Felting Nightmare!!

[dragonfli]

Hello Everyone. I have been off the board for over a month now. My sister was in a bad automobile accident and lost her son and was in neuro-intensive care for a long time. We live three hours apart and I was staying with her at the hospital until recently. Now I stay with her at rehab four days a week and go home for three days a week. Anyway, I crochet a giant size bucket bag for her to take back and forth to rehab once she is able to go to out patient status. I made it huge so it would felt down and be large enough to carry everything she needs. Well . . . I put it in the washer to felt and all was going well until the flap over that was joined to the top of the bucket opening got twisted at the area just below where it was joined and didn't felt the same as the end of the flap that falls over the front of the purse. I untwisted it several times and it just kept getting twisted so I held the bottom of the bag out of the washer while the flap over washed. This corrected some of the problem, but not all of it in that the flap remains longer than the bucket. Now I have done this pattern several times before with no problems, but now I don't know what to do with the "too long" flap. I have considered cutting the flap off right where it is joined then cutting off a few inches and reattaching by sewing it in place, but I don't know if that would work. Does anyone have any suggestings or experience with this? Help!! Thanks everyone!

[losingmymind2]

My sympathies on your sister's accident and the loss of her son. She is blessed that you can stay with her at rehab part of the week. My son is in long term brain trauma rehab here in NJ, which is why I moved back up here.

 

You have two choices if you want to make the flap smaller. You can hand felt it until it achieves the correct size; or you can cut it. Felted wool doesn't come apart, but if you want to cover the raw edge, you can whipstitch a decorative edging over the cut edges.

 

Best of luck to you both, and if you want to talk, feel free to PM me.

[dragonfli]

Thank you so much for your help, and your thoughts. I am so sorry about your son, I don't know how you go from day to day. It is hard enough being my sister and nephew whom I am very close to but I can't imagin losing a child or or having my child seriously hurt. I am sure that everyone suffers family tragedies, but I can't imagin anything happening to my own child, I just can't. I know what I am going through with my sister and nephew but I guess I can never really know what you are going through and/or what my sister is going through. It is so hard to wrap my brain around - - "this is happening to our family". However horrible it has been I must believe we are blessed in that my sister is still with us, she will walk and talk again someday and she is not permanently paralyzed. I just don't know what to do for her spirit. She doesn't remember the accident yet, but she knows Timmothy did not make it and while she can't talk her eyes say it all . . . I have been so busy taking care of her and loving her that I have pushed Timmothy out of my mind and I just don't let my mind go to the memories we have of him. I just can't think about it. So, I concentrate on the blessings we do have and taking care of my sister and family. Wow that was a lot more than I intended to say.

 

Anyway thank you for the tip about the felting. I was worried about it "unravelling" because I don't have alot of experience with felting - - just a little. But, after reading your post I took a deep breath and cut the flap off, trimmed up the edges and then measured it out and sewed it on with a large blunt eyed needle and the wool yarn that I made it with, then I through it back in the washer to felt the wool yarn that I sewed it on with. It looks pretty good. Now here is a question for you all. I used Downey in the rinse, but it still smells "wooooolllllyyyyy". Any tips on how to fix that? Thanks again. I really appreciate your help and kind words. Good luck to you and I will keep both you and your son in my prayers.

[lhasaapsolady]

So sorry about the loss of your nephew. Your sister will have a long recovery and is so lucky to have you. How wonderful you are making the bag for her, I'm sure you'll figure it out.

[losingmymind2]

I use hair conditioner on my felted items. It makes them nice and soft and gives them a different scent than regular fabric softener.

 

My son's name is Timothy; and if you want a link to a support group for caregivers, just let me know and I'll PM you.

[dragonfli]

Thanks for the tip re: hair conditioner. I would never have considered that. What a great idea. I am going to give it a try. Thank you for the offer of a link to a support group. As it happens a support group meets across the street from rehab once a week and I have been able to attended a few times. I can only describe this whole experience like crawling along in the dark and just feeling your way along. Thanks again.

[Pumpkinmouse]

I Know just how you feel my sisters son My Nephew Jeff was killed 10 years ago he was 23...My sister has never been the same since... She was so devestated afterwards that we had to hospitalize her on a mental ward for 6 weeks.... She has been on medications for depression since...

 

Not only was my nephew taken away but I miss my sister the way she use to be....And nothing can fix that.....