Second and Third Attempts

I won't even show a photo of bootie #1...

They are getting better and I'm learning how to sew with suede. (My best tip that I didn't read elsewhere on the internet: Hold it together with little clothes pins, 'cause you can't use regular pins....and that seems easier than the binder clips others suggest.)

I'm still fiddling with the pattern and the design. I want elastic in the ankle part, but that is easier said than done.

The green one looks better, but in fact, it isn't put together in a way that will make it easy to put on and off, so... Back to the drawing board.

Baskets

I spent last week's crafting time playing with baskets. I made a few that I like a lot. I spent a lot of time on one that didn't turn out very well. I don't have a photo of it here. The basket above is one of my favorites. The bird's nest is also a favorite. This week I'll be playing with baby/toddler shoes. I found suede jackets for .99 this week. I've wanted to make slippers or toddler shoes but needed suede for the soles. Now I have some.

I'll make free shoes/slippers for the first FIVE readers or facebook friends that send me the length of their baby or toddler's foot. In return you must give me honest feedback. What do you like or not like about the design of the slipper/shoe. I'll post a photo of what I have in mind once I get them made.

Sunday fun with sweaters

I must be reading this blog too much--http://resweater.blogspot.com/. She sells sweaters online, and goes "sweatering" every Sunday. Yesterday I thought I needed to go to the Goodwill to look for new potential felt. I already have more than enough, but wanted an outing. I've read many fun blog posts called "Sweater Sunday" at the above-mentioned blog. There may be brainwashing going on there!

I checked out a new Goodwill, a bit further from home than I normally go. Ten whole miles away. Alex did not want to go with me, so I had a few quiet hours to do with as I pleased. I was in the store for about 15 minutes before I saw the xeroxed sign posted to the end of a rack of sweaters. All sweaters .99. Today only. Well, it turns out the special had been running all week, but I've not seen one of these specials since I started this adventure with felt, so I've been paying 3.29 each for my sweaters. I had such a blast. A whole cart full, 32 in all. Some great cashmere, almost all 100% natural. Several that I plan to unravel to reclaim the yarn. Most will be felted. And two I'm going to wear. One, a cotton cardigan from Lands End, was washed this morning and is being worn right now. Another is 100% wool, hand knit, from Ann Taylor. I planned to unravel it for the yarn. A nice dark navy blue. But when I looked at it again this morning, I decided to try it on. It fit. Not perfectly, but well enough for around the house on a cold day. The size is marked S. Yes--those of you that know me will laugh. I've not worn anything marked S for a very long time. If the size was that far off on this poor sweater, no wonder it landed in the .99 sale.

It is fun to rescue these natural fibers from the shredder and the rope machine. I don't worry about an Acrylic sweater ending up as rope. I do hate to see beautiful wool end up as "fiber unknown" rope.

Instead it can become a new monster friend...

Ideas

Here are three ideas I'm thinking about for the wall hanging above the fireplace. I'd do the pattern in wool felt, sewn with blanket stitch, or overcast stitch to a backing. I might add embellishments, like the ones in my previous post, or not. I'd build the first layer and then decide. All three of these come from this web site:
http://www.pbase.com/brownsf/amish_quilts

The bottom one is my current favorite. It was made by Ada Gingerich, Arthur, IL circa 1930.

The top one is also very cool. Info the web site has says: Triangles crib quilt, Kalona, Iowa circa 1930 41"x33"

I like the middle one also, but not for our family room. Colors are not right. The info there is: Broken Dishes crib -Holmes County,OH c.1930 37"x32"

Morna Crites-Moore

I found a fabric artist on Etsy and the internet that does BEAUTIFUL work with wool felt. I am so inspired by her things. She combines my old passion of quilting, with my new passion of wool felt. Here is the link: http://www.mornacrites-moore.com/

I've wanted something to hang above our fireplace. I thought about an Amish-insipired wall quilt--even bought the fabric in the colors I wanted to use. But it just didn't sing to me. This woman's work sings to me. I still have to decide what pattern--I want to stay with a traditional Amish pattern--and then collect the sweaters and felt I'll need. I think I may not do the buttons. I hate to copy someone else's ideas--but I prefer to think of it as being INSPIRED by someone else's ideas.

More and more and more monsters

Two of these are spoken for, but the one on the right will go up on Etsy today... I am finding more control and more detail is possible by hand sewing the faces. So, I plan my face then sit in front of the TV to do the actual stitching. Takes longer, but I'd be wasting time watching TV in the evening anyway...

ETSY!!!!

I took the plunge and started an ETSY shop for my monsters. I'm not trying to make tons of money, and I will still make these for free for friends and family, but I'm having so much fun making them I'll have a houseful and no where to put them.

I'm also just curious to see if they will sell. I'll have to do some promotion to get people to the site. You can see that some ETSY sites have lots of things listed, but no one buys anything. I bet that happens more often than not. The folks that have a lot of sales must do some serious marketing--otherwise your stuff is the 500th item listed, and no one will ever find it.

So: Go to ETSY, Felted Woolies! http://www.etsy.com/shop/FeltedWoolies