Mini Handmade Felty Stitched Landscape & (Not So Daily) Machine Sketching

In the Land of Pink Trees

Annie

I made the mini felted landscape above after wandering through my photos and picking a few out for inspiration.  Small projects are ideal when creative time is limited and this one is only 10cm x 10cm, with a rough zig-zag edge, mounted on white card. I have big plans for big things, one day soon!

I have about one million (ish) photos of sheep, flowers and the countryside so that seemed like a good choice.  Look at the little faces on these guys.....aw!

I also realised that I had been slacking somewhat on my "Daily Machine Sketch".  I snapped a pic of some Rudbeckias in my garden a couple of weeks ago and decided to use that for this free motion sketch, just on a little scrap of fabric:

 

I painted in the colours with acrylic paints.  It's a lovely way to spend 20 minutes or so. Wonder if I could develop this to make bigger canvases...?  Maybe trap some fabrics, felt and fibres in under the stitching.  Anyone got a few spare weeks they can lend me? :)

Lyn

I love my Bernina 801 and lately I've been hankering after a larger extension table for it.  It had to be home-made because I can't buy one to fit the machine, and as I don't know one end of a saw from the other, my husband kindly offered to make one for me.  

Isn't it a beauty?  For those interested in the technical side of things, it's cut from a piece of 18mm ply so it won't warp or bend and my husband assures me that I could stand on it - but I don't think I'll test that claim!  He rounded the corners and all the edges then attached four wooden legs before giving it a few coats of paint to make the surface as smooth as silk.  The top measures approx 56 x 48cm (22"x19").

Tip: 'Ikea' sells a transparent desk pad 65x45cm, made from EVA plastic.  Although it feels smooth, it seems to 'stick' to my sewing table, and my sewing machine and new extension table seem to 'stick' to it, thereby eliminating any movement during machining.  (My sewing machine and new extension table just about fit on one because the table legs are set in away from the corners.)  

I can't wait to try it out!