Field Testing Crafts

One effective marketing technique is to wear or use what you make. So I finally crocheted myself a purse out of plarn. See these previous posts to learn more about plarn:

Plarn
Working With Plarn
Plarn Fun!

First I sewed a bandanna into a lining and then I made the bag to fit the lining, which was then sewed to the top of the bag. Here is a picture of the finished bag:

The face of the bag is about 10 x 10 inches and it is 2 inches deep. The strap is a circular tube which I designed - it is strong and comfortable to wear. I stretch it as I work with it so it doesn't stretch any more as you use it.

Daily use of a bag that I made proved to be more than a good marketing technique. I found several which I can now correct in other bags. Firstly, ends that I had tucked in started to peek out:

I'm going to try some craft glue on it and see if that holds them in.

Lining the bag was something new for me. Most of the bags I have made so far are unlined so they can let damp contents breathe. However, for a purse I wanted a lining so that small things won't fall out.

One mistake I made was to crochet the bag a little bit bigger than the lining, thus the lining didn't quite fit. More significantly, putting a non-stretchy material inside a stretchy bag caused problems:

Yesterday I bought some light tan jersey fabric from JoAnn's to use as a lining. In addition, I purchased some broadcloth which looks good on both sides. I have cut the fabric to make into pockets, one will fit my iPod and/or cell phone and the other is a bit wider to hold keys and pens. I'll get out the sewing machine soon and I'll post the "after" pictures.