Some More Free Projects and Simple Felting Wool Instructions

Here are some projects that I'm working on this weekend. The Wooly Sheep and Flowers appliques were shown as projects for small photo albums, but I think I would use them for needlebooks instead. In my next post, I'll be showing the free project for a cute sewing roll that only takes a fat quarter and a scrap of felted wool. It's so easy and I see a lot of pinkeeps and sewing rolls on prim blogs so I like to find free designs and put my own spin on them.
You can click on the instructions pages and patterns to enlarge them and right click to save them on your computer, and print them out. Enlarge them more if necessary on your printer settings.

FELTING WOOL

When wool is felted, it shrinks and becomes so tightly woven that it will not ravel. This is one of felt’s most appealing qualities, because you don’t need to turn under the edges as you appliqué it.
To felt wool for appliqués, machine-wash it in hot water with a cool rinse cycle and a small amount of detergent. You can use fabric softener if you wish. Dry in a dryer on a medium setting, removing promptly and checking the filter often. Steam-press lightly if necessary.
This variance in temperatures, along with the agitation, causes the wool to felt. Hand-dyed wool does not need to be felted before use because the dying process also felts the wool.
TIP: If you want to felt wool from a piece of clothing, cut it apart and remove the seams so it can shrink freely.

Free Candlemat Pattern For Us

Here's a very prim Candlemat pattern from my friend Christine of Preferably Prim all the way across the pond in Northern Ireland. I love how we can meet people from all over the world, most of the time the internet is a good thing. It's a thank you to her followers for the comments on her "Wooly Pineapple" and the congratulations on her 18th wedding anniversary. This is the finished candlemat:

Here's her template for the pattern:

and her instructions:

INSTRUCTIONS:
"Cut one of each size of oval background fabric.
On the top layer, trace on the words and berry strands and stitch them in in dark colored floss.
(I used 6 strands of DMC dark brown for the words and 3 strands of the same color for the berry strands.)
Stitch on the pip berries using 2 strands of floss doing a French knot.
Using the templates, cut out 4 of each part of the acorns and stitch into position.
Now you are ready to blanket stitch the top layer onto the base layer of your mat, using 3 strands of floss.
Repeat the whole way around the outer edge of your mat.
YOU DID IT!
Admire your handiwork and enjoy in your fall decorating!
Once again, thank you for your thoughtfulness and visits - life has been so blessed since I started blogging!
Best wishes
Christine"

And, here's her "Wooly Wednesday" post of her pineapple, it's so cute it's done with little "penny rug" circles in wool felt on the pineapple:

If you want to visit her blog with the Candlemat post click HERE. Isn't her blog cute, she loves Americana and our prim style.
'Til next time, Primmies...