I am usually pretty good at following instructions on projects. I will modify something if it suits me better, but I can read and follow directions like a champ.

For some reason this morning, I decided that having read the instructions last night, I would remember how to do today’s TAD project. It is supposed to be a tote bag repurposed from an old sweater.

Day 16 sweater bag

This sweater is a beautiful shade of deep purple cashmere. I love cashmere sweaters and snap them up for under $30 at the end of every winter when they go on deep discount. This one had gotten moth eaten so badly over the past summer, that the holes were not going to be patch-able and leave the sweater wearable.   I did patch the holes, at least a dozen,  before I started this project.  I needle felted in some dark wool roving to hold the particularly bad parts together. Most of these ended up on the bottom of this project.

Then I got to work cutting, and sewing, and when it was time to think about handles I tried to stand the bag up. There was no structure in it whatsoever. It was then I realized the original instructions called for some stiff interfacing to be added between the sweater and the lining. Oops. I have interfacing. I could have used interfacing, but instead, I got a slouchy, soft, unformed bag-type thing.

I decided to skip the handles since I didn’t think I’d be using this much as it is. I stuffed some yarn into it to hold it up for the photo and decided to call it a day. Maybe someday I’ll pick some seams apart, or make it a drawstring bag, but not today.  Today I am just sighing and wishing it was late enough to have a glass of wine.

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