Bag Woven By Grandkids, Guest Post from Linda

Finished bag hanging from Necchi

Guest post by Courtney’s mother Linda

Children have an attraction to new and different tools, and big looms threaded with bright colors are a child magnet. Most of my looms are too big for a small person to handle. We made do sometimes with one child on one side of the loom throwing the shuttle to a sibling on the other side with me doing the treadling, but it was obvious to me that they needed a loom to fit. (It didn’t hurt that the little Schacht Wolf Pup was a loom I wanted anyway.)

Enter the four-shaft, six-treadle Wolf Pup. When this photo was taken, Oliver was six and Etta was four, and they could both manage to change the sheds and throw the shuttle themselves.

Etta and Oliver at the loom

When baby brother Finn was born, we decided to weave him a playmat. It would have to be three segments sewn together, because the width of the Wolf Pup is only around eighteen inches. I warped it with brightly colored 8/4 cotton and we used white cotton flake for the weft. Predictably, by the time the fabric was completely woven, Finn was walking and had no real need for a playmat. Cotton fabric is versatile—I thought it would make a useful tote bag. I have several bag patterns in my stash, this Simplicity one is from 1975.

Pattern Envelope

I sewed three segments together to make the body of the bag. Since the fabric was somewhat loosely woven, I interfaced it with an iron-on product.

Interfaced section on cutting table

The weave structure is a simple plain weave, but the irregularity of the cotton flake weft yarn combined with the shrinkage that occurs with cotton yarns when they are washed in hot water has yielded a lovely texture.

All the pieces cut

Most of the bag was sewn on my vintage Necchi BU Nova. Listening to that quiet and powerful motor is pure pleasure.

Green straps being sewn on the Necchi 

Here is the bag mostly constructed, just waiting for the side seams.

Constructed bag lying flat

I switched machines to sew the side seams. I wanted the stripes to match at the sides, and the walking foot on my Bernina 1130 keeps the top and bottom layers well matched.

Side seam sewn on Bernina 1130

The bag is lined with a pale yellow cotton, courtesy of my quilting stash. I don’t know what it will store—groceries, toys, beach items—but I hope it will be an incentive for more weaving!

Perfect pattern matching on the pocket