Annie
Hi there, just to let you know mum has been a busy bee and has updated our free tutorial on "How to make a wet felted pod". It is a very popular tutorial so we thought a little revamp with improved instructions and clearer pictures was in order! Old links to the old version will still work, but there is a new button in the sidebar for the shiny new version. Here is a picture of the star of the updated tutorial pictured on mum's very own private beach.....
...although the pod kind of takes up most of the beach given that it's only about a two foot square and in a tray, but hey ho! You gotta have a dream :-)
I decided to treat myself to using some of those beautiful silk threads that my Nan-In-Law gave me. I started to make a card to say a bigger "Thank You" (better later than never) but it got slightly too large and is now more of a mini wall hanging!
To make the butterfly I cut up some felt I made a while ago for a large wall hanging that failed to meet the ideas in my head! It was one I made, then cut up into strips, then played with, edged on the machine, couldn't decide what to do with it, then put away for later! I do love the colours in it though and can see many new uses for it now. That's the great thing about felt - over the years you build up a stash of leftover bits and bobs and the odd 'failed' projects that you can use again. It's disappointing when a project goes wrong but great when it means you get to add some pretty handmade felt to your stash.
This is the felt from the discarded wallhanging:
Anyway, to finish the butterfly piece I just need to sew another bit of calico on to the back for stability and a little hanging loop and I may gift it to myself for the wall of my craft room!
I was a bit stingy with the threads on this piece because they are so beautiful I only used them for a tiny bit of hand stitching - the silk feels absolutely wonderful in your hands as you sew - I hope they last forever. I promise I will make Nan a pretty smaller picture for her thank you card and make sure that I use enough thread so she can actually see it! I both love and hate to use my favourite things - in equal measures. It's like wearing your favourite pair of shoes - proud to wear them and show them off but you don't want to scuff them or wear out the heels!
Am I mad? Or do you have favourite craft supplies you can't quite bring yourself to use up? I've got plenty - there's a piece of pink silk chiffon scarf that I'm nearly at the end of that I am treasuring, I have various beautiful wool yarns and scraps of fabric that are almost small bits of art in themselves - so I just look at them then put them away!
Perhaps what I should do is make a fabulous "scrapbook" picture of all of these special pieces - sort of like an artwork shrine to the most beautiful things so I can use them without having to let them go!
I hope you understand :-)
