A Ginny’s Coat Tote and Diamonds in the Kitchen

Hello, friends. The loom and I continue to keep each other company as it is not quite Spring here; outdoor gardening tasks are probably still a week or two out on the calendar. The seedlings are growing! Most of the peppers have germinated, and this is very encouraging. I’m looking forward to sowing some of the gem marigold seeds that I saved from last year and trying out luffa gourd seeds this year. Woo!

My work the last couple of weeks has been pretty much divided into two parts: weaving kitchen towels and sewing with my wool yardage. I used a Diane Spencer Ogg sewing pattern, The Shapely Tote, for this piece:

I made a few modifications to the pattern to accommodate the directional nature of my fabric. I (very sadly!) did not have enough fabric to make an exterior slip pocket as found in the pattern so I inserted a zippered pocket in the lining. The straps needed a bit of adjustment as well. My Janome, which is nearly 20 years old, cannot handle the bulk of a multi-fold all-wool strap. If you’re new to Diane Spencer Ogg’s sewing patterns, I encourage you to take a look! The fabric exterior is a twill pattern, Ginny’s Coat, and is woven from Harrisville Designs “Shetland” wool in “charcoal” and “white” sett at 10 ends per inch.

I’ve finished an assortment of diamond twill kitchen towels since my last post. Here are a few photographs:

There is a warp of very blue kitchen towels ready for the loom, and I aspire to get this sorted onto the loom today. More thread wrangling!

If you have any comments or insights you’d like to share about sewing with your handwoven wool fabric, or if you’d be interested in reading about some of the things I’ve worked out, please drop me a line in the comments below. Happy to share.

Be safe and well,

Kate K.