Snowman Wall Hanging

First attempt to use the snowball block to actually make snowballs!

I like his sideways orientation and jaunty air!

Quilted and bound and ready to hang!

Wool Applique Art

This is a wool applique project inspired by my recent trip to the beach. It is a crow standing near a sandcastle. I used upcycled wool garments as the source for my felted wool.

Recently I began to use wax paper to help me transfer designs for cutting. I traced the shapes onto the wax paper and then ironed it onto the wool fabrics I had chosen for this design. I even embroidered over the paper for the wool shells so that I could get the swirl design right. Once I finished the embroidery I tore off the paper. I was surprised at how easy it was.

I started this cat before vacation and this is how far I got before I abandoned it (temporarily.) I used wax paper to transfer this design from a quilting magazine my aunt loaned me. The problems started with embroidering the toes. I tried to free hand them several times and they looked like cr**! I picked them out over and over again then tried to mark the lines with a chalk pencil. Well, chalk pencil does not stick to a felted sweater! AAAARRRGGGHHH! I muddled through the toes and then quit.

I got the idea to retrace the face on some fresh wax paper and soon I will iron it onto the wool. Then I will embroider the face through the paper, tear the paper away and reveal a perfect cat face! I love the eyes on this cat.

I am planning to make another one with gray and black wool. I love these sly looking kitties! I am thinking one for my vet, one for my uncle, one for . . . .

I Stippled A Wallhanging!

Here is a cheater panel that I made into a wall hanging. This one is quilted in a different way than I usually do it.

I put the free motion quilting foot on the machine and stippled it. That basically means that I used my hands to push the fabric under the needle making designs. The designs were mostly loops and swirls.

It is challenging to quilt this way. The fabric has to be guided with both hands and it is easy to get the stitches to sew over top of each other (which you should not do.) It is important to set the speed so that you can complete your design without losing control of where you are stitching.

I tried not to get the stitches over the colored parts of the panel, instead opting to quilt around the design in each square. I also chose to stipple only the 5 largest blocks. The smaller designs are just outlined with stitching.

I learned how to do the stippling on Youtube. I have found that in addition to millions of videos showing stupid people doing stupid things, Youtube has many instructional videos. There are some skilled quilters who demonstrate techniques to help out us novices.

They say that practice makes perfect. I will keep at it.

Sizzix Creations

Here are some things I have made using felted wool cut from my Sizzix BigKick. Most of these were made during the winter and spring. Now I am not making many things with wool, I have switched over to cotton for the hot months.

Cheater Quilt Panels

I am not a skilled seamstress. I sometimes have trouble sewing a straight line. The fact that many fabric design lines include cheater panels is a bonus for me. Cheater panels are blocks of designs printed all ready to sew into a quick and easy project. Some quilters use the panel as the center block and add pieced blocks to make it large enough for a bed.

Here is a cheater panel door hanging (or wallhanging) I made from a springy panel with a garden theme. I am giving it to a special gardener I love.

I am especially proud of the hanging loops I stitched to the top of this piece. I pinned them between the layers and stitched around the outside. When I flipped the layers right side out, the hanging loops were perfect! Yay- another sewing skill accomplished.

Last weekend at the quilt store I purchased a set of panels to make beach bags with Fruity Ladies on them. Several more are on their way to me from ebay. It will be interesting to see how these projects end up--I cannot predict yet.