It feels as though I have got through an exam. The kannel bags are finished. I did not want to make the traditional kind, where two layers of fabric are sewn together and the seams bound with tape.
I wanted something different, interesting, a more original solution. That is also why the designing, the trials, the endless correcting and unpicking and doing it again and better took rather a lot of time. And now it is done. A moment to celebrate.
The bag is made of rubberised nylon. The lining consists of four layers: a reinforcing fabric, expoflat, which holds the bag in shape and protects the instrument from lighter knocks; angora wool fabric and half wool wadding, which give the contents of the bag softness and keep them warm; and a cotton lining as the finish. The front piece is made using reclaimed materials: knits, denim, corduroy, and decorated with embroidery, reflective tape, beads and little buttons. Like the rest of the bag, the front piece also has a layer of water repellent material under the decorative layer.
The bag has a zip fastening and a zipped outer pocket for a purse, keys and a notebook. Inside the bag is a second small zipped pocket for the kannel's accessories. The bag has a black webbing handle and an adjustable strap.
As a wash test I cut squares of a set size from all the fabrics used and washed them in the machine at 40 C on the wool programme. All the fabrics kept their form and shape. Only the pure wool fabric shrank a little, 1 mm for every 10 cm. Since both the wool and the wadding are quilted through with the cotton layer, this does not affect the quality of the bag. With repeated washing, though, the woollen part of the lining does lose its loft over time.
The bag is machine washable up to 40 C on the wool programme. Do not spin or iron.
