A March to Spring!

  We are finally thawing out here in Northeast Ohio! Our snowdrops are blooming, there is only a few piles of snow left, and the birds are singing. I am also busier than ever with workshop preparations & book writing.

  So, this month's Reshaped Project is a simple alternative way to use the bunny from "Creatures of Habit". I made him into an ornament to be hung on a door, cupboard, pegboard, or what have you.
He was fun to make and took very little time. I just used the pattern full size and added some heayweight, double-sided, fusible interfacing. This was the first time I used any kind of product like this and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to trim and work with. As the bunny's head and neck would have been too floppy with just wool, I felt I needed to add something between the top applique piece and the backing wool to keep him stiff. I decided that cutting cardboard or chipboard would be too hard for this project.



Mach Reshaped
Wool Applique Folk Art by Rebekah L. Smith
"Creatures of Habit" p34

1) Cut 2 bunnies from wool. The first one you will applique for the front and the second is for the back.
2) Cut the bunny pattern out of the fusible interfacing and then trim about 1/4" off all the way around.
3) Follow the fusible interfacing instructions.
4) Stitch away!

 This fast2fuse is available in a 15" x 18" sheet from ctpub.com.

Ohio!

     Another Statehood Day is here again in the great state of Ohio! I have made it a tradition each year to offer a wool applique project that commemorates the day. This year I am sharing my diminutive version of the Ohio Flag. Although, not technically a flag, it is an iconic symbol of our state and I enjoy seeing it wave in the wind or hanging like a banner. According to 50states.com the design is called a swallowtail (which appeals to the bird lover in me) and the topography of the state is represented by the triangles & stripes. Although there are supposed to be 17 stars (Ohio is the 17th State) I was only able to fit a few.

So, all of you Ohioans (or those of you who share a love of our state) enjoy this project! Maybe I will see you here sometime this year!!!

Copy & Paste this address to get to the pattern.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BylICA5i1PyJVEpUTHlpcjJQTHc

This larger version of the Ohio flag is simply two pieces of cotton sewn together and the edges fringed. The wool applique is added before sewing the two background pieces together. I do not have a pattern for this one, but these are simple shapes.