Sunday, October 30, 2011

It's Fauxsoni, dahhhhling!

Thank goodness for Ravelry.  Otherwise I would have no idea when I even started this project.  Except that it was sometime after I moved to my current home (so in the last 3 - or is it 4 - years!).  It has been 95% finished for some time (I can't even remember that, either!).  Just waiting for me to sew a lining and sew on the handles.

Which I have now done!  So may I present the Fauxsoni Tote!

Details
Pattern:  Felted Chevron Tote by Leslie Ann Bestor, from Interweave Crochet, Winter 2007.  I do love a chevron.  I do love Missoni.  I do love a self-striping yarn.  These three combined to make a match made in heaven!  This is a very easy pattern - basically make a big piece of crochet chevron, sew it into a tube, crochet a base and sew it on (I think - I can't even remember whether it is sewn on or crocheted on!) and then felt it!  Woo hoo! 

And just in case you think to yourself, "but I have a front loader, I can't felt", well, take it from me, you can!  I think I put a pair ofold  jeans in with this to add a bit of friction, and did it on a full hot cycle, and it worked perfectly!

Felted Chevron Bag - pre felting
You can see in the before and after photos how much it shrank with the felting process.  Just the right amount, fortunately.  This is a very nice sized bag!

Felted Chevron Bag - post felting
Yarn:  The sadly discontinued Cleckheaton Vintage Hues.  Sad because it is the perfect felting yarn.  I used 7 x 50g balls of colour 1273 for the bag, but of course you could use fewer if you made the bag smaller, or used a different yarn for the base.
Hook:  7mm.

Time:  3 June 2009 - 25 October 2011.  Really!  I think I finished the bag and felted it sometime in late 2009 or early 2010.  I really can't recall... And then I had a free afternoon last weekend so I dusted off the sewing machine (literally!  Oh my was it covered in dust! Thank goodness it has a cover thingy), and sewed up a lining for it.  With pockets even!  Because I really dislike handbags without pockets for important things like your phone, purse and bus/train ticket!  And pen, lip balm, keys and tissues.  Um, I think I should have put in a few more pockets, heh!
Modifications:  I think I made the pattern as written (I may have made it longer around), but I know I added a simple single crochet edging around the top of the bag.  Just to ensure the edge was flat.  I did plan to turn it over and make a seam, but that was an ill-thought out idea, as once it was felted it was too thick to even think about that! But not to worry, it is fine as is.

I am really happy with this bag!  I love the colours and I love the way it has turned out!  Finally! (Yes, another project for Binding Off 2011!)

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh its tres chic! its turned out great, and im very glad to see it finally hit the FO category. i seem to remember it was meant to be a gift for someone, but perhaps that moment has passed?!

1funkyknitwit said...

Agreed with DrK.. tres chic !
Having seen this the other day I know how fabulous this looks. It turned out so good Jane, great colour and it felted to absolute perfection and so evenly too.
Missoni move over ;D

m1k1 said...

Simply Fab-u-lush.
I have a bag that has been waiting for a lining since, um, back sometime. I fear it may languish yet awhile.

Bells said...

Oh! So great! It's finished! Well worth the wait because it's amazing!!

kgirlknits said...

awesome bag! love the chevron in the self-striping - never even considered Vintage Hues for that *forehead slap!

Lynne said...

That is one awesome bag - I love it!

Dorothy said...

What a beautiful bag. I bet you'll enjoy using it and of course especially so since you made it yourself. I'm sure you'll get lots of compliments.

Anonymous said...

It is fabulous. Did you anticipste the Target/Missoni hysteria, and wait until it boiled over to complete?

catsmum said...

gorgeous
now if only I could get around to finishing the Norah Gaughan bag that's been at a similar stage of completion for 3 or 4 years

amy said...

I love the lining best! That orange, and the pockets! When I needed to sew a lining for my knit linen bag--which is much smaller than yours, by the way--I did it by hand. Sometimes that is so much quicker than rethreading the machine, etc!

Mereknits said...

This bag has the biggest WOW factor I have seen in a long time. If it took you 4 years to complete it was worth it. Absolutely beautiful!
Hugs,
Meredith

Sweetp said...

Theres nothing as satisfying as finishingoff a wip you'd almost forgotten about. You did well, love the design and esp the orange lining.!!

Unknown said...

Love it!!

Ann said...

Gorgeous bag & I love felted bags. I do agree that Vintage Hues is the best yarn for felting & I actually wrote to Australian Spinners about their decision to discontinue the yarn. I still have 10 balls in my stash which I am saving for another felted bag.

michele said...

i love the lining and the little pockets inside too. it's all very pretty.

Kate said...

What a fabulous bag! You did a lovely job on it - well done! And I agree, Vintage Hues was very prematurely removed from the line-up!

Unknown said...

This. ! love x a million. As fab on the inside as well as the outside!

del said...

Oh, you are putting me to shame in the Binding Off department, lol! Fabulous bag; I love it!

2paw said...

Well, that puts Target in its place, doesn't it?? It is fabulous and I love the chevrons and the handles too!! Nice interior.