Cabbage Rose purse finished!

I put together the Cabbage Rose purse yesterday late in the day (photos show both sides). I can tell that it is going to be one of my 'favorite' things. I figured out how to hand bind the gusset onto the rose shaped outline. I lined the purse with black wool and made sure to use interfacing even in the wool handle so that it would wear well and keep the weight of the purse off of the hooked surfaces. I sewed on a button clasp using some old buttons I had around forever.

I will try to put together a pattern with instructions for the purse soon. So watch for this if you are interested.

Had a blast today at the Stash Sisters Hook In in Hankamer. Worked on 'Baptism by Fire' - still have a long way to go before it's done. At this point I just want it done since I have several other projects running around in my head including another Cottingham Blossom Purse: an old-fashioned iris.

Cottingham Blossom Purses: Cabbage Rose

I finished the second side of the cabbage rose purse last night, with the surprise ~ a fairy sitting among the petals. Since I'm using this a sample, I chose to hook the second side in a different color set: Million Dollar Red (8-value pack; texture pack) and Flame (8-value pack; dapple pack). The green is Mossy Glen (dapple pack). The cabbage rose can be hooked with or without the fairy. But since I love fairies and I love surprises, I included her on my sample.

As for finishing, I decided to go with Antique Black. Not all blacks are the same, and so I process my black the same as all my other wools. I overdye it with dyes from my palette. This creates a black that is harmonious with any of my colors and the perfect neutral.

The first step of finishing is to use a stretch zig zag around the hooking. I go around twice, using my machine foot as a guide against the hooking, and then against the stitching. I trim close to the stitching. Next I am hand binding the black onto the top of the purse and creating a rolled edge. On the lavender rose, I am starting to hand bind the gusset onto the right side.

More later, hopefully when it is finished!

Finishing the back of the cabbage rose

Kim asked in the comments on my post about the cabbage rose coaster how I finished the back. I didn't do much. I took a piece of wool 3/4" wide and stitched it by hand to the outer edge of the hooked piece, catching the outer hooked strip between each loop. Then I cut around the backing about 1/2" from the hooked edge. I tacked down the loose edge of the strip all the way around.

I used wool instead of binding tape because I wanted a soft narrow strip to bind off with. The reason for this is that I have a curvy outer edge so I needed flexibility in the binding so I wouldn't end up with a bunch of lumps all the way around.

If you really want to make it "pretty" you could take a piece of wool the shape of the coaster and tack it all the way around the back over the binding. I didn't do this, but you could.

Weeks 13 and 14: Ten-Minute Challenge Round Up

Welcome to new challengers, Wendy Walsh and Terri Lehmer!

Congratulations to Jenny Anderson with this autumn beauty "Acorns" she posted on the RHD Ten-Minute Challenge forum; Robin H. finished "Rufous the Weiner Dog" as a tribute to her pet (also posted on RHD); I finished this oversized cabbage rose coaster for a Christmas gift (more on this in another post):