Felted Appliqué Needlebook Workshop

Yesterday Diane and I attended a workshop in Bethany conducted by Penny Pierce - a wool appliqué artist who works at From the Heart quilt shop in Bethany ON.

She had little trays with tools for us to use.

What a great idea for lining little trays?

There were also some cute pin cushions with buttons.

Back view.

 Then she showed us several of her other pieces with felt appliqués. Many had been taken from traditional patterns but she preferred brighter, bolder colours.

Her appliqué technique makes the wool puff up a bit without having to stuff the piece. It simply involved angling the needle a bit.

Oh! And we were all given a size 24 Tulip needle - a keeper for sure. Penny also recommended micro serrated scissors if we were going to do more working with wool felt. They grab the wool when cutting so it doesn't slip. They make for really accurate cutting of wool appliqué piece. They come in various sizes and are available online from several vendors.

This quilt had lots of cute elements.

This table mat was a real stunner.

There was so much detail - all so simple to execute.

Climbing roses.

This Christmas table mat was so simple, yet so cute.

All our kits were the same so there was no fighting over different colours. We got a lot done during the workshop and left with all we needed to finish the project and sew the inside to the outside.

When I got home I got the rest of the leaves and the berries done.

Now I need to do the stems and embellishing. I'm also going to use a bead for the bird's eye.

The white guide lines are made with a chalk pen and will rub off when I no longer need them. the outer ones are the guidelines for the buttonhole stitching that will go all the way around.

Penny is a very skilled teacher and fibre artist. I would definitely take another project-based class with her.

An added bonus for Diane and me was the beautiful fall colour tour as we drove through the Kawarthas. We had hoped to visit the quilt shop before returning home but it closes at 3pm on Saturday so it was not open after our workshop. I will be driving this way when I go to the Elim retreat in November so will definitely stop in for a visit.