Woven Wool Purse

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.