a far away friend and a new challenge

It's not always important 

how close by or far away friends are,

more important is the feeling they give you !

Today arrived a little package from the US.

I was told it would be coming,

even knew a bit what was in it.

But to really hold it in your hands 

is special !

Nancy made something for me because of her blogaversary

(a year ago ! yes : she started when she knew 

who it would be for ...)

A real  s l o w  cloth piece 

(just like we learned from Jude Hill, right Nancy ?)

a tiny woven pouch

and a sweet card.

Such a gift really warms the heart !

Thank you so much Nancy !!!

*

While I was busy working on items 

we could take to the summer festival,

Sara Lechner started another "Challenge"

a hanging doll this time.

I was so busy doing other things, that I only had time

to look through the first two instructions

and glance at the pinterest board sometimes.

I didn't even have time for instruction number three

.......

But, last Monday I took the "Embellisher"

and the stuff I had collected during the first week

and made a start.

My plan was, not to make a doll exactly like Sara's,

but : a mermaid.

(hmmmmm ... I discovered someone else ended up

with a mermaid as well, but I decided to stick with my original plan)

Growing

Front and back of the same lady

(I could work a bit differently because I had seen lesson one ánd two !)

One side of the body fixed with the embellisher

the other side sewn together.

The face is embroidered on the wool itself, and a tiny blue extra cap

to fasten the hair on.

For now, "swimming" in the garden

A sideview with the tangle of seaweed-like hair

It was another fun "Challenge" Sara !

THANKS !

the bigger piece (14 - 1 - 14)

I promised to tell about the bigger piece that I made

after starting the year with smaller work.

When the green collar was finally finished

(after all the setback)

I wanted to start another collar/shawl.

With the green collar I tried several things in this one piece :

like inclusions, nuno and different threads on the surface.

Now I just took some pieces of needle felt

that I bought at Hawar's (móre than a year ago)

There I bought a bit of red, magenta, pink and orange.

I wasn't satisfied with the pattern of the green collar either.

Felt can be rather "stiff".

It doesn't have the "flow" (flexibility)

some other fabrics have.

That's not a problem ...

as long as you deal with that caracteristic feature.

That's why I wanted to shape the collar

around a torso-like pattern.

I wanted two layers,

I wanted leaves,

I wanted points.

Two layers, and rolling wet felt means : shifting

and thát, I didn't want.

So I had to do a lot of sewing together with a running stitch.

Leaves, layers, everything !

A LOT of preparations, but it paid off at the end.

... and where would we be without the magical bubble wrap ...

Un-picking the linen threads was a lot of work too

.....

but finally

......

was  this  the reward  !

;-)