Family members have received many (probably too many, but they’re too polite to say so) handwoven creations over the years. I’ve inundated people with kitchen towels, placemats, table runners, and, of course, handwoven scarves. I made quite a few scarves for my Dad over the years. He passed away in 2021. Earlier this year, my mom sent me a box of winter scarves and mittens that I’d made for my parents over the years but since moving to South Carolina there was little need for woolly scarves. More scarves!
Here is one of the scarves that I made for my Dad (photo above). This was made from a rather fine alpaca/silk weaving yarn in teal and black. It is a Davison pattern for 4 shafts, “Ginny’s Coat.” (I love this design – it is sort of herringbone-ish but not quite as jumpy). I decided that I didn’t have a lot of items that I could pair with the teal/black scarf so decided to treat it as fabric. I searched for a handbag pattern from one of my favorite bag pattern designers, Spencer Ogg, and decided on the “Amplector.” Spencer Ogg patterns are very well written and often come with a companion YouTube tutorial. The patterns are also designed for domestic sewing machines, which is what I have here at home. (I have a Janome Memory Craft that is close to 25 years old and still going strong.)
I selected fabrics and started to cut out the pattern pieces:
I added a little magnetic snap to the front pocket, but this is optional. I tend to gather little bits of paper from grocery lists and receipts and they end up floating around my handbags and eventually end up on the floor. I am a big fan of zipper tape; I used this for my bag and chose a spiffy zipper pull with a gunmetal finish. There is a bit of bag making hardware required for this pattern but nothing too hard to find or difficult to install.
I’m pretty pleased with how the bag turned out. The crossbody strap is adjustable, which is a nice feature.
I really liked this project. It makes me happy to have a little bit of Dad’s scarf with me as I meander around the Monadnock Region doing errands, and I can probably use this bag all year long. Have you ever repurposed a piece of your weaving and turned it into something new? If so, please share in the comments section below.
All of the looms are warped this week. Kitchen towels are on the LeClerc, and an overshot project is on the Baby Wolf. Even the rigid heddle has a new scarf project on it! Here is a sneak peek:
Hoping that all of your weaving sheds are clean!
Be well,
Kate K.
Kate Kilgus 