I collect sheep things and thought it would be fun to have a sheep pincushion that I could use while quilting. Never could find one so I thought I would try to make one myself. Above is pictures of the end result. I used a sheep toy pattern I had found on the internet (Woolie the Ewe from Gritty Knits) and then put it through the washer to felt it down a bit. I also used smaller sized needles than what the pattern called for. The finished pincushion measures 4" high and 5" long. It didn't felt quite as much as I was hoping for. As you can see, it still has stitch definition.....and this was after running it through twice. It probably would have felted better if I had put something in there (like a pair of jeans) for a bit more agitation....and didn't have it in a lingerie bag. The pieces were so small that I didn't think it would be safe to not have it in a lingerie bag during felting. Didn't want the machine accidently eating something. :)My pincushion is knit from hand-spun, hand-dyed (face and feet) Shetland wool. The same yarn I used for my felted Charlie lamb. It is stuffed with washed Ile De France wool. This still had quite a bit of lanolin in it so I thought it would be perfect for using in a pincushion. It has button eyes and a bit of needle-sculpting on the face to give the appearance of a nose and mouth. I untwisted some of the yarn, fluffed it up, and then needle-felted it to the top of the head to give it a nice fluffy appearance. This was a really fun project and I just may be making another one (or two) sometime in the near future.
Carolina Crossroads Update: I started machine quilting on my Carolina Crossroads quilt. I'm using a variegated blue thread for the top and a matching red thread in my bobbin. The backing is a lovely red fabric. I have the quilt marked in a 1" grid and am using a serpentine stitch for the grid. This breaks up the straight lines of the quilt a bit while keeping the quilting simple, yet interesting. Or at least I think so anyway. :) It's been very enjoyable to work on this quilt. I will be a bit sad when it is finally finished. Hey, at least there will be another mystery starting up on April 1st.....so I will have yet another fun project to look forward to. :)
I love your little knitted sheep, they are so adorable! I wish I could knit but alas I seem to be all thumbs when it comes to knitting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the wonderful comment! I'm a self-taught knitter. At first it was a bit awkward, but with practice it became easier. Give it another try. You may be pleasantly surprised.
ReplyDeleteYour pincushion is adorable-I grew up on a sheep farm in Australia & I used to collect sheep[stuffed, woolly kind,LOL] until I got to the point where I didn't know what to do with them all!
ReplyDeleteDid you wash in hot water?
Roslyn
Thank you, Roslyn! How wonderful to have grown up on a sheep farm in Australia. I simply adore my sheep. I have found that I'm a bit on the picky side when choosing what new sheepy thing to add to my growing collection. I don't want to outgrow my space too quickly! I do use hot water when felting. I haven't quite figured out why my pincushion didn't felt like I was hoping it would. Live and learn!
ReplyDeleteI am ready to quilt my CC mystery too. I am intrigued by your description and am wondering what a serpentine stitch is and how that will look...can you show us a close up of your quilting??!?
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy,
ReplyDeleteI now have half of the quilt center quilted and would be more than happy to share a picture of the quilting with you.
Hope it gives you inspiration for quilting your own CC!