More Felted Balls

I haven't done any quilting but I have been playing around with felting again. I bought myself a new book called "Uniquely Felt" by Christine White and have really enjoyed reading through it. Don't have enough wool to do any bigger projects but I've been enjoying playing around with making felted balls just to get the feeling of the felting process. This first one is a felted geode where you make a ball with different colored layers. Once it is felted, you cut it in half to see all the layers. This is a small one. I'd like to make a bigger one to use as a pincushion.

The balls I showed in the earlier post, were made with a ball of yarn in the center. Here, the top and bottom one were felted around a styrofoam ball. They stayed bigger since the styrofoam doesn't shrink. On the bottom one, I felted wool yarn around it. The blue one is one I did earlier and added the wool yarn after it had already been felted to if and how well it would felt together. The yarn is felted on but not as well as the bottom one. Now just to decorate the ones I've made with beads and embroidery.

I can't believe that 2008 is almost finished!! Where did it go? It's time to look at what I accomplished this year and set new goals for 2009.

Cyber Fyber On-line Exhibition

Just recieved the announcement yesterday that the on-line exhibition of Cyber Fyber is now up. Go here for the postcards and here for the ATC's. My card is numer 96.

Off to read some of my new books. Have a great day!!!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!! I hope that everyone had a wonderful day. The kids had us up early this morning. This morning Kara made the breakfast casserole which was nice for me and the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. The kids prefer those over Gary's homemade ones! After opeing presents, I spent quite a while cooking even though I did a lot of preparation yesterday. Here's Kara opening one of her many books she recieved. Everyone recieved 1 or more books and we will pass them around. We all like the same type of books.

Here's Alex watching Kara. I didn't take as many photos as I usually do so didn't have many to pick from.

These are 3 books I recieved. I had a lot of quilt and craft books on my Christmas list. On After seeing Terri's wrapped bowls and Vicki's wrapped coasters and bowl, I really wanted to give it a try, so I put "It's a Wrap" by Susan Breier on my list. I also recieved "The Uncommon Quilter" by Jeanne Williamson and "Twenty to Make - Beaded Felt Jewelry" by Helen Birmingham.

Lots of stuff to get inspired over!!

Felt Beads, Caramel Corn and a Christmas Tree

I've been playing around some more with making felt balls or in the case felt beads. These are made from wool roving and wool yarn. The upper right bead was made from pieces of wool yarn. It has little nubs of yarn showing all over it. You can sort of see them in the picture. I'll have to make some beads that coordinate together and string them up with some of my glass beads.

Here is one of the many batches of caramel corn that Gary has made, cooling off on the counter. He still has 2 more batches to make to give away. I think we are all finally getting our fill of it. It isn't disappearing as fast as the first 3 or 4 batches!!! It is GOOD!!!!

Yesterday, Kara and I decorated the Christmas tree. Kara had to stand on a stool and still couldn't reach the top. Gary found a small step ladder when he got home to finish up. We're estimating that the tree is about 10 feet tall. Biggest one we've had yet. Kara really likes it and wants to know if we will have one as big next year. It really smells good! We still have to figure out where we are putting our recliners. Right now, they are in front of the couch, facing the tv and Christmas tree. Kara says it's like being at the movies.

Today I went shopping for food for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Christmas Eve we're having all sorts of hors d'oeurves and sweets. Christmas day I'm making a breakfast casserole and Gary is making his cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Dinner will be roast beef (or roast beast if you are into Dr Seus), popovers, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies and a sour cream coffee cake and pumpkin pie for dessert.

Well, I'd better get dinner started.

Felting

I've been busy getting ready for Christmas but I did try my hand at making felted balls today. I've wanted to try it for a while now and decided to try after reading Deborah Boscher's blog. She made some felted ornaments. She had a link to a tutorial on Judy Coates Perez's blog that was very helpful. I used some wool roving that I recieved last Christmas from one of the Fiber Divas. Now I just need to add some embellishment to them.

Today, we went and cut down our Christmas tree. We usually don't wait this long to get it but with everyones schedule, we couldn't go before this. Now to make room for it! It seemed to have GROWN alot since we tagged it not too long ago. I did ask Gary if he was sure he wanted one that big and he was insistant. We do have a cathedral ceiling so the height doesn't matter. It's just a matter of what we are going to do with the furniture to make room for it!! We already moved out my ironing board.

Gary was busy tonight making alot of carmel corn. Every year the list of people that want it, grows!! It is SOOOOOO YUMMY!!!!!!!! I've been busy making more homemade bread and treats for the kids. Since we don't have a big family, I like to spread things out over the holidays instead of just cooking a lot for Christmas day. I have a couple of new recipes I want to try.

Playing with Expanded Squares

Ever since I read the article by Jane Dunnewold in issue 27 of Quilting Arts, I've wanted to play with expanded squares. Just never took the time. Going through my Quilting Arts magazines recently, I came across the article again. I pulled out colored paper and scissors and went to town.

These are fun to play with and could be very addicting!! Some of them came out better than others. As I was glueing these down, Gary and Kara commented on them. They both like the effect of the square one above. I also like the one with the leaves in it.

It would be fun to make some of these into quilts.

The Fiber Divas were supossed to get together for our Christmas party Friday but the weather put a stop to that. I was disappointed. We haven't officially met since September I think and I was really looking forward to Friday. Looks like we won't be able to get together until January now.

Besides playing with the expanded squares, I've also been busy baking and cooking. Today I made oatmeal bread using my Grandma's recipe. I also made chocolate peanut butter squares from my mother-in-law. Of course, I ate more than I should have between the two. Don't want to know what my blood sugar levels were!!! I've been doing really well watching what I eat but today I just wanted to enjoy my food and not think about every bite I put in my mouth. It's been frustrating because I enjoy making treats for my family around the holidays and I don't want them to go without them becuase I have to watch what I eat!!

Blue Bag

I finished my bag up last night. I love the colors in it! The strap ended up being longer than I like but I don't want to take out all the stitching to shorten it. I can always wear it across my chest if I want to. They don't show up in the picture but I added some beads to the front of the flap.

Blue Purse

I Don't have any quilts to show but I have been working on this purse. Earlier in the year before I got sick, I pieced together some blue and green squares but then didn't know where to go with it from that point. I loved the colors but it would have been a boring wall hanging. I decided it would make a pretty purse. I had enough pieced together to make the purse body and the square for a pocket inside. Yesterday I made a shoulder strap. Today I put together the flap. Now I just need to cut out and sew up the lining .

Of course, I can't do it the easy way and use a pattern. I have to figure it out and make it on my own. I haven't made a bag in years. The last one I made used the bib from a pair of Kara's overalls from when she was little. Back when she used to wear cute clothes.

Speaking of clothes, I actually took Kara (the girl who hates clothes shopping) clothes shopping last Friday. She wanted to go looking for a suit to interview in at the college she wants to go to. She has been accepted to Houghton College in Houghton, NY. The end of January she has to go there to interview for their Honors proram and for some scholorships. Kara is hoping to get into the honors program and go to England during the second semester of her freshman year. I hope she makes it, I went to England for a semester in college and had a blast. It was a great experience. Some day I hope I can visit England again.

Back to work on the bag. I forgot I had wanted to use the bag as a pattern for the lining before I sewed it up, so now I have to measure it and figure out the dimensions for the lining. Oh, well, maybe I'll remember next time I make one.