Did you know that in years past they (read: women) used to collect bunches of wool from the bushes where it had rubbed off the sheep? I read that somewhere. I love learning those little tidbits from the past. I feel drawn to the past in many ways, but truthfully, I wouldn't want to live there.
I took a class last Saturday where we made a little wool table runner. It is from Primitive Gatherings. The LQS does lots of primitive stuff, and I love it! This project came in a kit, and the red wool is a little on the dark side. It doesn't photograph well. There are two crows on a
branch at each end and the word Simplify embroidered above them.I couldn't stop playing with wool, so I decided to make a pincushion. Well, I actually made three! I will be needing a few gifts in the near future. It is so nice to have something to work on in the evenings now that it gets dark earlier and the temperatures have dropped. Jo Morton's book, Prairie Flowers, shows this as a pincushion in wool, and it was just what I was looking for!
I also taught a class this week. It is a cute little brown churn dash quilt that I call Table Scraps, because I was literally picking pieces of fabric off the cutting table and adding them to the quilt. It is scrappy and has some cute little mavericks in there. I love that little churn dash block!
15 comments:
I'm with you, Marcie - I love working with wool! I've not done all that much, but have thoroughly enjoyed what I have done. I keep meaning to make a bunch of pin cushions and needle keepers for gifts but haven't yet gotten around to doing that.
Your Churn Dash is perfect! The colors are so right - I'd love to have it for my house!
I like what you've been making this week. The wool pincushions look great, nice to see a different fabric being used.
I have a Churn Dash UFO! (what type of UFO 'don't' I have?). Must get it out so that it has higher visibility. Yours looks nice.
A few weeks ago one of the ladies from my Wed. night bee was telling me about doing just that - collecting wool from fences and brush and helping her mother card it into quilt batt when she was a child. Joyce is probably +/- 70 so this would have been about 60ish years ago. While I love that I have my grandmothers carding combs and I did pick cotton once and turned it into a small (VERY SMALL) quilt batt I'm sure glad I don't have to pick cotton or gather wool to make my quilt batt with! JoAnn's (with a coupon of course) can provide my quilt batt - thank you very much! LOL!
OH I love everything you posted! Where to begin! The table mat is so cute! You did a great job. That shop is about 3 hours from where I live and I have been dying to go there, but it would be a long day to do a day trip. Your pincushions are great too. I love your churn dash quilt! Very fun! I taught a class today too on scallop borders. Not my most favorite class to teach but I can do it!
I love wool projects too. Year before last I made wool applique stockings for Christmas. I love your pin cushions. Great idea for a gift. I might have to make a few for presents.
I love your color choices for your Churn Dash.
I just adore those darning eggs. Do you collect them?
Hey Marcie, I LOVE your wool pieces...the longer I play with quilty things and fabrics, the more I'm drawn to the primitive...and I have a HUGE wool stash now. And your churn dash is beautiful!! I want to make a churn dash!!
Oh, and I forgot to tell you...I got my book with the Spools quilt in it!! I LOVE this book!!! :) Can't wait to finish these leaves now so I can start on some spools and churns. LOL
Working with wool really is a delight. I am trying to build a nice wool stash. I love all of the projects you are showing here -- I don't even know where to start. Each one is just as yummy as the next. *s*
I haven't tried wool yet... I have so many cotton piles of fabric that I need to work them down a bit before I start in with another craft!
I love the churn dash quilt - so cute. I haven't tried any wool applique yet either - too many other projects to work on and my knitting is already taking time away from quilting.
Wow - 3 great projects in 1 post - each more adorable than the next. I can't pick a favorite!!!
Cheers!
Evelyn
Hi Marcie, what a lovely post. I'm with you about the wool gathering, and I don't mean daydreaming...LOL. I've had a friend tell me I probably was a "gleaner" in some past life, based on my extreme love of scraps, bits and pieces.
The wool they use to "pluck" was what caught on the bramble bushes as the grazing sheep passed by. One carried a gathering basket, and simple followed the sheep, gathering the bits off the brambles. The process is called "gleaning" and it also applies to hand harvesting the last bits of oats or wheat or corn that get missed.
It's such fun to see you become acquainted with that.
Your penny rug is just beautiful and I really like your crows and the scrappy little churn dash.
I have a gathering of the wool type, and whatever that other stuff they sell to do the primative work with. It's mostly been won as door prizes or prizes in games.
Is there any way to tell if some of it is wool vs the other stuff? I'm not sure what to call it. It's like felt, but heavier and to use with the buttonhole type projects..not machine sewable. I'd like to try some of the prim stuff, like a penny rug, but am not sure if I should just go ahead or should seperate the collection. Thanks for any help you can give me, Hugs, Finn
Marcie - what fun things you've done. And, what a delightful post to read - I could sense your happiness in your posting. I love everything. I want to work with wool very badly but I'm allergic to lanolin so I steer clear of it :-(. The little brown churn dash quilt is absolutely adorable. I need that! LOL
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