1st ever felted PURSE!  Never, ever stop experimenting….it’s such fun and a driving force for invention.  The tiny leaves I first made for a 3″ cocoon bag just kept growing larger.  It morphed upwards from 2″ leaves, to 5 or 7″, and finally, these oversize leaves as a purse.  I wish I’d taken a photo of the layered stack of wool & silk before  felting ~ it was enormous!  Must have been 5″ thick and bigger around than a chair seat.

The walls of the purse are strongly felted and sturdy enough carry all that a purse typically does without a fabric lining, and is double-stitch sewn at edges for added strength.

It’s amazing how often a crafts-person relinquishes a cherished item by displaying it for sale at an upcoming event.  In this case:  Black Sheep Gathering, 2012.   Sure, I have a small business and obviously make items for sale, but in many cases, I was just having fun CREATING, and end up loving the result SO MUCH that I want to keep it for myself.  I’d love to dash out tomorrow and run errands wearing this purse.  I’d feel (honestly…no intention to brag here, I actually AM shy about that) but I’d feel I was wearing a one-of-a-kind work of art!

“Well then,”  we crafts-persons tell ourselves, “I’ll just make another for ME.”  But usually it doesn’t happen and the next iteration goes up for sale or gets wrapped for a gift.  And so it goes….the endless drive to make more…in the futile hope we’ll get to keep some of it!