Quilt Felt Bag : Iteration #2

July has been a time to finish up some old projects, namely completing my 2nd iteration of the QFB (Quilt Felt Bag).
My first QFB (shown left) I adore. There are some messy things about it if you look closely and it was a nightmare to make since I was working out the design process on the fly. But I love the colors and each square's design speaks to me in some way. And, I got to use some gorgeous orange silk fabric my niece brought home for me from her stint in Bangladesh....so it is particularly special.
But as is the case when exploring a new design idea, the execution of this first one gave me all kinds of ideas for making the bag again....both more efficiently and neatly. 
So last year as I was stitching the felt for this first bag, I  felted up new fabric in some lovely neutrals and just this month finally got around to completing the surface design, lining, handles & assembly of it.
It went together SO much more neatly and efficiently than the first. But of course, working on it only gave me new ideas about another approach to the bag!

Here is one side

And here is the other side....I can't really decide which is front and back since I like both equally! So I put a button on each and will just sew in a magnet closure on the inside to finish it off.

Since so many customers have asked me to offer this as a class, I plan on starting Iteration #3 (which I expect to be the best, when I return from vacation mid August.
The Quilt Festival must have had some impact on me as now I'm seeing everything in geometrics....

Here is a quick bag I worked up last Thursday night when I wanted a sample for the Silk Paper Making class showing how silk paper could actually be felted INTO  felt fabric and also how it could be stitched ONTO fabric.I'm still braiding the leather handle for this bag....the color of the leather matches the linen nuno felt strip at the top of the bag, perfectly.