WOOL HANDBAGS

Evening Star, Issue 20612, 11 October 1930, Page 23

WOOL HANDBAGS

ATTACHING lIP FASTENERS The pretty wool-embroidered canvas bags which are so popular at the present moment can be very easily and quickly made at homo for tho cost of a few shillings. A professional touch is soon added if they are fastened with a zip fastener, says a Loudon writer. Many people, however, will be disappointed when they first try to attach one of these fasteners to the ba|>, as they aro by no means as easy to affix as is imagined, and a few hints on how to do so may prove useful. The fasteners are sold by the inch, and can bo obtained iu standard lengths of from six to twelve inches, the length of the fastener being calculated by the length of tho metal, not the tape to which it is attached. Tt is advisable, therefore, to see that tho aperture to be closed measures an exactnumber of inches, as otherwise the fastener will not fit. The fasteners are supplied attached to a tape, which can be obtained either in white, grey, or dark brown. ■ As none of those colours is very suitable for the gaily-coloured wool bags, it is advisable to buy a fastener on white tapo and dye it to the required colour. Any dye can he used. The only precaution that needs to be taken is to remove ah traces of dye from the metal, as it may cause discolouration. Having obtained tho correct size and colour, the nexl procedure is the fix tho fastener, and it is hero that a little extra care is needed. At first sight it would appear much easier to manipulate both fastener and bag with the fastener open, but if this is done it will be found that the fastener becomes cockled up and pulls the hag out of shape. The fastener must bo closed whilst sewing on to tho bag. Another essential point to remember is to allow at least a quarter of an inch between the metal ant! the edge of tho material when sewing ou the fastener. If this is not dour tho material will hinder the efficient opening and closing of tho fastener. It can bo sewn on cither by band or by machine. A (puck and pretty way of sewing it on by bund is to sew it first with a very strong thread, and then hide these stitches with n row of buttonhole stitch in one of the coloured wools used for tho bag.