Rainy Day
It’s been a wet, rainy day today . . . but I haven’t been lazy! First, I made an apple-crumb pie. The filling is basic apple, sugar, spices and some dried cranberries. The topping is brown sugar, nuts, oatmeal, and butter. I didn’t measure anything except the sugar I put in the pie filling, and just kept my fingers crossed. I had a piece a couple hours ago, still warm, and it came out delicious. (All other portions will be cold because Dad likes his pie chilled . . .which is fine with me . . . but still, that one piece, warm, with some whipped cream? Mmmmm.)
But then, I got down to serious work. Lining/Fixing my bag.
I trimmed the long handle, sewed it down, and turned the excess into a strap for closing. Then I started piecing together the lining, thinking it through as I went.
I had told you about the bag’s structural problems, remember? About how the metal frame at the top was just too heavy for the bag to support? Well, I ordered some craft wire from Mister Art, to give just a little heft to the lining.
See? As I sewed the pieces of the lining together, I made channels to slide the wire and rods into. Four around the rectangular base, and then four up the four corners of the bag.
And so, the bag now has a lining (the perfect color, too, don’t you think?) and it has enough support to stand up, which it didn’t before. Really, my favorite part about this style of bag is that it opens wide and stays open–it’s perfect for knitting out of.
Really, I’m so happy. So what if the sewing isn’t perfect?? (grin) I still did everything I needed to do–and am proud of myself for figuring out how to get the channels in there for the wire, adding in some pockets. And it fits, too! (grin)
Now, the one thing left? I need a button or a snap or something to close the flap over the front. And I was thinking a felted flower, made out of the original blue would look lovely. Now, I just need to find a pattern for one . . . and a snap. Or maybe velcro? Something to hold it closed. But really, that doesn’t seem all that difficult at this point.
Chappy found the whole process rather boring. But at least his favorite spot is in the dining room–the same room that I was doing the sewing.
Oh, and not only did my craft wire come JUST at the right time today (right after I’d put the sewing machine and such away, and had about 15 minutes to relax)–but I got my order from Amazon, too. A copy of Knit 2 Together by Tracey Ullman and Meg Clark, and Spin to Knit by Shannon Okey (anyone who could handle that interview with Dolores deserves to have her book bought). Also Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Gradin, which is supposed to be fascinating.
by Tracey Ullman and Meg Clark, and 
by Shannon Okey (anyone who could handle that 
by Temple Gradin, which is supposed to be fascinating.All in all, today may not have been a walk in the park, but it’s been interesting!
Now, I wonder if I can find a good closure for this bag before Rhinebeck . . . because, wouldn’t this make a great purse for that?
Oh, and the other bonus for today? I saw my sister for about half an hour. She stopped by after her dentist visit–THAT made Chappy really happy!
Hey . . . I just checked my Stats and guess how many comments I have right this second? 4,500. Wow! I can’t even think the last time I checked and saw a zero, forget about a “big” number like that… I feel badly . . . maybe I should have held a contest for that number comment, but I didn’t realize it was coming. Would a retro-active prize make any sense? Or should I watch for when i’m approaching 5,000?
Oh, and Mom has a cold . . . I told her she’d better keep her germs to herself–I refuse to be sick for Rhinebeck!
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Tannenbaum.
House Calls
Your bag looks great! I think a snap/felted flower combo would make a nice closure. Also, if you have a nature store in the area, the gemstone donuts make nice buttons or just their weight along on a piece of felt will hold many bags shut.
I can’t wait to see what finds its way to your bag!
The pie looks great and the bag lining is quite ingenious! And, go figure, you are one of my bingo squares for Rhinebeck!
Hope to see you this weekend. 
wow! an engineering project bag!
It looks great!
I look forward to seeing what you think of Animals in Translation; I have it on my want list but haven’t picked it up yet.
Great bag! I’m glad you overcame the problems. It’s always a great feeling, eh? As for the closure, I wouldn’t use a velcro thing, it might get caught on your yarn! Just sayin.
Seems like you’re making excellent use of your vacation time!
You know, the lining is that much more impressive when you consider I haven’t used my sewing machine in at least four years–and didn’t have a pattern! (grin)
I am really impressed with that bag…fabulous! And the pie…drooling here! (Love dried cranberries in things like that.) Hope to see you Saturday!
Step away from the velcro!!! It will totally grab hold of every piece of yarn in your bag and drive you nuts if you are trying to knit from the bag. So nuts that you will attack said bag and velcro with scissors until the problem is ‘taken care of.’ Do I speak from experience, why no, why do you ask? :o)
The lining looks great! I’m so glad it’s all working out as you hoped (silly straps aside ;).
Wow! You were really busy today!! The pie looks delish and I love how you thought through your bag. It looks fabulous!! I also like the idea of a felted flower. Could you put a magnet on the bag as a closure? I can’t wait to see what you have to say about ‘Knit 2 Together’. I myself really enjoyed it and want to make quite a few of the projects.
Ooh, your pie looks divine. Yum!
The bag turned out *great*! I love it. I might go with a velcro closure. Or maybe a button. Hm. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe not the velcro. Wouldn’t want yarn to accidentally catch on it, and if it were mine, that’d happen pretty much constantly. LOL So, my vote turns into either a big, fancy button, or a plain one that can easily hide but still be useful under a decorative felted flower.
I think a milestone of 5,000 comments definitely deserves some sort of prize. 4,500, not so much.
Do the 5000th prize thing. That is a big milestone!
the bag looks great! i think knitty has some felted flowers, you might want to check there. if not, i think the anticraft has some. i like that button idea, myself. i’m leery of velcro around any kind of knits, they tend to grab the wrong stuff. maybe a magnetic clasp?
Your apple pie is beautiful! How nummy. I managed to drop the last two pieces of my pie upside down on the kitchen floor on last night. DOH. I love the lining of your bag and Chappy looks quite content just to be your proximity. Enjoy your time off!
I think that the Noni company sells patterns for felted flowers separate from the bags. There is also that new Nicky Epstein book. I’ll be interested to see what you choose. And doesn’t Peacock go with the bag nicely too? I’m amazed at your sewing and baking skills. You make it all look easy and effortless!
Great bag. It’s really turning out to be perfect. Let me know what you think of the Spin to Knit book - I’ve been thinking about it.
The bag turned out great! The lining (and wire) worked so well; congrats! The shape has completely changed - amazing.
The bag looks great! I think Chappy has the right idea for a rainy day.
The bag looks fantabulous!!!
Thanks for sharing the steps you took to make the bag freestanding!