In the middle of the night.....

I had an idea! On Saturday I had spent the day at the Regional Day for Region 2 of the Quilters Guild, after starting with a nice cuppa we enjoyed a lovely morning learning all about threads from the lady from Empress Mills (sorry I can't remember her name) then it was lunch and time to peruse the goodies on show from Abigail's Crafts, The Patchwork House from Llantrisant (sorry can't find a link except for Facebook - which doesn't work!!) and of course Empress Mills before it was time to settle down for a workshop, there were a variety of kits available to make an item for the Love Hearts Tombola at the NEC this year hosted by Region 2. I chose to make a felt needle case which I managed to complete before coming home. On the drive back  I was thinking that I could make a couple more items for this and send them off to Region 2. Then in the middle of the night I had my Eureka moment and hot footed it here straight after breakfast to try it out. Some time ago while watching a well known Craft Channel on TV I succumbed to buying some a LOT of wool felting materials and tools, then in the way of things they got put aside till now. So this is what I did...

 I grabbed this old felted sweater from under the table and my box of Felting equipment

After cutting the sleeve off and cutting a piece about 6"x 4"  I drew the outline of a heart which I used as a guide to start adding some tapestry wool 

I kept filling in the shape till I was satisfied and felted it evenly all over, before trimming it to a 5" x 4" rectangle I then added a piece of white felt in the centre attaching it with a decorative stitch on the machine

Voila! I had a completed needle case in less than 1/2 Hour! I will do some blanket stitch around the egdes to neaten them but will do that in an evening

 I must be on a roll today because I have also finished stitching the 2nd of 2 charity quilts for the Woodside Centre (see previous posts) At Westbury Park Quilters in January there was a sales table where I bought this for the princely sum of £1.00

I've already cut it in half here to get it in the picture!

it was 88" long and around 45" wide pre printed stripes with a pretty rose print backing and quilted along the lines. I snapped it up thinking if I cut it in half it would make 2 quilts. I wanted to make them look different, and made a quick search through the bits and pieces box. Discovering some Applique shapes I've had for some years and never found a use for I came up with this idea..

'Send in the Clowns'

I sewed them on in the centre and have added a navy binding which just needs the hand stitching which I will do in front of the telly, as for the other one I was a bit stumped for ideas, I did not have any more applique shapes until I remembered all those Random Log Cabin Blocks I made sometime ago.

selecting a few bright ones I cut out some Hearts shapes trying to keep the red 'log' centres in the middle of them I then appliqued them using a decorative blanket stitch onto the reverse side of the quilt top, I also sewed some outline heart shapes in the spaces, I just need to add the binding now before handing them over to my contact at the centre.

'Sweet Cabin Hearts'

I'm off to Westbury Park tonight so I will have some Show & tell quilts to share as well as these tea pot cosies, here ably modeled by 'Little Brown' the T pot' and which will be sold for the local Youth Club (not Little Brown of course - he's far to useful here!).

Well it's time for tea so I'll be going!

Byeee

Lxxx