Quote

Remember - Its not the length of your life that's important - it's the depth.

Monday 10 March 2014

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




2 comments:

  1. My goodness you have been busy! I'd love to be able to needle felt, I wouldn't know where to start. The needle case is fab!
    I love what you did with the hearts from old blocks too, I think spring must have well and truly sprung for you and your creativity!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you For dropping in Kim, the sewing bug lasted right through till Saturday as It was Clock Tower this week, but more on that in the next post!
    Lx

    ReplyDelete