100 Blocks: Twice is Nice!

When I got home today there was a package 

waiting for me ~ I love presents!

Inside the package were issues of the most 

recent edition of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks

Collector's Edition, Vol. 9 magazine.

Even more exciting is my block was chosen 

as one of the 100 blocks, it is called Felicity

and it is on page 30.

To add to the excitement, my wallhanging

using the block was chosen to be included in

the Designer's Gallery, it is on page 14.

I'm thrilled, what a great way to start off

the Easter weekend!

Setting Goals, Meeting Goals

I have so much going on in my life these days

that I find I have to make lists to remind myself

of all the things I have to do.  Then I break those 

lists down and try to figure out when I am going

to accomplish all of the tasks at hand.  This 

weekend my goal was to make these 3 felt table-

toppers.  They have been made before in the same

colors for the pattern covers but I need them for

trunk shows and trade shows.  I knew it was going

to be cold and snowy this weekend so I set 3 days

aside to accomplish this task.  I sat in front of the

fire and watched the new season of Lilyhammer

among other things and by early last night I was

finished!  They are ready to go out into the world.

I'm heading to Spain for a few weeks later this

month and though it is vacation, I am the type

of person that is incapable of sitting and doing

nothing.  So,  last month I had packed up my

 little travel kits to take with me.  It is a baggie

with the felt pieces and a little picture of a

finished piece (so I know the right place to put

the right stitches) and also my ring of floss, pins

and needles and a thread cutter.  I make up a lot

of these kits and stuff them in the front pocket

of my carry-on and pull them out as needed.

I've stitched on planes, trains, in cars and when

I have some time in the evenings and I want to

relax.  I'm sure I'll be stitching on my balcony

in Spain where if I look to the left I see the

mountains and if I look to the right I see the

Mediterranean.

While the kids were home for Christmas the 

weather was awful and we ended up spending

a lot of time hanging around watching movies

and I was stitching.  I ended up making all the 

kits I had prepped for Spain!  I made 35 new

pincushions/ornaments.  

Now I have to add to the list:  make new kits.

Christmas Ornament Class

 

Today I taught a class on Felt Holiday

Ornaments for 12 lovely students.

 

 

We had carols and cookies and

lots of fun!

 

Check out the work of some of the

students.  I didn't get a shot of everyone's

ornament because some photos came out

blurry or the student may have been away

from the classroom having a little retail therapy.

 

Note to students:  please send a photo of your

finished piece and I'll post them on the American

Homestead facebook page.

 

 

 

 

Christmas Is Coming!

My Heart's Goin' Boom, Boom, Boom!

 

It was a busy day of Me Timin', birthday

celebratin' and eh, working...  but on my

morning errands I ran into a shop across

the street from my bank and picked up this

little turquoise tree!  It will be perfect for

displaying my feltworks in the European

Folk Art Collection.  Sometimes little things

can make you so happy.

Quilter's Holiday Extravaganza

 

Friday morning (11/22) I will be at the

Quilter's Holiday Extravaganza in Columbus, Indiana.

 

http://www.quiltersholidayextravaganza.com/

 

 

I will be demonstrating how to make my felt

ornaments in The Quilt Shoppe's booth.

Come by and say hello.

What is a Trunk Show?

 

In my world, a trunk show is a situation where

I send out original works to a shop so they can

display them.  Patterns always sell better when

there is a sample.  Shop owners do not have time

to make a sample of every pattern they buy.  This

collection is shipping out this morning and will be

traveling around the country for the month of

September going to various quilt shows.  I try to

include examples of various colors, I show the

feltworks as ornaments, décor, framed and as

pincushions.  I mainly work in wool felt but I show

one done in felted wool for those that prefer that.

I also send an example of one made with beading.

If anyone is interested in an American Homestead

trunk show, just email me at:

 

ellen.americanhomestead @gmail.com

 

Sorry for the uninspired photo but this was shot

just to show what will be sent in the package.

Honoring Women's Rights ~ Week 47

Heroine's Choice

And A Feltwork Tutorial

 

 

We are following along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Week, Grandmother's Choice.

 

http://grandmotherschoice.blogspot.com

 

 

I like to use felt for applique.  I design

feltwork patterns ~

 

http://www.americanhomesteaddesign.com/Feltworks.html

 

and thought this would be a good chance to try

a design that was 8 1/2''.

 

 

So here is a little free feltwork tutorial

for this week!

I start by determining the size I would

like the piece to be and marking that

measure along the fold of a folded piece

of construction paper.  I then sketch the

design and cut it out and when you open

the folded paper...

 

 

... you have your designs.  I used a circle

template for the 1 1/4'' circle and for the

flower shape, this pattern was just slightly

larger than a piece from my

 

 

Serendipity pattern so I made it larger.

 

 

It is a good idea to lay it all out prior

to cutting your pieces to be sure it all

fits well.

 

 

Here are my pattern pieces, just enlarge

the white area until it measures 8 1/2''

across.  At this point I transfer the designs

to poster board and cut them out since this

makes tracing more stable but if you are

only making one, you could trace the

construction paper shapes if you are careful.

 

 

Trace onto the dull side of freezer paper.

( If I have scraps left over from bigger

projects I save them and use them for

small pieces like this project.)

 

 

Press the shapes onto good quality felt.

I use a 20% wool/80% rayon felt from

National Nonwovens that is excellent

quality and the colors are fabulous.

This is nothing like the 5/$1 craft felt.

 

 

Cut out the pieces and pin to your 8 1/2''

background piece. 

 

 

I whip stitched all the pieces in place using

a matching embroidery floss.  I then added

some additional stitching to the center using

very simple embroidery stitches such as, the

French Knot and the Lazy Daisy stitch.

 

 

I'll be hanging this piece somewhere in

my house.  I hope you will give felt applique

a chance, it is fast, easy & fun.

 

Checkout everyone's work on Dustin's Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/grandmotherschoice/

 

American Homestead

is now on Facebook.

Please "like" my page!

 

http://www.facebook.com/americanhomesteaddesign/

Me Time ~ July 2, 2013

 

 

Spent some time with my friends at Me Time

today.  I was working on some samples for my

Quilt Market booth.

 

A Birthday Girl was making bracelets.

 

 

Someone was transferring a design.

 

 

Someone was binding a tablerunner.

 

 

July is a big birthday month.  I love my friends

but I worry I neglect them, my life gets so busy

and I run out of time to have fun...  I'm going

to work on that ~ my friends mean the world

to me!

 

 

...and then we had cupcakes.

Building the Empire: Hot Off the Presses!

Felt Ornament Patterns Now Available

The Felt Ornament patterns are now

available.  They are hot off the presses!

There is a class on how to make them

this Saturday, December 10, 2011 from

noon until 3pm at The Quilt Shoppe in

Anderson, Indiana.  Call 765-649-9102

for details and a supply list.

They also make great pincushions,

a perfect gift for all the fiber artists

on your gift list.