I desperately needed a vacation and found a crafter retreat.
I have wanted to get back to my weaving for a while. When I was planning on what to bring on my weekend getaway, I thought I should take this opportunity to get some weaving done.
I had planned to make a scarf. I had thought I would make a pattern based on houndstooth.
Then on the very morning before I left, to be precise, at 7:30 in the morning while I was watching my kids slowly chewing their breakfast, I thought, “I don’t need another scarf…”
So within a few minutes, I changed my stash and packed my sewing machine.
I decided to do what I have always wanted to do: weave and sew it together. I was going to make a double zipper pouch for my daughter.
I got to the retreat, and spent an afternoon chatting with the others. After a fulsome dinner, we all sat around and we were all doing our thing.
I took out my notebook and started to figure out how much I needed to weave. Then it hit me that I didn’t know how to make a double zipper pouch.
I found a lovely video explaining how to sew the lining.
However, because the yarn I used, the fabric is going to be thick. So I had to redesign some parts of it to make the pouch slimmer.
The next morning, after some delicious sour dough and eggs in purgatory, I started warping on my Cricket Loom.

By the afternoon, I have already finished the weaving and decided to put up my courage to cut it.

And that was the big mistake.
My cloth started to fall apart.
I took a deep breath and tried to figure out what to do. Then a lovely lady came to rescue and suggested to use binding.
I haven’t quilted and I didn’t know what she meant by binding. She then explained that I could just take a strip of cotton fabric and wrap around the edge of the woven cloth.
But, wouldn’t it make it too thick?
It’s not until many hours later, I realized that I could make a thick binding so I can sew the zipper on the “empty” fold.
By then, it was already in late afternoon and I decided to call it a day.
After I got home, I got to work.
I started to bind the edges and started to put the zippers on.

Then, here it is! My first weave-to-sew project.

I can see the uneven weave, and I can see the crooked sewing, but it’s done.
And it will be better the next time.