Woolie Wonderfuls-the Scattered Heart Pillow part #1

 I have thoroughly enjoyed learning to work with wools. This project is from my new favorite magazine Primitive Quilts and Crafts. 

The name of the project is "Scattered Hearts." What a great little project to use up all those little wool scraps. Wool is quite expensive now, about $60.00 per yard here. So I save every little scrap and I am so glad that I did.  

 I also picked up a bundle of 6 inch squares in an assortment of colors and patterns to enhance my scrap collection. Much of the projects in this magazine collection use applique. Some pieces are quite small and the scrap collection can work out well.

Now, don't laugh. I have gone through my little collection of these magazines and put binder clips on the projects that I consider first in line. Each magazine has two or three clips. That way, I can turn directly to the already sorted project without lollygagging through the entire magazine, again, and get to work.

 There are so many great items in this issue, the Summer 2012, but I knew I wanted to do this one first because I had quite a few small wool scraps in my little collection that needed a home. This project was designed by Jo Ann Mullaly.

I cut the base fabric about 9 x 11, a little larger than the pattern. I did this partly because I wanted to felt the little hearts to the back ground. I also serged the edges of the base piece because it was starting to ravel. . The book has a pattern page with lots of little hearts that they recommend ironing to a freezer paper or other template paper, trace, and cut. I did mine freehand. Drawing a couple different shaped hearts is more than easy. I cut 37 or 38 heart shapes and pinned them to the backing fabric.

smile for your close-up dearies

 The fabric assortment in addition to the little scraps. I have been collecting for about 2 years now, mostly from quilt shows and one or two little shops. Some of the wools are hand dyed, some herringbone's and tweed's have been over-dyed, some simply felted in their natural color. Wool takes dyes so well. The colors, light, dark or even pastel are very clear and mellow looking. 

the instructions for this project secure the hearts with the button-hole stitch, by hand, with DMC floss or something similar. I wanted to use the Embellisher. So I did, some fun with 12 barbed needles! Watch out for the pins, run machine rather fast and move fabric slowly to avoid breaking needles.

 So, here they are, all felted down in place. The process was quick and easy. The ultimate plan for this pillow project is to make it portable. I will be spending some hospital time with family members next week and I need something to do! I was never meant to be in a waiting room. So, now that the hearts are felted in place, I can take the project with me to work the button-hole stitch around the hearts. Sounds like a good idea to me.

the felting stitch, is not really a stitch. It is the process of combining the fabric fibers so they act as one. I think this will be a much more manageable solution. Rather than having little hearts and jabbie pins, I only have to account for 1 needle while sitting in the waiting area. 

That is all for now. I want to set up one more portable project to take to my Tuesday Quilt group. Not sure what that will be, but it will likely come from one of these magazines. Have a wonderful weekend. Take time to be a Sewist. What ever your medium, enjoy it.

Gratuity Moment: setting aside time to do some Sewist work. 

***As usual, I imply or receive no compensation for featuring these projects. If you wish to check out the magazine's web site, click  here

****a link to one of my first projects using the Babylock Embellisher
roving on upholstery fabric, pillow