When I got home from work this afternoon, there was a package from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.
“How odd,” I thought. “I don’t remember ordering any Socks That Rock recently.”
I opened it up and look what was inside!
Can’t read the colorway name on the label? Here’s a close-up:
It’s a colorway inspired by Lucy! There was a note enclosed from Tina, Blue Moon Dyer Extraordinaire, saying that my fairy godmother had wished for this colorway. And I understand there might be more available if you contact Blue Moon . . .
There will be no living with Lucy now!
Some Noni Notes
Thank you for all the lovely comments on the Noni Baguette. I am very pleased with it!
How I did the finishing:
By the way, except for where noted, I did all the sewing by hand. After doing some machine stitching on the first Noni bag, I decided that handsewing was the way to go — far easier to execute, looks better, but longer to achieve.
First, I folded grosgrain ribbon in half lengthwise and stitched it together on the machine. I cut two long lengths and inserted them into the bag at the points where the handle loops were needed. I took one piece of ribbon and carefully sewed it down along the inside of the bag, with the ends sticking up on each side. The I folded down the excess and sewed it to itself on the inside to form the loop on each side.
So at each end of the bag, the loops on either side of the zipper are fashioned from one long continuous piece of ribbon sewed down onto the bag on the inside. I think this will give it extra strength while being carried — the tension on the loop will not be concentrated on one spot where it is sewed to the bag, but be distributed all the way around.
Then I put little brass purse feet on the bottom.
Then I sewed in the zipper. There was much cursing at this stage of the process.
I pinned the closed zipper into the top opening, then opened it to carefully to sew it into place. The top opening of this bag isn’t as perfect as the previous bag, because of the stripes of color, which made the edge slightly uneven. Still, it isn’t too bad.
After sewing in one side of the zipper (taking tiny, hopefully invisible, stitches), I zipped it up to make sure it looked okay. I then unzipped and sewed the other side. Then I exhaled the breath I was holding in throughout the entire process.
I ordered the custom-length zipper from zippersource.com. I’ve used them in the past and have no problems at all with their zippers — always perfect. Their shipping is a tad slow — I think instead of mailing things they must drop-kick them to their destination. Or maybe I’m too picky.
Onward. Time to line the bag.
In-between the lining and the bag, I used a very stiff interfacing, this one, to be exact.
The baguette is rounded, it doesn’t have a flat bottom.
(Okay I’m wondering what kind of Google searches will find this blog entry since I’ve used the phrases “very stiff” and “flat bottom.” Just sayin’.)
So I cut a rectangle of interfacing and fitted it into the bag to make the tube shape. I pinned the long edges in place along the top opening and then tacked it to the bag in a few places, using sewing thread that matched the pale pink of the bag. I only tacked the interfacing to portions of the bag that are pale pink. (See how clever I am? Rocket scientist, I tell you.)
I cut lining in a rectangle, and fitted it to the inside of the bag, pinning the top edge along the underside of the zipper tape.
Then I cut two circles of interfacing for the ends of the bag and covered them in lining material and shoved them into place in the bag.
It was at this point that it occurred to me that there was no way in hell that I would be able to sew the lining inside the bag unless I turned the whole thing inside out. I took the two circles out, and turned the bag inside out.
I must tell you how entertaining it is to attempt to turn a thickly felted tube lined with an extremely heavy interfacing inside out while there is a very furry cat pacing and twirling in your lap, head-butting your hand so you will put down what you are doing and pet her.
I feared for the life of the zipper, but got the &*)%#!^$ thing turned inside out. I pinned the lining-covered ends to the ends of the bag, tucking the edges of the body-lining underneath the circle, and then sewed the whole lining together and to the bag.
And turned it back right-side out, holding my breath all the while that I didn’t seriously f— it up somehow in the meantime.
The bag looked a little crunky at this point. The interfacing was NOT amused at its mistreatment and the circles at the ends were reluctant to sit quietly at the ends where they were supposed to. However, I punched and pummelled and battered the poor thing mercilessly, and suddenly the interfacing popped back into its proper shape, and the circles settled into the ends of the back with nary a whimper.
All that remained was to attach the handles. The hardware is very cool — there’s a little bar that you slip through the hole in the bamboo and then screw into the other side of the hardware. Fortunately I have a wee tiny screwdriver, so was able to accomplish this.
So there you have it. How I finished my Noni bag. And lived to tell about it.
And of course I’m going to make another bag. I was going to make the Medium Carpet Bag, but I changed my mind. I’m going to attempt a “Noni Knock-off” and more or less design it myself. We’ll see how that goes.
I’ve also got an idea for another perverse item that I need to knit up.
So as you can see, it will be a full weekend indeed!