B4 minus 1

The B4 bag B4 felting

The pattern is by Trish Bloom from Once In A Bloomoon Creations and include

B1 = baubles (Otherwise known as a version of the popcorn stitch.)

B2 = bumps

B3 = beads

B4 = buttons

These are not necessarily in the correct order as described by the designer. I used three of the four Bs, so my bag is a B4 - 1 bag.

B-hold the torturing that the B4 bag endured B4 B-coming the B4-1 bag that it is. I used Noro Kureyon and size 11 needles. Here's the thing: I am so excited about getting this into the mail to surprise my B-leagured sister, who lives across the country, that I forgot to take a B-after pic to display the gloriously finished bag!

Surprise #1 actually was how loooong it took me to dig around in my mother's button jar to find buttons that looked absolutely perfect on this bag---what with the colors and all. Imagine the buttons sewn in the dark purple to light purple band. On one side of the bag is a medium size orangeish button in the center with smaller orange-ish buttons on either side about an inch and a half from the center button. On the flip side of the bag is the same configuration with a brownish & gold button in the center and smaller gold buttons on each side. The buttons are circa the '50s - '60s, add a nice finish, and are special beyond description because they belonged to Mother.

I then affixed a magnetic snap closure that is not used in the original pattern. I like to put them on tote bags to avoid the inevitable dumping-out-of-the-contents when the bag is set down.

Surprise #2 was that having finished the finishing, I efficiently wrapped the bag in golden yellow tissue paper, slapped a Fallish sticker on it, slipped it into a plastic bag-like envelope, wrote a note on a card and added that to the contents, taped the heck out of it, printed an address label to kiss the front of the package, and added the return address label. There!

Now, to post it finished in Ravelry and on my blog. There! No pic of the artfully finished bag. Just the torture shot with plastic bag guts spewing forth. (The plastic bag is holding cans to further torture the wet, felted fabric.)

Trust me, it is one fabulous B4 -1 with just the right buttons on it!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8