Wool Vines Rolls by Cathi

I've been working on a design that has wool applique with long winding vines and remembered that Cathi at Shakerwood Woolens has these rolls of wool strips for sale that are going to be perfect.  Instead of piecing, I can use her strips, which are 50" long and 2" wide for the vines, cutting them down as needed.  Plus there are four strips in different shades of green, just what I've been looking for. Yay Cathi for a great idea.

My Wool Mat in the Prim Magazine

 A peek of my wool mat in the Summer issue of the Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine.  Wool applique on a white wool background.  Some of the applique is stitched and some are couched using strips of wool.  You'll need the mag to see.

Lots of wonderful projects, I especially like a wool wallhanging called Autumn All Around by Tonee White. 

I have an extra copy of this issue, be a follower and leave me a comment that you would like to win and I will pick a winner in the next few days.

Sneak Peek from Primitive Quilts Magazine

This would be mine.  Wool applique on a pieced cotton background.  It's big.  You'll have to get the mag for the details.

The cover of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine.  If you use this code when ordering a subscription, you will receive a free pattern.

The code is DSMSP13

If you go over to the magazine's Facebook page, you can get another sneak peek.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Primitive-Quilts-and-Projects/347142855352470?ref=stream

Did you go look?

I'm tickled.

Ornaments

I like making these wool mitten ornaments every year for simple gifts, just small enough to slip into a card.  Simple wool applique with a wool strip for hanging.  After seeing dry grass for a week, a nice layering of snow in the background after a winter storm passed thru last night.

I've been making these little wool wreaths since Libby of Simplylibby sent me one years ago.  String your wool scraps that have been cute into little squares until you have a circle, tie it off, and some bells and a wool bow.

Prim Friends

Debbie, aka Woolen Sails organizes a secret Christmas swap every year on our Yahoo prim sewing group.  I was thrilled to receive my gifts from Karen of Log Cabin Quilter.  We were to make a prim pocket, an ornament, pass on one or two patterns that we no longer use, a fat quarter of fabric. I got lots more than that.

Instead of an ornament, Karen made this angel, note the face and halo. The angel wings are of fabric printed with sheet music that Karen did herself.  It's a large angel, more than 12" long.  I have a great place for her in the living room.

A closeup of the pouch, love the wool applique of course and the red embroidery trees are perfect. 

In case you didn't know it already since lots of us follow her blog,  Karen does beautiful work.

Christmas BOM and a Little Critter

Nice to finally have the sashing sewed to my Christmas BOM, now to quilt it.

You can tell I don't splurge on bird feeders.

And you see why.

Another Wool Door Hanger and Critters

I made another wool door hanger, used pinking scissors to cut the background wool for a different look, I like this one better without a lining, see a cat hair clinging, what's up with black wool attracting hairs or maybe what's up with cats and all that shedding. 

My cute little wild rabbit.

A winged critter.

Primitive Wool Pocket

I needed to make a door hanger or wool pocket for a swap, so I stitched this after seeing inspiration on Pinterest.  Black wool is 5" x 10" with appliqued wool circles and stars.  The stars are not appliqued, I whip stitched the edges and left them to hang loose.  Inserted a homespun cotton inside the wool pocket for the lining.

I posted links on the sidebar to my Pinterest and Etsy sites.

Baby, it's cold outside.

The Spirit of Christmas

I finished the last block, the one you see below, for the Christmas BOM for my Yahoo sewing group.

Now to add the sashing and borders, the red wool that I've shown before.

Once again, the blocks were based on line drawings from Primitive Blessings by Twigs n Sprigs.

Lots of free primitive patterns for all seasons and themes.

http://www.primitiveblessings.com/shop/

Pink Elephants and Sue Spargo BOM

My wool quilt, Pink Elephants, based on a design from Sue Spargo.  I made it years ago and posted it before.  Thought of  it and how much I love working with wool and embellishing after seeing Sue's new BOM for 2013.  Her new BOM looks stunning with wonderful, I wish I could show it to you, detailed birds to be appliqued and embellished, you can find it in her store. Pondering if I'm up to another BOM.

Here's the link to see Sue's BOM, Bird Dance.

http://www.suespargo.com/index.php

Stark Raven Mad Close-Up

The quilt has the binding stitched on now as well as a zillion cat hairs on it since it's just cool enough at night that Sidney and Bailey want to lay on wool.  I'm glad so many of you like it, pondering the sale of it. 

A close-up for Jacqueline.

Never showed the back, do love this fabric, Brannock & Patek, and I do like to use as nice a 

fabric on the back to coordinate with the quilt.

A message to Judy Hansen, very much appreciate your thoughtful message.

Stark Raven Mad

It has taken me awhile, but finally finished hand quilting my version of Cherie's Stark Raven Mad, from her book Under the Stars.

It didn't help that I had to hand quilt thru several layers of wool in some places with crochet cotton.  I used the baptist fan stencil for the quilting design, now to sew the binding.

Here's Cherie's version in case you have never seen it.  Great book, great patterns and quilts.

Cottons 'n Wool

                           

I've been anticipating receiving my win from Anne of Cottons 'n Wool, pondering the day to take my trip to the post office and town since it's seems to get longer with tourist season.   And I was not to be disappointed.  What a great giveaway, soft wools in beautiful shades of off white and beige and the primitive woolen sheep and 12 monthly blankets pattern.  I didn't realize the sheep and blankets were so large, the blanket measures 7.75 x 7.5 perfect size to show your work.

Thank you so very much Anne!

Imperial Blooms Progress and ...

Started prepping the last block from Imperial Blooms.  I have a few turquoise beads left so I'm going to use those for extra embellishment, don't know if you can see it or not. 

Also going back to add bullion knots to this block, there's a zillion to make and I had to stop making them when I originally made the block, my fingers needed a rest.   I always think, how does Sue do this all the time.

You thought it was going to be wildlife pics.  Also starting the baptis fan quilting on my version of Cherie Ralston's Stark Raven Mad.

I should be ready for some needle turn applique in a few days after stitching through wool.

Sue's Imperial Blooms and ...

No, that block isn't really as big as it looks.  Just a closeup to show the wonderful textures that Sue Spargo includes in her kits.  Had a tiny piece of lime green velvet left, so added it to the inner circle to finish that off.  Just need to add a few more embellishment stitches.  I realized I only have one more block to finish and then the borders, so I think I will go back and add additional embellishment stitches to the previous blocks since I like working on increasing my skill with all the possible stitches without going back to read the tips and instructions, plus I know now it helps to have the correct needle size.  I knew that, but didn't think it made that big of difference, but it does when you are using specialty threads.

Of course, wildlife, big horn sheep as I'm looking at them from upstairs in my fabric room.

A profile of Bailey as I try to snap a pic of a baby big horn just outside the storeroom window downstairs.

As many pictures I take and have taken in the past, I don't have one picture from the trip when Jim and I moved up here so many years ago from Texas. We would have been on day four of the trip, almost here.  One more day to go, sure of all of us, the five cats would be the most relieved.

Cat Fight

Oh, I'll get to the cat fight that has been going on for days, at least I was able to stitch something the last few days, another spring purse.  I love the combination of brown with pink, otherwise, not really a "bright" fabrics person.

Bailey, come down here.

NO!

 As only a Burmese can say it, imagine that high pitch scream a baby can give when they are really, really unhappy.

Why?

Sidney smells.

She can't help it.

Don't care.  She smells really, really bad.

She had to go to the animal doctor, you know, to see the vet.

I know what a vet is.  I'm a Burmese, remember.

Look at her.

Her feelings are hurt, she won't even come upstairs.

Don't care.  I'm a cat, we don't have to have a reason for what we do.

You can wake me when you get rid of that smell on her.  Or she's gone from the bottom of the stairs.  I am hungry, weak and I'm tired, haven't slept a wink in the last few days.   I can't even remember when I last ate.  This has been going on for too long.

You can leave me now, let me know when you have taken care of things.  It wouldn't hurt you to give her a bath, you could stop stitching long enough to do that.

Maybe, did have time to prep the Imperial Blooms block while I considered giving Sidney a bath. 

It's All About ME

ME, I be little.

ME, I be bigger now.

ME, I be excited, someone is making something for ME.

ME has my own wool mat.



Wool

I rarely buy "nice" wool, usually use thrift wool or wool someone has been nice enough to send me.  Really, really needed these shades of wool for a project and broke down and bought them on Ebay.  Rarely can I find shades of white at the thrift store, these are wonderful, especially love the faint stripe.

And then speaking of thrift wool, had the urge to cut up some from my stash and start a string quilt with wool.  Will see where it takes me.



Wool Applique

A look at the wool applique and embellishment that I am stitching for a hat and a purse.  I love the look of black wool for a background, but what I don't love about it, it shows every little hair and misplaced thread.

Wool Hats and a Big Horn

I made this hat last year.  Several in fact, same style with different applique and embellishments.

I'm going to use black for this hat with the plaid and other wool bits for embellishment for this new one.

And then a huge Ram in the lower meadow.  He doesn't look cold, he should be since it's frigid as in below zero, once it gets that cold, it's just cold.  At least for now there isn't much snow to blow around.  He seems to have lost his herd.