a pretty bag for your daughter! The pockets are great - it must have been hard work felting all that.

[Ann @ frabjous fabrica]

Well I like the button, though it may not be exactly right for the colour of this bag. Is that your hand in the pictures or your daughter's? If it's yours, then that is a very big bag and no wonder it wore you out. Whichever size it is I think it is a great gift for your daughter and I'm sure she'll love it.

[caterina]

Sept 21, 2021 15:31:41 GMT MTRuth said:

Great job Caterina! I would call this a full sized bag as opposed to a pouch. Bags are a lot of work especially when you start adding pockets etc. I usually use a pair of sharp, larger fabric type scissors to cut open resists but it's easy to be a bit ragged. You can always trim again with scissors after your first cut to get an even edge. Then rub the edges to have a more smooth finish. All in all, it looks like you did a good job and your daughter should be quite pleased.

Thank you, Ruth!

You have a good point here, it is bigger than a pouch, it is a bag as you say. I want it to keep my daughter's change when she goes to tennis class right after school, and she has to change into her sport kit. I think that it could even hold her snack in the small pocket.

Oh, I should have tried trimming the edges, you say? :-) yes, that didn't occur to me, but it would have made my life so much easier (I hate sewing, though I like embroidering), it is a very good advice for next time. I should get sharp reliable tailor scissors.

I tried to rub the edges, and it worked well with the smaller, thinner pocket, but not so well with the bigger and thicker one: the felt was not responsive at all. That is when I thought a bit of thread could help me keep the edge neater: I had planned to rub the edge once in place with thread, but in the end I was tired and just gave it a bit of half-hearted rubbing that did not make it seal much, or at all for that matter. I could have cut the pockets sooner, I got the impression that the wool was too felted already for me to do anything on the thicker white felt: maybe it would have made a difference on how well I could make the edge fold neatly and seal on itself.

[caterina]

Sept 21, 2021 18:40:47 GMT lyn said:

It's so 'girly' and such a pretty bag for your daughter! The pockets are great - it must have been hard work felting all that.

Thank you, Lyn!
She is very happy about the pockets!
I admit that I am looking at sanders, because I really found it hard going without one, though it is not as thick and stiff as, say, shoes.
At the same time, I am glad that I made it, I made felt with the thickness that I had in mind, instead of thinner that I wanted as usual: I added two layers more than what I would have usually added, and each thicker than I would normally use, and that was the correct amount to get a proper thick felt. I am glad that I have the measure of it now!

[caterina]

Sept 21, 2021 19:48:06 GMT Ann @ frabjous fabrica said:

Well I like the button, though it may not be exactly right for the colour of this bag. Is that your hand in the pictures or your daughter's? If it's yours, then that is a very big bag and no wonder it wore you out. Whichever size it is I think it is a great gift for your daughter and I'm sure she'll love it.

Thank you, Ann.
The hand is mine, but I have hands on the smallish side, so I will give the measures of the bag: it's around 30 cm of height by around 38 cm of width. I hope that this may help.
I used merino 23mic, and, for the external yellow layer, a blend of merino and tussah silk.
The button was actually a decorative one on my son's wool jumper: it was very nice on that blue jumper, but I had to remove it, because my son was 18 months old at the time and putting everything in his mouth, and that big button just near his mouth...so, it handed up in my button box, ready for reuse. :-)

[ScarletThistle]

This must have taken a lot of effort, Caterina. You have done really well to create such a big bag. I'm sure your daughter will love it. I have also been working on a bag and feel your pain with trying to achieve even thickness and neat edges. I also appreciate everyone's tips.

[caterina]

Oct 6, 2021 19:20:42 GMT ScarletThistle said:

This must have taken a lot of effort, Caterina. You have done really well to create such a big bag. I'm sure your daughter will love it. I have also been working on a bag and feel your pain with trying to achieve even thickness and neat edges. I also appreciate everyone's tips.

Thanks!
I have seen your bag, and honestly I think that it is fantastic and it seems much more uniformly felted than mine. I loved the ingenious detail of felted flaps to attach the handles in your bag! Your bag seems also very functional.