The 'Vonda Project'- Part 6 (It All Comes Together!)

The best meetings always start with delicious food! :)

                         Some of my finished felt was trimmed into flower shapes...

                                               ...and then assembled into kits.

            
                    Each kit contained 2-3 pieces of felt, contrasting beads, pin backs...

                 ...and needles threaded with the proper shade of embroidery floss.

                                The titular 'Vonda' of this project (and my best friend)...

                    ...is coordinator of a Geriatric Wellness program at a local hospital.

                  (She's the link between me and my felt, and this wonderful community!)

                                                Some of our volunteer 'sewists'.

I'm shown here with the Life Director of the facility (also a 'Heather').

It is she who turned my flat felt into all of these amazing kits!

People shared their sewing expertise...

                                                          ...and supplies...

                                             ...and happily helped one another.

                                     It was a day filled with laughter and fellowship!

                               I was especially moved by the beauty and strength...

                                            ...of these eager and helpful hands.

                               The finished brooches will be sold at a holiday craft sale...

                                          ...in support of an area women's shelter.

(Here they are in a bit more detail.)

                                                

                                                      Aren't they wonderful?!?

I may not get to each of the monthly crafting sprees...

...but I will try to get photos of each completed project.

After all, there's still a lot of finished felt left to use...

...and Heather (the Life Director) is just full of ideas!! :)

Felted Collar and Brooch- Feltfull 2013

Laying out wool, novelty yarn and dyed silk hankies for a pre-felt.

 (The reverse side was decorated, as well.)

 

After drying, irregular plastic and glass marbles were tied into the piece with cotton string...

...and the brooch was felted a bit more.

 

To finish it off...

...some of the 'pods' were cut open to reveal their embellished insides.

 

For the collar, I laid out merino wool...

...shapes cut from pre-felt, silk and rayon fabrics, and yarn...

 

...then stuffed and tied bits of bubble wrap into the finished pre-felt...

...leaving some sections smooth (for ruffles).

 

A close-up of the spiral-accented cord and rayon ruffle.



A vintage button and hand-stitched buttonhole form the closure. 

 

The finished collar...

...nestled in the warm summer grass.

 

Claudia Burkhardt's work has a lovely, feminine aesthetic...

...and the above projects are ones that I made in her class at Feltfull.

Sitting and chatting and stitching with Claudia and my fellow classmates...

...was a lovely, peaceful way to spend the last two days of our workshop...

...almost like the 'sewing bees' of old! :)

Chilean Swap Love!

 

 

 

 

In August, I received some wonderful gifts from a 'swap angel'...

...when my original Spring swap partner appeared to be MIA.

But lo and behold, shortly after I received my 'alternate' swap gifts...

...my 'original' ones arrived as well...all the way from Chile!!

I feel absolutely showered with kindness and beauty...

...just look at all of the amazing things she sent!!

Handmade wool batts, a stained-glass sun catcher...

...and a book by Isabel Allende (I love her!).

She also sent sheets of commercially made wool/viscose felt...

...and gobs of chunky, handspun yarn.

I can't wait to find a project for the hand-cut green leather buttons...

...something for ME for a change, methinks!! Giggle.

And because I couldn't wait for cooler weather in order to wear my handspun and crocheted (knotted?) brooch...

...I've pinned it to the felt shade of my bedroom lamp for the time being, as a decorative touch!

Of course, the true star of the swap package...

...is the utterly amazing felted and crocheted shawl!!

When I wrap myself in its soft and bright warmth and close my eyes...

...I feel like I'm transported to South America!

I see flashes of sunlight, brightly colored flowers and birds...

...snow capped mountains and glistening, deep aqua water.

Who needs a magic carpet??
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Of course, I now had a bit of work to do for the package due my 'swap angel'...

...and I'll show you the centerpiece of that box in my next post!!