Category Archives: Nonibags

Hearts on My Sleeve: Seasonal Favorite Now in Crochet!

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Hearts-on-My-SleeveJust in time for American Heart Month and Valentine’s Day: Noni’s  . . . Heart on My Sleeve Bag is available in knit from Noni and a Noni version of the bag is now available in the popular book edited by Laura Zander of Jimmy Beans:  Crochet Red

CrochetRed_BookCover_HiRes For the crochet version of this design, I teamed up with Janet Brani to translate the knitted bag into crochet. I love the resulting tiny purse, perfect for Valentines Day, for any fancy party, or (picture this) in white or in an ensemble of brights for a Bride and Bridesmaids.

CrochetRed_BeadedFeltedBag_NoraBellows_JanetBrani_HiResIn next week’s Noni Q&A, I will be exploring how to do the hand-beading and make beautiful beaded hearts or other images (almost like applique) on felt, but get your bag started now and you’ll be ready to follow along with my step-by-step tutorial in next Friday’s blog. You can purchase Crochet Red for the crochet bag or buy the pdf for the knit version of the pattern by clicking here. Call me at the studio or write to me to order your hardware kit and yarn.

For those who are interested in the ways this sweet little bag can be used for occasions other than St. Valentine’s Day, consider this lovely version of the bag:

Hearts-on-My-Sleeve-with-FlowersHere, I used the Hearts on My Sleeve instructions as written, but I also made cherry blossoms and the cherry blossom leaves from Noni Flowers.

Noni-Flowers-Book-cover-finalSpecifically, I used the flower instructions on page 43 and leaf instructions found on page 152 with the information about the project Cherry Blossom Pauper’s Purse.

Paupers-Purse2

Paupers-PurseAs you can see, the Pauper’s Purse was not a felted bag but worked in Tilli Tomas Plie and Beaded Plie. Nevertheless, the instructions for the knitted leaves and flowers need no adjustment for the wool/felted versions. After the blossoms and leaves are felted and beaded, the results are delicate and romantic in true-to-life shades. They would be dramatic and daring if the flowers were red and the leaves black. Subdued if worked all in shades of grey and white and black.

Check back on Jan 31 for more in the Noni Q&A and share your own versions of this bag on the Noni Designs Facebook page and/or ideas here in the comments.

Noni Q and A: Sewing Purses into Purse Frames

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A group of small felted purses called Lipstick and Change Sparkle are arranged horizontally on a white surface. They range in color from black, to grey, to orange, pink, and finally green.

I have gotten a few questions about how to put felted purses into purse frames (6-8-10, W, Lipstick & Change, Big Flirt . . . and so many others). Here is a step-by-step photo-tutorial that shows how to put a purse into a sew-hole frame that has a slot.

Essential Materials

First, Gather together the necessary materials on a clean, well-lit working surface: a clean paper towel to protect your work surface, your slightly damp purse, fabric glue, purse frame, beads, beading thread, a sharp thin-gauge needle, a pair of thread nippers (pictured here) or scissors, and a metal double-pointed needle or tapestry needle (top poke the purse into the frame slot).

Essential-Materials

Gluing The Purse Into The Frame

Step 1: Apply the Glue to the Frame one side at a time. The first step is to put a line of glue into the slot of the purse frame, particularly on the “solid” side of the frame that does not contain sew holes.

NOTE: Do not put glue in both sides as it is very easy to end up with glue on your purse where you don’t want it. Also important: DO NOT USE TOO MUCH GLUE. In other words, it is not necessary to fill the slot. Just a single slim line of glue on the non-hole side will more than do the trick. More important than getting a lot of glue is that you are using the correct glue. Use fabric glue (Liquid Stitch is a good choice). The bottle you see here is Liquid Fusion. I like it very much. It has a nice consistency, stays put, and works on fabric and other materials for a good hold. Elmer’s Glue is not strong enough. Gorilla glue makes a mess.

Place the frame, front side down, on the paper towel. Then arrange the first flap (right side down on the paper towel) so that it is ready to be poked into the frame.

A hot pink felted purse is lined up with the purse frame it needs to be sewn into.

I like to begin by poking one side of the purse and then the other into the frame side with the tip of a double-pointed needle or tapestry needle. I do this so that I know how much of the purse flap fabric needs to be distributed evenly across the frame. In the above photo, the middle part of the purse flap is positioned to insert into the frame.

  • A felted purse is being pressed into a purse frame with a sharp-tipped knitting needle.

In the above picture, I have started to insert the frame has not yet been poked into the frame. As I poke it in, I make sure that the fullness of the flap is distributed across the entire frame. It is easy to move the tip of the needle from left to right or right to left in order to distribute the fabric evenly. Below is a picture of this process once it is complete – NOTE that the folds of the flap are spaced evenly across the frame top. We can still do a little adjustment if necessary at this point and again during the blocking process.

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You can check that the purse flap fabric is secure within the frame by turning the frame over so you can see the right side/whole side of the frame. If the purse is “in” the frame, you will see the color of the purse fabric through the sew holes. Dark holes, holes in shadow, mean that the purse flap has not been sufficiently poked into the slot. Simply poke the fabric in yet again.

To ensure that the purse stays put inside the frame as the glue dries, baste the purse in place using a double-strand of sewing or beading thread and a sharp needle. For good results, simply baste around the entire frame. It is not necessary to go through the sew holes at this point as you can see below.

A close up of the basting stitches: you want the stitches to be snug around the frame.

Next, place a line of glue inside the second frame slot, again careful that you put this bead of glue on the non-sew hole side of the slot.

<p value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">I sometimes find that poking the second flap into the frame is more awkward than the first. Mainly because the purse is in the way, you may have difficulty laying the frame down flat. . . so, I try to follow the same procedure: first, poke the sides in, then the top of the flap, distribute the fabric evenly . . . I console myself that the second side is the awkward side and just get the job done any way I can without making a mess. Deep breaths. That's my advice. And do what works. Sometimes you'll be very glad the glue dries clear.I sometimes find that poking the second flap into the frame is more awkward than the first. Mainly because the purse is in the way, you may have difficulty laying the frame down flat. . . so, I try to follow the same procedure: first, poke the sides in, then the top of the flap, distribute the fabric evenly . . . I console myself that the second side is the awkward side and just get the job done any way I can without making a mess. Deep breaths. That’s my advice. And do what works. Sometimes you’ll be very glad the glue dries clear.

Don’t Skip the Gluing Step: Here’s Why

I did see a posting somewhere that a Lipstick and Change maker had skipped the gluing step . . . I do not think this is wise. She seemed to think it would save her time or that she was giving in to laziness. The gluing step is possibly the quickest of the finishing steps. AND it is essential for keeping the purse in the frame should the “sewing in” part of the purse construction be compromised in some way.

I would not want to be be walking down the street and have a corner of my purse come undone with no glue to keep it in place.

The purse will be held in the frame by the glue alone if you have done this step properly. You will see that gluing and basting may take as little as 15 minutes. It’s the sewing that will take more of your time.

Sew The Purse Into The Frame While The Glue Dries

You may be tempted to glue one day and sew the next. I do not recommend this. It is both necessary and easier to sew the purse into the frame using the little beads while the glue dries. As the glue hardens, it becomes much harder to push a needle through it. So, what would normally take an hour can take considerably longer or prove impossible altogether.

Begin Sewing at The Hinge On One Side

The First step is to begin at the hinge of one side. With your double strand of nylon beading thread already on the needle and a knot at the end, put your needle into the purse frabric and then into a hole from inside to outside. You will have to angle your needle somewhat to get it through the hole. Getting the right angle sometimes is awkward and annoying. Sometimes, one might be inclined to think she is doing something wrong . . . this step requires a bit of muscle memory, so have patience as you internalize the needle angle.

Once you have come through the hole on the front, put a bead on the needle and then go back through the same hole out of which the needle just came.

Repeat this process around the entire frame. You may also want to catch a bead on the inside of the purse in the same manner as you have done on the outside. It makes for a pretty finish on the inside. If you do not want to do this, you should nevertheless put the point of your needle almost in the same place on the inside of the purse, angling your needle toward the next sew hole so that your stitches are more or less invisible on the inside of the purse.

I sometimes prefer to have beads on the inside as well as the outside, because it is prettier.

Finish off your strand of thread by making a dress-maker’s knot and then traveling inside the felt (see images below) so that you can cut the thread off at the purse with no unsightly ends sticking out.

Once both sides are sewn in place, you can cut the basting thread, pull out the stitches, removing all the basting thread. The purse is now secure in the frame.

If you have questions about how to put stiffener in the purse bottom and apply the purse feet, consult the blog posting on the topic.

Your QUESTIONS provide the material for this particular blog column, so keep asking and I’ll keep answering.

Anouk & Vianne . . . and The First Winner of Bag Naming Contest Introducted!

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If you participated in the Ella Coat Knit-a-Long you know her as Moo2Moo, the fascinating lady of notable wit who made an amazing Ella Coat AND wrote the charming, funny notes that kept us all reading to the very end.

She beguiled me with her description of the 2 bags I offered for naming in my recent bag naming contest. . . I thought of the two bags (known to you then as Bag No. 3) as good enough to eat, sweet candies, and Moo2Moo (her name is Amanda) captured not only the sweetness of these bags but the relationship between them. [For those of you who wrote descriptions of the other bags, I have not forgotten about you. I will announce those winners when those patterns are released.]

Without further ado, I introduce to you Anouk & Vianne!

Here is the description of these delicious bags:

Mythical chocolatier Vianne Rocher and her daughter Anouk were weavers of magic, capable of transforming simple, every-day ingredients into mouth-watering works of art. Ginger, salt, cinnamon, gold . . . elements previously disparate surprise and delight the senses. These bags, like the chocolate confections of Vianne, are more than the sum of their parts, more than simple chocolate, simple bags: Anouk is small and playful, teaming with vibrant energy; Vianne is more refined and formal. You admire her across the room though she has said nothing. She is captivating. Both move with ease through cities, through gardens mysterious with fog, through windswept landscapes.

I have put the pattern up on Ravelry if you are interested in purchasing the PDF. If you would like the whole beautiful kit for Anouk, including the paper pattern, I have it available (domestic shipping included) for $90. I also have kits for Vianne–perfect knitting or everyday bag! Write to me for information at orders@nonipatterns.com

After reading Moo2Moo’s/Amanda’s notes, her lovely description . . . I started to wonder, just who is Moo2Moo/Amanda? I scoured her Ella Coat page for clues and couldn’t even figure out what she looks like. I asked her for pictures. .  . and she sent me a portrait of herself.

And I asked her some questions to try to get a little peek into her life. I asked her the typical knitterly question of when did you learn to knit? Here’s what she said:

My great grandmother taught me to knit cotton dishcloths when I was somewhere between 6 and 8 years old. It was boring as hell and something I quickly abandoned, preferring to spend my time with my nose buried in a book, any book, something I’ve never grown out of. Last summer [my emphasis!] a friend came to stay bringing with her a scarf she was knitting. She wanted to knit a tea cosy as a gift for her sister and so we surfed and found Ravelry and a veritable deluge of tea cosy patterns. I fell in love with Debbie Birkin’s Owl Tea Cosy despite not having knitted anything in about 3 decades, nor owning a tea pot or even being a tea drinker.  We took a trip to Hobbycraft (a craft department store) and came home armed with the necessary materials (and quite a lot of totally unnecessary things). After that I watched quite a lot of YouTube videos in order to learn how to cast on and to remind myself how to knit. With each new technique I’ve needed I’ve found a YouTube video to suit.

Where are you from, I asked her next. . . and tell me your story:

I’m originally from Yorkshire (bleak rolling moors, huge mills and lots and lots of sheep – parts of it are just as they appear in Wuthering Heights) then I moved to Bristol (the worlds greyest city) for University where I emerged with a BSC. Hons Microbiology and a rather unexpected biological development of my own.  Six weeks after siting my final exam the OH and I got married and two months after that (daugher no. 1) arrived in the world. After that we moved to London which served only to confirm that I hate big cities, I’m not overly keen on small ones either. Shortly after that we moved to a cottage in North Wales where our closest neighbours are sheep, sheep and more sheep. The garden is full of chickens and we’re surrounded by green fields. Best of all you can see the stars each and every night. Birds sing all around us and at night you hear the hoots of owls and the swift whoosh of air as you’re buzzed by the local bats. The house is heated with coal stoves and warm and cosy all year round. This is my forever home.

Take a look at the landscape behind Amanda’s lovely daughters and cute dog! I’m ready to move myself!

What do you do when you are not knitting?

When I’m not knitting (which is the vast majority of the time) I take the dog for long rambles through the countryside, occasionally I remember to weed the garden, spend time with the children and make tons and tons of jam from pretty much anything I can get my hands on, I even joined my local Country Market Co-operative to get rid of the surplus. In between times I work full time at a local primary school which is the single most fantabulous job in the world….. although its a bilingual school and I’m not [bilingual], so I spend a fair amount of time improving my Welsh so I can reply when children ask “Gallau mynd i’r ty bach os gwelwch yn dda?” (can I go to the toilet please). My first school outing was to a Jamborii where the staff had to go up on stage to sing the Welsh National Anthem……. which meant much crash revision on the coach trip….. even with the words on paper I was scuppered, especially when one of my co-workers told me the first couple of lines were My Hen Laid a Haddock, one hand oiled a flea. Even now that’s the first thing that pops into my head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DFVLDVwzj8&feature=related

What is your favorite food?

My favourite food has to be Mexican, although chocolate comes a close second… and bacon crisps (which my husband finds hilarious because I’m most definitely vegetarian).

And your favorite flower?

Honeysuckle. They seem to survive no matter what the weather is like here. The wind rips the heads of pretty much everything else. I like crocuses too just because they’re so cheery and hint at spring weather.

Favorite place?

Any windswept green open space with nothing but granite outcrops for miles on end – it reminds me of my childhood. Failing that, the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls–its a truly magnificent place and like stepping back in time a century or so.

I asked her with whom she would like to have coffee (famous person, famous deceased person?). I confided that I want to have coffee with my Uncle Henry, my grandmother, and Cesare Milan. This was her response:

Cesare Milan? He reminds me of George Michael back in the Wham days.

And her answer to the question made me wish I’d confessed different people because her answer was so intelligent. I thought maybe I’d like to have coffee with Milton, but I think I would rather be a fly on the wall when my professors from the grad school days (Ted Leinwand or Marshall Grossman–they, after all, can quote Paradise Lost by book and line!) had coffee with Milton. . . Here’s what Amanda said:

If I could have coffee with anyone it would be Marie Curie – how on earth did she come up with the idea that zapping people with radiation would be beneficial to them? I’d also love to have met Jim Henson (creator of the Muppets) but I doubt I’d have drunk anything for laughing.

When I asked her for some pictures, she sent me these. . .

I was delighted by these pictures and asked Amanda where they were taken. She answered thus:

They were taken on a photoshoot for WightLink Ferries which came about totally by accident after I filled in a questionaire pretending to be a dog whilst very bored on a ferry crossing.  If you download the following brochure we’re on Page 3.

http://www.wightlink.co.uk/isle-of-wight-guide-and-events/walking/pawprint

The castle itself is a magnificent motte-and-bailey dating back roughly 1000 years. It has breathtaking views and a working donkey powered water wheel. Its a fabulous place for long walks and great for your thigh muscles as there are several hundred steps to go up and down as you wander along the ramparts and through the gardens. The day we visited co-incided with an English Heritage re-enactment weekend so we got to see cloth being woven, hand spinning and a very early spinning wheel in action. [My] daughters were more taken with the working black smith forge, which was set up in the middle of a field, and the gentleman in full battle dress wearing boots handmade by the chap who makes boots for the Yeomans guarding the Tower of London. The level of craftsmanship demonstrated and the sheer passion for history made this a superb day out and rekindled a childhood desire for a spinning wheel….. which I’m in the process of sourcing, not that I’ve let on to [my husband] yet. I’m waiting for his workshop and lathe to arrive before I drop that particular bombshell.

Amanda sent pictures of her chickens which you can picture in her garden:

I thank Amanda for answering my questions, sending such great pictures, and writing such lovely project notes and bag descriptions! I know we are all looking forward to her next set of Knit-A-Long project notes!

Bag No. 4

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This is the bag on the drawing board right now. . .

It will have 3 sizes. See the icy palette below. Each size will contain some black.

And the bags will be decorated with French Anemones.

Here is my sketch.

The top will be structured with a hex frame, the bottom with stiffener and no less than 6 bag feet, maybe more. She will have a black leather handle. Nickel findings.

She is elegant but also practical.

Who is she?

Bag No. 3

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This pattern will contain 2 sizes and I do believe they might be able to nest, the smaller in the larger (how cool!). I will let you know once they are felted. The palette is delicious: one darker and one lighter tone in the same color. It will be a surprise which size is in pink and which orange.

Here is my sketch.

You’ve seen these frames before: check out Vintage bag  and Bowling Ball Bag for both sizes.

The hardware combination is going to be stunning!

A chain will grace the smaller bag, allowing you to carry her as a handbag and also as a shoulder bag. The larger frame arc is tall enough to put over your shoulder.

The bottom of the bag will be structured with bag feet available in nickel, gunmetal, and antique brass, the same finishes as the frames. You can add sparkle or not as you prefer, but you will definitely want to use either a turnlock or fancy snap to close the frame, deeply curved to match the arch of the frame

Pick one name for both, or allow them both personalities. . . might they be sisters? A mother/daughter pair? Devoted friends? Traveling companions?

I will be on tenter hooks to see what you come up with!

Bag No. 2

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This diminutive bag is very structured. She is rather understated in a palette of greys with sparkles in abundance toward her base as though she were dipped in stars.

She is the perfect evening bag. . . and she might not come out to play until this Fall. I have not decided yet.

She’s looking for a lovely namesake. . . who will appreciate her.

All of these bags will be available as full kits as pictured or as custom kits as soon as they are released.  .  . stay tuned for updates about where to get them first!

Bag No. 1

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The color palette I have chosen is black.  I will make two samples: one will be made in black beaded silk. The other sample will be black wool (felted) with clear sparkles.

The bag will have 4 bag feet in the same finish as the frame: antique silver.

The hardware is exquisite. . .

Here is a peek at my sketch.

And here is a hint of the beautiful frame with a matching chain attached.

The bag is in the 6 – 7″ wide where it meets the frame and about 7″ tall from bottom to frame.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Bag Naming Contest!: Pick the Lady, Tell the Story, Win!

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I have designed my new Spring/Summer bag collection and I am, I must confess to you, in love with these bags.

One of my favorite, and often vexing, parts of this process, is naming the bag.

I have, in recent past, followed a trajectory of travel titles such as Nomad–didn’t that bag look sort of like a glam version of the historically ubiquitious hobo wrap on a stick!?

Bedouin–didn’t this remind you of those fabulous Persian bags that were used for everything from water to foodstuffs to clothes? We know them as pillows. . . but they are bags!?). But these are large bags, meant for adventures. Pack everything you will need, put the strap over your shoulder, and get on the road.

This collection of bags is more ladylike. There will be a slouchy bag in the mix, eventually, but she is the only one not yet on the drawing board. . .

Each bag has a clear identity . . . but I have not yet been able to apply the right name to her.

With the one exception of Ella’s Going Out Bag.

The bag is small-ish. Ella wears clothes with no pockets to weigh her down and the Going Out Bag has the same sort of mentality. She loves to dance. She is all ruffles and even French Anemone flourishes (real-looking as a Noni Flower should be!). In white, she could get married or lead the attendants to their places. In bright mossy green with hot colored petals she’d draw every eye on the streets of New York. In mint with blushing petals, she looks good enough to nibble. She is, in short, delicious. Nevertheless, she is flexible and can go anywhere, from gay frolick through the botanical garden, to garden party, to the cinema. She is even the best friend of girly little girls.

To name the other bags . . . I need your help!

I am having a contest. I have 4 bags to name. Here are the contest rules (imagine stern voice, thus the all caps and bold!).

CONTEST RULES

1. The name of the bag must be that of a female literary heroine or wonderful character from Literature. I say Literature with a capital L . . . no bodice rippers, no pulp fiction, no vampire tales. I think I might just have heard a groan, but I’m standing firm.

Peruse your shelves. . . open those boxes from the university days, browse your local book shop. You can pick an inspiring heroine from children’s literature.

Madeline comes to mind . . .though I’m not sure she’s quite right for any of these bags . . . as she is a bit too likely to throw a cute bag in the ditch while climbing over a fence and then, perchance, forget where she launched it (as my son has done with his favorite blue cap two days in a row. . . I’ve been in the all-too-familiar-to-moms position of driving back to all those places we just were to find it [we did, both times, but I digress]. Prove me wrong about Madeline if you must. . . Read no. 2.

2. You must defend your choice: It is not enough simply to yell out the name of a female character. STELLA!  STELLA!  No, you must convince us that you have chosen well. Tell us the story of the personality of the bag and the heroine (as I have done above about our Ella) in 200 words or less. What is most important is that you capture the character of the bag and the heroine.

3. Finished, lovely entries must be received as a comment on the particular bag no later than midnight EST April 13, 2012, no exceptions! I will be creating a separate Blog Posting for each bag. These separate postings will divulge the colors I have chosen for the samples, along with key elements. I will also post my sketches of each bag. I will start posting tonight at 5pm EST and also at the same time on my Facebook page. . . All bags will be posted by tomorrow (Wednesday) at 5pm. I will be fielding questions you might have here below in the comments and also on a Wednesday night (abbreviated 9 – 9:30 pm EST) Ravelry Live Chat (formerly for the Ella coat).

4. What you WIN!!!  Not only will the winning entry for each bag see the winning description in the pattern itself and on the Noni website, but the winner will receive a Noni kit for that particular bag (a delicious prize!). Noni reserves the right to edit the winning entry for space considerations if necessary. The colors and size of the bag in the kit will be the sole discretion of Noni Designs, Ltd.

Good luck!

Noni Labels. . . The Perfect Finishing Touch For Your Bags

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A tiny red felted purse by Nora Bellows of Noni Designs sits on a wooden background. Centered on its front is a metal "A Noni Design" label.

Noni’s lead-free, pewter labels are made in the USA so they support our homegrown industries and American jobs. I’ve kept the price as reasonable as I could to make them affordable. 

A pile of A Noni Design labels are arranged on a wooden surface.

What you’ll need to attach the label to your bag or purse:

A sharp, medium-gauge sewing needle, nylon beading thread or some other really sturdy thread (you wouldn’t want them to come off), and 4 little size 8 seed beads in silver, silver-lined clear (my favorite for an all-purpose bead), or the color of your choice.

Here’s how to attach them:

  1. Place the label where you want it. Measure to make sure it is centered or exactly as you want it.
  2. Place a tiny drop of super glue on the back and stick it down in place.
  3. Bring a threaded needle up from underneath through the felted fabric and through a label hole.
  4. Catch a size 8 seed bead on the needle and pull the needle through the bead.
  5. Then return the needle to the same hole out of which it just came. This creates a thread “loop” around the bead.
  6. Pull the needle through the whole and pull snug. The bead is now secure on the front and positioned in one of holes on the label.
  7. Make a knot on the back to secure the bead. Do not break or cut the thread. Instead, travel through the felt across the inside to the next hole and repeat steps 3 – 7.
  8. Finish off.
  9. Admire!
Three felted bags with Noni labels are displayed on a bed of leaves.

Questions? Suggestions? Please write to me in the comment below.