True Up » felt

Posts tagged with "felt" | Return to the Archives Listing

Felt Week: Sunfelt (With Giveaway!)

Ha ha, you thought the Quilt Market posts were over, but I just had to withhold this one for felt week. Last year’s post about Sunfelt of Japan was a popular one, and I still get emails about where to find their products. (Short Answer: Superbuzzy and Lit’l Brown Bird!) Last year, there were all kinds of die-cut shapes, felt food, and ribbons to ogle over; this year, Sunfelt was promoting their new line called Punching Felt. These are sheets of felt with shapes punched out of them, creating a patterned surface. They look great layered over solid felt or regular solid or patterned cottons. There are hearts, circles, flowers, and donuts, each available in a rainbow of colors. I’m not sure when this will be available, but a cursory Google search tells me that no one has it yet. Thanks to reader fujiapple, I now know it’s 100% polyester — but leave it to the Japanese to create a synthetic felt that you’d never know was synthetic. It looks like wool and seems much sturdier than cheap acrylic felt.

And, why, yes, I did bring you home a roll for you! This is the donut pattern in a gorgeous peacock blue, 450×350mm (a little under 14×17 inches). To be eligible to win, leave a comment with an idea of how to use this insanely awesome felt. I will draw a winner next week, Wednesday, November 18, around 2pm Central U.S. time.

Tags: fall quilt market 2009, felt, japan, sunfelt, wool felt week

11/11/2009 | Fabric Study, Giveaways | 111 Comments

Felt Week: Kata Golda’s Handstitched Felt

katagoldacover
Kata Golda’s Hand-Stitched Felt: 25 Whimsical Sewing Projects, by Kata Golda, with photography by Frank White, published by STC Craft, October 2009, 128 pages.

Some people have comfort food. Me, I have comfort reading. So Kata Goldman’s Hand-Stitched Felt is like mashed potatoes in craft book form, a book I’d like to crawl into on a cold and stormy day or after a fight. Her wee felt creatures — mice, bunnies, bears — are so obviously and gloriously made with tender care, each stitch shining from the fabric. Their little faces make me smile. And the photography is like whoa; were I writing this from the local coffee shop, the patrons would be giving me funky looks for trying to pet the book I’m reviewing.

full-page-spread-

I have very little experience with felt in general and wool felt in particular, so this book was my first introduction to Kata Golda’s work. I hope to amend the situation toute-suite, of course; a few sheets of felt and my hand-sewing kit would yield a beautiful project, if her notes are anything to go by. Kata includes 25 projects in this book — more if you count her suggestions for customizing or using alternate design templates.

journals-by-bedside-table

For those of us new to hand-sewing (or just a bit rusty) she includes a brief section on the tools needed (just a few: felt, needle, floss) and the main embroidery stitches which, in conjunction with the embroidery floss, make up the soul and character of the projects. She also gives a technique for transferring pattern designs using paper.

two-b-card-holders-with-one-open

The projects themselves are refreshingly simple. The beauty comes from the careful planning of colors and motifs and especially the care taken in forming the stitches. Though they are supposed to look handmade, these projects don’t look sloppy or hastily done, which can be a real danger when taking large stitches on a more elemental fabric such as felt. Instead they look accessible and soft and relaxed. My kind of attitude.

The projects include not just baby and children’s items, which I would expect in a book about wool felt, but also accessories for your person, home and office. I think even someone totally new to hand-sewing should be able to master the stitches with the aid of her instructions.

Kata lives in Port Townsend, WA, where she lives and works and seems to have it going on. (“Nestled snugly amongst the comings and goings of friends and family in a small, mossy seaside town, Kata Golda has grown into a flourishing business and creative space while allowing me to stay true to what I love to do.” That’s the life.)

glasses-case-on-table-with-phone-book

For a little more about Kata’s take on felt and color, see her interview on The Purl Bee (she used to be a professional quilter!). And if you’re eager to get stitchin’, her eyeglasses case project from the book is available in full at Design*Sponge.

For more Kata Golda, check out her blog, with links to news and appearances, or follow her on Twitter or Facebook. And if you want to see some adorable felt mice drinking coffee and dancing, you better check out this video.

Tags: books, felt, kata golda, wool

11/10/2009 | Reviews | 3 Comments

Textile Stew: 9/2/09

Cafe Cartolina on Ouno Design

WREN handmade: Stockholm shopping (ummm? drool.)

a la mode fabric’s collection of Heather Ross Munki Munki fabrics

Birds of Ohio: Japanese Wax Resist

The Purl Bee has a color of the week thing going on on Facebook. This week, it’s Peacock (my favorite blue!)

Feedsack Friday on the Rickrack Rag — Sailing Away, Circus

Weeks Ringle’s ode to cloth napkins

Oh cool, the shop Alice Caroline Supply specializes in Liberty pre-cut packs. (via keyka lou patterns)

Now THIS is how you foster good morale in the workplace! I’m in love with Mielie.

25 Things To Do With Charm Packs. On Fabric Family Fun (Above All Fabric’s blog)

jcaroline creative! has some interesting new bamboo rayon felt in the shop.

Amy Schimler just put up a teaser for On a Whim II.

Tags: amy schimler, bamboo, bedding, charm packs, feedsacks, felt, heather ross, japanese, liberty of london, miele, ouno design, stockholm, sweden, wax resist

09/03/2009 | Scraps | No Comments

Textile Stew: 7/3/09

Bird cushion in yellow by roddyandginger on Etsy

Katy Elliott admires Plaid and Floral Summer Dresses at APC

STOLZL WALLS. « Nothing is New

Ooh, a mystery! Now what’s all this about? on LizzyHouse

Can anyone identify this fabric? Bought by a reader at a higher-end shop — returned to buy more, but it was gone and the shop didn’t know its designer or manufacturer.