Thanks, Ken, for the ideas. Not a woodworker, me. Think I'll trace the outline of the dulcimer and have a look in second hand stores for some of those instrument cases you suggested...BTW, what is a 4/4 fiddle?

 Gun case.  Archer's bow case. Musical instrument cases - trombone, 4/4 fiddle, etc.   Some electric keyboards have hard cases.  There are hardsided golf transport cases too.  It all depends on how mych you want to spend.  If you are, or know a reasonable woodworker, making a simple box case is pretty easy and pretty inexpensive.

Needing a hard case so I can humidify my 37" dulcimer Any ideas? 

THANK Y'ALL!  Our church retreat starts tonight, and then I will work on a sound clip!  ~still SO HAPPY~  :)

Hugs; beautiful bag you have made. So happy you have your little dulci, enjoy!

OH MY MY MY....such a DARLING case for a DARLING dulcimer.  I'd love to hear her played...BY YOU.  On the airplane, they would think that was a long purse.  oh too cute to the MAX.  aloha, irene

HA!  ~love how I pictured the dulcimer upside down~  LOL!  That's how I put it in the bag so that the tuners are at the top.  *THANK Y'ALL!*  I am SO HAPPY!!!!!

Jennifer, I know that there were more Wrens being made for etsy, but they found new homes before they made it.  *I think* I read on the fb page that there was on bigger one (Sparrow) that was available....

Vlillik, I love the dress material!  ~we make cloth napkins out of all our old dressy things~  :)  I agree that dulcimer people are the very nicest on the whole planet!!!!!

It's a beautiful dulcimer 😀 gorgeous shape! And now it has a lively protective bag, good work!

Here is a pic of my completed bag and my beautiful Feather Dulcimer (a Wren) that I named Teagan.  It means "little poet".  Pictures could never do the artistry and craftmanship justice~she is the prettiest little thing I think I've ever seen!!!  

DSC00323.JPG.jpg  •  161KB

DSC00327.JPG.jpg  •  2.4MB

Hugssandi I can hear how thrilled you were yesterday, it's such a wonderful instrument! I've never come across such lovely people it seems to bring together :)

Jan-potts thank you! (Very quietly: the material used to be a summer dress. Can't throw some material away!)

xx

Yep, can see your pics just fine!  One of the prettiest bags I've ever seen!

Thank you, Vlillik!  My Wren came today, and it is so amazing that I cried when I saw it!  OH I was too busy to enjoy it today, and that was a stinker!!!  LOL!  I also finished my bag (save a button) during my son's PT appointment and at church this evening (SSHHH!  Don't tell!).  The lining is two layers of fleece.  Will try to get some pics tomorrow.  :) 

I was thinking your straps would go all the way around...  Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Hugssandi you sound very busy, I remember the days of storytelling! What a lovely time! My two are now 19 and 21 years old!

I'm hoping you find time to finish your work so it's ready for your Wren. I'd have as much padding as possible for it.

Ken-hulme thanks for the Velcro idea - I was thinking about using it yesterday but was worried it could rip off the material from the padding. Although I could do a strip/band of such webbing and just have Velcro at those ends and have about 4 of them strategically placed along the rectangle.  So then to carrying straps, which I think may only be done once the safe retention of MD is achieved. 

Thank you so much for your positive and uplifting responses x

Vlillik -- Velcro (tm)  is your friend.  You can use several strips for "latches" to close that case, and even use it to hold a strap on as long as the pull is "around a corner".

Vlillik, I did not expect the square shape and love it!  Beautiful fabric and my favorite green.  :)  ~genius idea~

So last night I realized my liner is longer than what I've crocheted, meaning I could leave it and draw string over it so that it sticks out, or I could cut it down and restitch just a little bit.  Not sure how I will proceed!  I have not crocheted on it more but might be able to while sitting through the kids' storytelling today.  My Wren dulcimer is on its way, so I need to get a movin'!  SO EXCITED!  ~will share pics of both~

Hi, hope you're crocheting has gone well today?

I've finished my bag but need to work out the best way to pop straps on and a way of stopping my dulcimer from falling out! 🤔

image.jpg  •  219KB

How exciting :)

I cannot wait to see that M.D. case!!!  I finally sewed the inner lining to mine today, but I have not attached it and will also need to crochet a strap and drawstring top....

More piccies to add tomorrow as I'm finally making my M.D case from an exercise mat and covering it with material!

Thanks Paula.  Building a simple box like this isn't "rocket surgery".  It just takes a little time, some patience and a couple simple tools (saw, glue, sandpaper).

That is a nice looking case!   And you don't have to worry about your dulcimer getting damaged...  If I were a woodworker I would surely make one!

Thanks, Sandi and Sheryl. I love it,too!

Annie, Love the bag! It's beautiful. 

Monica, that's amazing work!  Marg, GENIUS idea and still totally worthy of this thread!

Kyodan Yago Mat Bag - I just happen to see it at Marshalls. Only as tall as the W. of a mat

What brand is that bag of yours?  

(I never even heard of a yoga mat bag until I read Marg's post!)

Ha, me either and to think the bag was also padded. 

Wow!   What an assortment of bags, fabrics, colors and prices!  Who'd a thunk it?  I never even heard of a yoga mat bag until I read Marg's post!

I wish I could say, I had made mine but I didn't. I thought of just getting a table runner and folding over and sewing up the sides. My (new for me dulcimer) is a slander rectangle, so would move around too much in a standard dulcimer bag or case. I went looking for something, maybe a heavy duty laundry bag but ended up with something I had not even thought of,   so funny - 'A yoga mat bag'  

bag.jpg  •  94KB

I made this bag for the Seagull Merlin, this was the instrument that introduced me to the Mountain dulcimer. It is now a wall hanging.

IMG_9789.jpg  •  143KB

OH ANNIE!!!  ~that is beautiful treasure~

Thanks, Ken and Jennifer, I passed that on to the maker. I thought I'd be in search of a hard case, until I read Irene's post! 

Annie, that's very pretty. What a nice dulcimer bag!

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Sorry, there they are now...looks like I can't spell today, either!😉

Ok, so that didn't work I guess....or can others ee them? A.

Will try to post some pics of the dulcimer bag Melody made for me. I love to kayak, so the top is green for the pines on shore; the bottom is blue for the water. Lining covered with musical notes. 2 little pockets for noter and picks. She had bought the batik fabrics a few years ago...prettiest gift ever. Crazy quilt style, she says. To luck me, it's a work of art. 

image.jpeg  •  111KB

image.jpeg  •  843KB

image.jpeg  •  1.4MB

image.jpeg  •  1.8MB

image.jpeg  •  1.8MB

Ken, THAT'S AWESOME!

Here are two photos of the case I built for the first dulcimer I made.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

DSCN1623.jpg  •  234KB

DSCN1624.jpg  •  1.3MB

Sooo...  I haven't finished!  I never lined it and must get to work before my new (dulcimer) baby arrives!!!!!

Love, love, love....

A truly unique and beautiful story, it shows we all still have love and appreciation of beautiful things :)

DARLING DULCIMER BAG HANGING ON A LINE WITH WONDERFUL FOOD GROWING IN THE BACKGROUND.  woah.  and little pockets.  love it.  With as many kids as I had in Hawaii, I made most all their cloths and for 10 years on a treadle sewing machine.  soooooooo I make bags for the instruments that I make now.  when I went to Hawaii last month, I took my dulcimer with me as we were playing for our granddaughter's wedding.  (oh fun of course) but on crowded planes.....and I ask stewardess or steward, "do you have a closet for my dulcimer?" and then they want to see it and I pull it out and oohhhhh and ahhh and they take care of it right away with no problems.  Last flight at 10:00 p.m. on 8 August leaving Kona, Hawaii, loading up our 4 big bags .....we were last to board, and we were an hour early....WHAT???? I was worried about the dulcimer and did my deal, "oh do you have a little closet to put my dulcimer that I made"....I show it...no closet, but she MADE SURE it was in a safe upper compartment and I put my husbands autoharp in the same overhead bin and she slamed that compartment and said nothing else is going in there.  (happy face here) and it was a full to the max plane because of the DELTA deals going on all over the world.  When I'd take my harp back and forth to the mainland, I'm upfront about it all.....I'd not even cover it....they could see what it was, treated like little jewels.....so travel with home made bags, let 'em know what's inside, offer a tune....and all will be well.  

Ken, I always love your creations!  Vlillik, when you make it I wanna see it!  Jennifer, I LOVE IT~is it lined?

Mine is crocheted with yarn and fun fur in greens and blues.  I am still wondering what I will line it with~a t-shirt?  An woolly vest with a faux, suede-like outer?  Will definitely post a pic when it's done.  

I so love the fruit of people's hands!!!!!

Beautiful bag Jennifer, you are very creative.

I need to make one too...my MD came in a banjo case!

Here are pix of my poplar Possum Box case.  It's a tight fit inside, purposely, so I wouldn't have to add padding.  Made from 1/4" poplar with a 1/4" square rail that the lid rests on.  The handle strap is buckled on the underside. 

P1020594.JPG.jpg  •  121KB

P1020595.JPG.jpg  •  251KB

P1020592.JPG.jpg  •  506KB

P1020593.JPG.jpg  •  519KB

I am currently working on crocheting a bag for my Feather Dulcimer....