Crazy About Wool

                                                            
 It is my day to share my love of wool with you , thanks to Denise of Pieced Brain for hosting this fun hop and also the great sponsors .I have played around with wool for years, first with knitting and crocheting but since I discovered quilting they have been on the back burner , however I discovered how wonderful wool fabrics can be to work with as applique and also for piecing so I will share a few projects I have made over the years first.

I made this pillow a few years ago from a quilt magazine , sorry I forget which one . I pieced the background with wool scraps than appliqued the flower on top. My very first wool project was this next penny rug.

I should have ironed this as I can see the indentation of the lamp that rests on this . My friend Dianne K gifted me with this next cute penny rug.

Isn't it cute !I love angels and this gets plenty of use on my sewing table beside my favorite chair in my living room.

This wall hanging was my first attempt of using wool and cotton together , I loved doing this and I am pleased with the results.
 For this hop I started out with this adorable candle mat , my friend Lesley gifted me with the kit recently and I got started immediately making it so it would be ready for this hop.Thanks Lesley .

It is only tiny and the pieces were extra small but I adore it . I then moved on to this cute little sewing caddy a free pattern on All peoplequilt.com ,I have made a few of these over the years and they are quick and easy and quite useful too and make a great gift for a quilter friend ,think Christmas ;-) I just learned this sweet little project was designed by Rosebud Cottage who is also posting today in this hop, so thanks to her for this sweet little sewing caddy!

My final project to share today is something that I had not intended for this hop and didn't even think it would be finished but yesterday a few friends and I got together and made totes , now I wanted to try something a little different so I used some charm squares of wool that I had on hand and made my front and back pieces and from there it became this bag .

The entire bag is made from wool , the interior is a wool plaid that wraps over to create the trim at the top and if you notice the top of the pocket also has a trim . If I were to make another bag using wool I would do things a little differently but it was a great learning experience. I also took part in a pin it blog hop recently and quite a few of my pincushions were wool , if you are interested  here is the link,    http://sheilasquiltworld.blogspot.ca/2013/09/pin-it.html
 Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope you enjoy the rest of the hop ,below is the schedule for today and the rest of the week .
hugs Sheila

Thursday, September 26

A Quilt and a Prayer

Kat and Cat Quilts

Rosebuds Cottage

By The Bay Neddleart

Sugarlane Designs

Sheila's Quilt World

Pieced Brain

Friday, September 27

Hallbrook Designs

Karen's Quilts, Crows and Cardinals

Mummzy Stamps

Meadowbrook

Friendship Crossing

Fryeber

Color Point Quilter

One Christmas Item a month

I know Narelle will be shocked to see me post , I have been so slack this year with doing Christmas projects but I do have two to post today . I recently purchased the winter edition of Quilting Celebrations by Fons and Porter and these two projects caught my eye along with many others but so far this is all I have completed .

This little Mini quilt is a perfect size for my table topper hanger and was a great project to make except I will warn you the pattern is not quite right as it stated to cut the background 12.5 but it really is a bit large as the flame was too small but no fear I just trimmed things down to make them fit.

Next I made this little mug rug of Frosty , so cute don't you think .I am linking up today with Narelle of Pins and Whiskers so if you are interested in seeing what others have done for this month head on over to visit.

 So folks that is it for me today but be sure to stop by tomorrow as I am taking part in the Crazy about Wool blog hop hosted by Denise of Pieced Brain , if you want to see some wooly goodness today here is the list for the past few days so you can enjoy some lovely projects .

Monday, September 23

CJ Stitching and Blooms

Negligent Style

Sweet P

Reluctant Quilter

Racie Baby

Patchouli Moon Studio

The Raspberry Rabbits

Tuesday, September 24

Marla's Crafts

Quiltscapesqs

Secretly Stitching

Marjorie's Busy Corner

Sew Many Yarns 

Val Spiers Sews

Quilted Crow Girls Design

Wednesday, September 25

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Wooly Red Rug

Chic n Fish

Maria do Carmo (You are here!)

Selina Quilts

Sunshine Quilting

 Hope you enjoy the rest of your day , thanks for stopping by.

 Hugs Sheila 

More on Postcards

Thanks for the great response to the fabric postcard swap , we have some new bloggers (and new followers ,thanks)signed up this round which is wonderful and some have never made a postcard before so I thought I would share a few links that may be of help but before I do that just look at what landed softly in my mailbox a couple of days ago !

This gorgeous postcard arrived from Australia and was made by Fiona of Bubzrugz  , it is so pretty and delicate , thanks so much Fiona it was such a lovely surprise  :-) Isn't her work lovely !!
 How many of you are hooked on pinterest ? Well let me tell you there is plenty of inspiration for postcards on pinterest and here is a link to my pinterest page , have fun exporing around and I know there are several links to tutorials as I just placed them there ,I have not however checked them out but I promise I will.
http://www.pinterest.com/sheilaam/fabric-postcards/  I do remember looking at one by Needled Mom a while back and I just added this to my pinterest page . A way back when I also did a little tutorial on this blog , I will fetch that post and be right back . So here is the link to my tutorial , it explained how to make a landscape postcard but the overall method would be the same to make any postcard .
http://sheilasquiltworld.blogspot.ca/2011/08/postcard-tutorial-and-swap-sign-up.html , I wa a little surprised it was this long ago , my times flies doesn't it :-)
Now for those new comers a few tips, first off the measurements for postcards is generally 4"x6" , use something to stiffen the postcard so it is not floppy , if it is too floppy it will get caught in the machines at the postoffice and we don't want that to happen . There are several options to use for stiffening , timetex , craftex, fast2fuse and heavier weight interfacing which may require two layers .  Next ,I always send my postcards naked , in other words with no envelope but if you feel safer using an envelope please do so and especially if you have added buttons or other embellishments that could get caught and make sure you stitch down any embellishments so that they do not fall off or again get caught . Fiona used a clear plastic envelope which is also great as you can see the postcard and it is safe from being torn , you can find those in craft stores .If you notice the edges of Fiona's postcard you will see she has a satin stitch edging which helps enclose the layers of the postcard and also gives a nice professional finish . I have been a member of a few postcard groups on yahoo and some have very strict rules and one rule is to only send something you would also be happy to recieve , I agree with this as they are little works of art and you want to proudly display them in your home so do the best job you can.   Here are a couple of postcards I made yesterday with a fall theme , I didn't get much response as to theme but I think it is helpful to have a theme so lets make it fall if that is ok with everyone .

A few fall leaves , some of my favorites , maple leaves and oak and you will see on this one I did a little decorative stitch on my machine that reminds me of grass , it is an easy finish and does give a nice look .

Our leaves have not really started to turn yet or not in this area but I managed to find a weed that had a few leaves that had turned so I pounded those on the prepared fabric and then stitched around them . I was going to fill in the areas that had not pounded but decided to leave it natural and then I used my little rubber stamps to write out the word fall and this time I used a varigated thread to do a satin stitch , I really like varigated threads for this purpose . Now there is a lot more to fall than leaves so use your imagination and come up with something creative and most important have fun . 

 If anyone has any questions please don't hesitate to ask and I will do my best to answer . I will assign names by early next week if not earlier . Thanks again for your great response and remember to have lots of fun with this  and oh yes , the mail out date will be no later than Oct. 15th but once names have been assigned please feel free to mail and once your partner has received their card please post a picture on your blog and also it might be nice to email your partner and thank her . 

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day .

 Hugs Sheila 

Are you ready for a postcard swap?

 I was thinking it might be time to do another postcard swap , what do you think ? I know several who took part in the last one expressed interest in doing another so maybe this would be a good time , we could do a fall theme if that suits everyone or maybe we don't need a theme just make whatever  creative idea comes into your head , what are your thoughts . I would like to do a sign up now and then have all postcards mailed before Oct. 15th , that should give everyone plenty of time to make a card . So if you are interested please let me know by commenting in this post and I will add your name . It might be best if you send me your address information by email as well , if you were in the last swap and want to participate then I already have your info so just let me know you want to take part again . Ok I just checked my sewing room and can not find the previous info so it might be easier for me if you just give me your info again , Name, address , email and blog if you have one so I can just copy and past to your partner , thanks , this will save me so much time ! Have I made that clear or is it clear as mud :-)
 I have made a few postcards recently ,none with fall themes ,but guess what ,I mailed them and forgot to take pictures except for this one .

A crazy patch postcard , with some added antique tatting and lace . I did one with shiva paint sticks which was a new techique to me which I enjoyed and will try that again , infact I do have another partly done so will show you that once it is completed. Not much sewing these past few days . 

Yesterday we were off to Halifax to a concert , Lynda Randle and Guy Penrod , WOW is all I can say , it was just amazing . I had watched them for years on the Gaither program and always loved them so when we seen it advertised we quickly ordered tickets and we are both so glad we did , it was worth the long drive and long day ,I didn't get home until close to midnight and I am one who goes to bed early  but if they ever came to the city again I would not hesitate to go  . I did feel sorry for Lynda as her mother passed away just a few days ago so she was having some moments as she was of course thinking about her and will be going home now to be with her family . She said her mother would want her to continue but it was emotionally difficult for her I am sure.

 Thanks for stopping by and be sure to let me know if you wish to take part , I think this will be a lot of fun !!

 hugs Sheila

Post #2 QAL

Most unusal for me to post twice in the same day but here we go. This is my now a  completed block to make a total of three . I didn't have any more of light blue or i would have used it but I do like it .As I mentioned this QAL  is hosted by Hazel this month .

Thanks for stopping by today and have a great day.
 hugs Sheila

Christmas QAL

                                                           
 It is a lovely Sunday here on the east coast , blue skies and a gentle warm breeze , my kind of day . I don't know if you are like me but for some reason I can loose things here in this sewing room , I had put away the fabrics I had used previously for this QAL and when I went to get them where I thought they were , no show . I spent way too much time searching so gave up and made this block with different colors but still not green or red ;-)

I love the fabrics but not next to the other block so back to searching and whew , I found them , where else but in the container of Christmas fabrics :-(

So now I have this little pile waiting to be sewn into a block , off I go and I am linking up today to Hazel  who is our wonderful hostess for this month ,why not hop on over and visit and see what others have been doing .
 Oh before I go I must mention since I was searching this morning I took some time to also cut out another Christmas project , a little wool project which will become my evening stitching for the next little while .

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day.
 hugs Sheila

Pin It

                                                       


It has been a while since I have taken part in a blog hop but when I seen Madame Samm announce the Pin It hop I could no longer resist the temptation ,I love pincushions  . I want to thank our wonderful hostess Madame Samm as well as our very organized cheerleader  Kristen , I  appreciate the work you do behind the scenes to make this happen .
Who doesn't love pincushions and as a quilter they are not only pretty but useful and so I had lots of fun making a few pincushions for this hop ,so pull up a chair and grab your favorite drink and hopefully enjoy my little display .

I started off with this cute little wool hat with a wool flower and some beads for decorations. I made this pattern years ago and the pattern came from an American Patchwork and Quilting publication from June 2005 . Since I love working with wool I continued on that path for my next pincushion .

This large fun pincushion was designed by Lynne of Kansas Trouble Quilters and is from the book Seeds of Time - a quilters journal #5 .
I was still having fun with the wool and remembered I had started this crazy patch pincushion while doing a RR pincushion swap which was hosted by Fiona of Bubzrugz , this swap was designed around a great pincushion that Kaaren shared on her blog and with her permission Fiona organized the swap , now for my pincushion .

They are such fun to make and you can add whatever takes your fancy in each little section of your crazy patch . I must share the pincushion that I received from the swap as well, it traveled the globe and back to me and is a treasure in my sewing space. It is on the right and you can also see the hat pincushion I made many years ago along with these stacking flower pincushions .

This next little project just caught my eye on pinterest and I had to try it , there were no directions just the template but I figured it out without much trouble but it sure is tiny . Owls are all the rage right now so I just had to have one ;-) You can find the template here . I didn't have the heart to poke it with a pin though ;-)

This little pincushion started out life as a sugar bowl a beautiful piece of china by Paragon and since I love pretty china as well as pincushions I wanted to add it to my collection .

I have to apologize for the lighting , it is dark and dreary here today and I did my best to get this to show up.
Back to the wool and another pinterest idea , no pattern just a photo and some guessing and away I went.

The best part about working with this type of project it is mostly done by hand , infact this entire pincushion was done by hand .

 I used some wool again and drew out the letters free hand , and added the measuring tape to the side . I love most things vintage and this last pincushion came about when I purchased a few crocheted bits at a church yard sale recently , I thought this one looked so cute on some plain fabric , elegant with a few beads here and there , simple but cute.

 I hope you enjoyed my little pincushion display and be sure to visit each of todays participants in this fun hop. Thanks so much for stopping by  and don't forget to leave a comment , we all love to hear what you think .
 Hugs Sheila
 

September 12
Cherrys Prairie Primitives

In Stitches& Seams

Sew And Sow Farm

Domestic Deficit Disorder

A Geeky Crafty Life

Moosestash Quilting

Englating

Quilter in Motion

In The Boondocks

Hill Valley Quilter

Kaydie

Callender’s Creations   

Kreatywnie By Editha

Sew New To Sewing

Pieced Brain

Sheila's Quilt World

What's on my design wall today

It is a rainy Sunday and I promised my granddaughters I would make this wall hanging for them so I figured this was the perfect day to start. Want to see ?

This adorable scarecrow caught my eye immediately when I opened the fall edition of Quilting Celebrations by Fons and Porter , I knew I would have to make it . Well I will warn anyone who wants to make this , the pattern is not correct in the magazine, I am not too happy right now, I cut and sewed my background fabrics and then cut and assembled the scarecrow only to find they do not fit , not even close. I thought first I could sort of overlap the lettering but then when I tried to place all the scarecrow pieces on the assembled background , they were also much too large .  It surprised me a little as most times when I have made things from these publications they were just fine but I will also warn you about one in the newest publication the Christmas magazine , there is a mistake on the candle as well . I am thankful I found some blue in my fabric stash that was large enough to use in place of what I had previously sewn , it isn't what I wanted to use but I certainlyt did not want to go buy more fabric and I was able to peel off the lettering and reiron those on the new piece . I still love him even though at this point he was way more work than I bargained for . Now to do all that applique . That's it for me today I just thought I should share this info incase someone is reading this and was about to start this project , the background size should actually be 21.5"x 30.5" for the blue and the brown is 21.5"x5". Thanks for stopping by and have a great day .

 Hugs Sheila 

UFO'S for September

                                                        
I didn't do so well last month on my UFO's but maybe I can change that in September , my main goal will be to get my crazy patch quilt sewn together into a top , I do have more blocks to add so that is #1 priority.

Next I think I will just forget about the nine patch blocks for now ,I need inspiration to arise somewhere deep within and it doesn't seem to be happening so let it rest for now and move on to other things like my mystery quilt that I have been doing with Darlene ofQuilts by Darlene , it has now become a UFO as Darlene gave the last instructions in August and I did not get July done . This is what it looks like right now.

This will keep me very busy this month along with other things I have planned , wish me luck. Off I go to see what I need to cut for the next border :-) Thanks for stopping by and have yourself a fantastic day. I am linking up today to Carrie of A Passion for Applique .
 hugs Sheila

A little mail today

Two postcards have had a soft landing in my mailbox ,I love receiving them . This first one came all the way from Australia and is part of a yahoo group swap .

A little hot air balloon , rather cute don't you think . Thanks so much Mayke .The next one came from Olympia in Washington state and is part of my blog swap , I had almost given up hope on receiving this so it was a nice surprise this morning to open the envelope and discover this lovely landscape postcard from Laura (no blog) .

Great postcard Laura , thanks so much , I do love lighthouses and the ocean so it is a perfect card for me. Is anyone ready to do another swap , I was thinking we could do a fall themed swap since it is just around the corner , what do you think ?? Let me know and we can get a sign up going . Thanks .

I did a little sewing on Sunday but I think I am going to wait to share most of that for a later date , you will understand when I finally do post. However I do want to share this block I made as part of a new BOW by Linda of Linda's quiltmania  , this is a stash buster quilt along and it is not too late to get started , this block was really quick to make and fun as well.

I am not real fond of the fabrics I used but that is ok , it may come together better once more blocks are made or I can always make another in a color I prefer right ;-)Why not hop on over to visit with Linda and join in , there are even prizes to be won , c'mon you know you want to .
 I have been very busy preparing for the upcoming "Pin it " bloghop , my love affair with wool will be very evident in this hop and I have really enjoyed preparing and hope you will like what I have made , would you like a sneak peak? Alright just a small one and don't tell anyone.

I bet you can even tell what this is , you can see the whole pincushion on Spetember 12 which is my day to post . I best get going now , more work to do . Enjoy your day and thanks so much for stopping by .
 hugs Sheila

UFO Report and some pretty mail

I am a little late again this month reporting my UFO's , as you can see by the number of posts last month I did not accomplish much for August , I was off enjoying the summer weather instead , winter is coming all too soon so I was more than happy to be out and about rather than behind my machine that is not to say I didn't miss it. So down to my report , my crazy quilt did grow a little I made some additional blocks and this is how it looks right now.

I made enough for another row plus this one lone block , I think I am going to increase the width of these rows , just a little too narow at present so that is one of my goals for Sept. I did nothing on the Christmas nine patch / snowball blocks , they have not inspired me enough to start stitching any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I did get some of the basket block sewn but not finished so I really had a rather sad month stitching wise. The only goal I reached was to make more blocks for my crazy patch and I did manage that.  I am linking up today to Carrie of A Passion for Applique
 On a brighter note I received this lovely postcard from Raewyn all the way from New Zealand , I love it and it is perfect for me,

A lovely fern and a maple leaf , very well made and don't you love the variegated stitching for the finishing edge !Thanks Raewyn.
 I best get started at some stitching before my fingers forget how to do it lol! Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by .
 hugs Sheila