Starting to look a lot like Xmas...

At the retreat, I found some time to work on some hand and machine stitched felted wool projects. Top left is a felted wool needle case; below is a retractable tape measure cover; and to the right is my take on the mistletoe project in the recent Quilting Arts Gifts mag.

Retreat 10 quilt top

I finished my Australianized "African Fire Flower" quilt top at the retreat last weekend. Now must decide on the quilting--probably a wavy pattern echoed over the land and something airier over the sky. Haven't actually measured it but it is about 5 feet (and a bit) by 7 feet-ish.

I also made some small wool projects at the retreat but haven't photographed them yet.

Retreat!

Tomorrow I have a 1hr and 46 min drive to the quilt retreat. For the show-n-tell, I'm bringing Laddie's Garden, Kieran's blue & white quilt and the finished project from last year. It was a big year of big quilts. Looking forward to lots of sewing, no cooking and just looking after myself (if you are a mom and have a dog, you know that's a bit rare). The boys will be fine and Subway will get a little extra business.

Fall leaves

Using a technique adapted from the most recent Quilting Arts Gifts article (they made mistletoe with 2 fused cotton fabrics), I fused a batik to a wool blend felt. The "patterns" were collected off the ground while walking the dog in our neighborhood. Mostly maple and oak, but also one I'm not familiar with.

I use a low contrast pastel crayon to mark the leaf edge on the batik.

Then stitched with variegated thread.

The trick is not to cut it out until afterward, using smallish sharp scissors.