Whimsical Wool Applique by Kim Schaefer

Many of my friends LOVE wool applique. When I saw the cover for Kim Schaefer's Whimsical Wool Applique I loved the cheerful and bright flowers and knew my friends would, too.

Whimsical Wool Applique cover

Kim offers seven quilt projects and 50 blocks, all with complete instructions and color photos of each block. Along with her whimsical flowers there are blocks for birds and butterflies, bugs and bees, a snail and caterpillar.

Whimsical flower by Kim Schaefer

On the lower left side of the cover photo is pictured Garden Whimsey, a 32 1/2" x 40 1/2" quilt made with 6" x 6" flower blocks.

Her second project is Sweet Tweets, a wall quilt 36 1/2" x 12 1/2" with a line of six birds, including the one pictured below.

Bird from Sweet Tweets by Kim Schaefer

Snug as a Bug, a 22 1/2" x 32 1/2" wall hanging, features garden denizens with a caterpillar and butterfly, dragonfly, bee, ladybug, and snail, all too cute to resist. Schaefer captures a 70s Mid-Century vibe in her designs.

Bloomin' Beauties, 28 1/2" x 22 1/2", has six floral blocks and a vine leaf border.

Enchanted Garden, below, is 33 1/2" square and includes nine floral blocks with a traditional vibe.

Enchanted Garden by Kim Schaefer

A small one-block project that measures 12 1/2" square is Ring Around the Bluebell, a nice size for beginners. Another good beginner project is the Flower Power Pillow, 14 1/2" square, with nine daisies.

Every one of the fifty blocks has its own page with the pattern and close-up details of the embroidery used to finish the block. The blocks are fusible applique and the embroidery makes them really pop. My wool applique friends enjoy the embroidery part of their projects.

Visit Schaefer at Little Quilt Company and see her other books and patterns at
http://www.littlequiltcompany.com/index.htm

I received a free ebook from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

WHIMSICAL WOOL APPLIQUÉ: 50 Blocks, 7 Quilt Projects
Kim Schaefer
C&T Publishing
Book ($24.95) eBook ($19.9
ISBN: 978-1-61745-655-8
UPC: 734817-113010
(eISBN: 978-1-61745-656-5)

About Kim from the publisher's website: 

Kim Schaefer began sewing at an early age and was quilting seriously by the late 1980s. Her early quilting career included designing and producing small quilts for craft shows and shops across the country.

In 1986, Kim founded Little Quilt Company, a pattern company focused on designing a variety of small, fun-to-make projects.

In addition to designing quilt patterns, Kim is a best-selling author for C&T Publishing. Kim also designs fabric for Andover/Makower and works with Leo Licensing, which licenses her designs for nonfabric products.

Meet Bev Olson

I spent a few hours with my new quilt friend Bev Olson, touring her studio and poking into her wonderful collections.

Bev showing her heirloom and vintage linens

Her latest creation is a wood applique and embellished tree of life. She made the 'pennies' and embroidered them.

And then she embroidered and embellished the tree with animals and other details.

Bev is also an amazing crazy quilter. That is, she is not a crazy quilter (although that can be argued), but she is an amazing crazy quilt artist!

Bev uses all kinds of found objects, like this piece of shell

Bev's studio is the showcase for her many collectibles.

 

Knowing I love vintage linens she shared her family heirlooms featuring lots of embroidery and hand tatting.

 These cats are so cute!

 The smaller hens are egg warmers.

 I loved this 1950s handkerchief. I know I had Disney themed hankies as a girl.

Upstairs were more treasures. Including a quilt made with vintage heirloom blocks.

Bev had a set of three suitcases very like the set I received as a high school graduation gift!

 Then she opened the chest her father had made from apple crates.

 K-rations from WWII and lots of war mementos were inside.

Including flags that had been draped over family caskets. One had embroidered stars, the other appliqued stars.

There were Sweetheart pillowcases.

And a wonderful WWI souvenir silk handkerchief featuring President Wilson and vignettes with President Washington, General Lafayette, and the Statue of Liberty from 1919.

I'll end with another of Bev's sweet wool applique quilts featuring amazing vintage buttons.

I'll write another post about Bev's family photos including a set from the end of WWI.

Sweet Little Somethings in Wool Applique

A Little Something: Cute-as-Can-Be Patterns for Wool Stitchery by
Roseann Meehan Kermes caught my eye right away.

The adorable strawberry needle case, scissors holder, and pincushion are sweet as can be in lovely red, white, and yellow with a touch of pink. 

I have numerous quilt friends in my weekly group who love wool applique. I know they will adore this book for the small projects that are SO giftable!

The projects are all made with hand dyed wool, washed and felted. The edges won't fray, and the shapes are easy to work with, making this the easiest of hand applique crafts.

Each pattern includes instructions for cutting, construction, and embroidery. Color illustrations and photographs include details of embroidery on the finished project. The

Ebook  includes links to download and print a PDF of the patterns.

Wool-Applique Essentials and a Resources Guide are great for newcomers to wool-applique, including great tips, cutting advice, thread options, embroidery stitch illustrations, and how to felt your own wool.

Mug rugs are very popular in my weekly quilt group. They make wonderful gifts for any occasion. The coasters finish to 5" diameter. 

These pincushions finish to 3 1/2" x 3 1/2". What a great way to use up scraps!

The folk art inspired pillow is 8 1/2" x 11 1/2". Note the detailed embroidery holding down the stems and leaves--simple, and it adds great texture. You could also make the pillow front into a wall hanging.

Sunny Days Runner is 6" x 14 1/2", and can be whipped up in a few hours. The runner has scalloped ends. I expect you can make it any length you need to fit your table.

The Autumn Abundance wall hanging represents the author's favorite season in Minnesota. It finished to 7" x 10 1/4". It can be tied to a stick for a rustic look.

The patterns are diverse, including a cell phone carrier, Treasure Tote Jewelry Bag, and this delightful Spring Bouquet Bag, 71/2" x 7".

Other patterns include Flower-head Pins, Bees and Buds Candle Mat, Upcycled Cup Stoppers, and Home Sweet Home Wall Art.

I am convinced. Next shopping trip I'm picking up some felted wool and making myself a little something for spring!

Visit the author's blog at Rosebud's Cottage http://www.rosebuds-cottage.com

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

A Little Something
By Roseann Meehan Kermes
Martingale
Publication May 2 2017
$19.99 soft cover, 80 pages
ISBN: 9781604688504