Tote that tote

Since I have now met my goal of rugs for my fall show, I have warped up the Hammett for totes.  I did get the log cabin placemats woven off the Newcomb.  They're very pretty.  I have the Newcomb warped for more placemats, just plain weave this time.  But back to totes.

I warped the loom at 27", because I wanted to make a nice big tote.  I used thinly cut strips to de-bulk the weaving, and wove the first one at 49" on the loom.  Let me tell you, folks, that was one BIG tote.  Too big.  Way too big.  I took the stitching out and turned it back into a rug.

Tonight I un-sleyed and unthreaded several inches off each side of the warp, so I now have a 17" wide warp.  Tomorrow I'll weave a piece off and see how it does.

The rage right now is messenger bag type totes.  But some of us still like the over-the-shoulder type.  I'm thinking about an adjustable strap.

Another question I'll need to resolve is how to deal with the bottom of the bag.  I really like to put a piece of plastic in the bottom, to shape it, but that means lining the bag.  It's always a challenge to make a quality product that holds up but takes minimum hours to make.  I'll think of something!