Introduction: Woven Wool Purse

About: I like sewing and crafts,and trying new things. I'm vegetarian and always looking for new recipes. My cat's name is Mirko and likes to be in the centre of things, so you will see him in several of my instruc…

I wove this small purse on a frame loom using variegated wool and a bit of gold ribbon. I knotted the warp yarn and added some beads for the fringe.

Step 1: Weaving

I had actually started this a while ago and I don't take any pictures when I started out.  I used my frame loom and wove a piece that was 40cm long and 16cm wide.  I used a basic weaving technique, nothing fancy other than interspersing a few strands of gold ribbon in what would be the front of the purse.  When removing the piece from the loom I left the stands of the warp yarn long so that I could use it as a fringe.

What you will need:
  • Frame loom
  • Yarn: I used plain black acrylic yarn for the warp and a pretty variegated wool for the weft.
  • Fabric for the purse lining
  • Optional gold thread or ribbon and beads
  • Scissors, pins, needle, and thread, measuring tape

Step 2: Adding Liner

  • I cut the liner fabric so that it was about 1cm larger than the woven fabric on all sides
  • I sewed a small square onto the liner to form a pocket
  • I placed the woven piece on top of the liner fabric facing front to front and pinned it in place
  • I then sewed them together around the edge leaving one end open for turning it right side out
  • Once it was right side out I sewed the remaining side together.

Step 3: Sewing Together the Purse

Once the liner was sewn on I folded one end over so that the liner was on the outside and there is an overhang for the flap. I pinned it in place and then sewed the sides together.

Step 4: Fringe

With the long warp strands on the front flap of the purse I knotted them together macrame style and incorporated some beads.  I then trimmed of the remainder of the yarn leaving a bit of a fringe.

Step 5: Strap

I used the same yarn for the purse strap as I did for the purse.  I prefer my purses to be worn across the shoulder so I needed a fairly long strap (110cm).  Since the length I need is much longer than my loom I didn't loop the weft yarn around the frame like I would normally do.  In this instanced I tied one end of the warp to the near end and measured out the appropriate length (plus about 20cm to spare). I measured out 10 warp strands and tied them as a bundle to the far end of the frame.  I could then loosen the bundle to mete out more yarn as needed to create a long enough strap.

Once the strap was finished I removed it from the frame, trimmed the warp yarn and sewed it to the inside of the purse at the sides.

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