Upcycled Home Decor

I'm always interest in seeing what other wool crafters are making with upcycled/recycled wool sweaters. While browsing Etsy recently, I was on the lookout for decorative home accessories made from recycled textiles. Here are a few of my favorite home decor items, all made from recycled sweaters, from other Etsy artists.

This wool winter blue quilt was made from upcycled wool sweaters. I love the pattern and color combination. Laurine, of Greenatheart, added a cotton backing, freeform stitching and bias binding to finish this as one would a more "traditional" quilt. In Laurine's words "This not just wool sewn together, it is in every meaning of the word a quilt." Beautiful!

These huggably soft balls in earth tones are great as accent pillows or soft toys for the little ones. They are made from assorted recycled sweaters and come as a set of three from Handmadepretties.


This thick, colorful rug was woven from recycled wool sweaters! Fiveforty has a great selection of these one-of-a-kind rag rugs in a gorgeous array of colors and various sizes. I imagine these would feel wonderful underfoot.

I love the modern design of PLYtextiles geometric pattern pillows. This is the Grid Tiles Felt Pillow. They are made from recycled wool sweaters with a fabulous attention to detail.

All these artists used recycled textiles to make these one-0f-a-kind home accents.

Argyle Love!

Verveinteriors has included my Argyle Plush Cat in this wonderful Eco Argyle Treasury on Etsy!

You can click here to go directly to the Treasury.

And be sure to check out Verveinterior on Etsy for beautiful handpainted floorcloths and art!

Wool Crafting in Progress Here!

Earlier in the week I completed and listed some new handbags in the shop. Then I looked at the calender and realized I have less than two months until my very first craft show! Yikes!!! I am excited and decided I'd better take inventory of my supplies and set a schedule for myself so that I have plenty of items both for my Etsy shop and the craft show. I love summer and hate to see it starting to come to an end, but I need to start thinking about (dare I say it!!!) holiday ornaments, Christmas stockings, mittens and scarves! So here's a look at what I found and what I'm working on.

More felted wool sweaters ready for crafting.

I started cutting out heart shapes for a new batch of Holiday Heart Felt ornaments.

Recycled wool flower brooches, in various stages of completion.

I love all the different colors and textures of the various types of wool!

So, that's what I'm working on these days. Now I'd better get busy and start sewing again, I have lots of work to do!

A Few New Handbags

I'm starting to gear up for Fall and stock up my Etsy shop, FeltSewGood. This week I've been working on some new handbags and these are my latest listings in the shop.

The Brown Argyle BLAKELY

The Ruby Red EMMA

and the Green BLAKELY

These handbags were all made from eco friendly, felted, recycled wool sweaters. Be sure to check out the shop for more new handbags, plush toys and flower brooches coming soon!

Flowers and Hearts for Mother's Day!

Are you looking for something special for Mom for Mother's Day? Flowers and hearts making wonderful Mother's Day gifts!

I have made a new assortment of felted flower brooches and "heart felt" brooches and have plenty available in the shop.

And, I just sent a new batch of flowers and hearts to the Glendale Handcraft Gallery in Glendale, Ohio. The Glendale Handcraft Gallery is a boutique-style gallery with the goal to promote handmade items and crafts people.

Gleandale, Ohio is an historic village just north of Cincinnati. If you happen to live in the area, or are passing through, stop in and take a look at the unique handmade artwork. And tell them Felt Sew Good sent you!

First Look at Spring

It's still a little too early to plant very much in the garden here in the Midwest. My husband has planted a few seeds. . . early lettuces, spinach and radishes. And we're just now seeing the first tips of asparagus sprout out of the dirt. But it's not to early to dream of warmer days to come and to enjoy what's already in the greenhouse at the local garden center. In honor of the first day of Spring, we made our first trip the the greenhouse!

The beautiful ferns and small perenial plants will grow more lush as the temperatures rise.

The bright colored annuals in these hanging baskets will soon grow and cover the green planters!

And these tiny seedling of tomatoes, peppers and onions will be ready to plant in the garden in about 6 weeks!

But, I'd better not get ahead of myself, I still have lots of trimming, raking and Spring yard clean-up to do.

Read This, Feel Smarter

Check out these websites. . . they're fun and informative:

As a companion to Mental Floss magazine, "Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix", mentalfloss.com/blogs provides all sorts of random and interesting information. The site includes trivia, quizzes and "amazing facts". You'll find plenty of conversation starters for you next cocktail party!


Another interesting site is campaignearth.org. You can read about the campaign, learn more about green energy and sign up for the monthly challenges. The challenges all offer simple ways to gradually green your life. . . things like drying your clothes outside on a sunny day, buying local produce and ways to lessen your junk mail. Each challenge shows you the average CO2 savings rate. You can even get the whole family involved with the challenges!

Some New Handbags

I've just added some new handbags and wristlets to my Etsy shop, Felt Sew Good. They are all made from felted, recycled wool sweaters.

I've added some favorites, like this blue "Jasper" style handbag.

This pretty raspberry colored wristlet will make the transition to Spring!

And I've just added this new "Elizabeth" style handbag in pretty shades of blue.

For more info on these items, click here to see my shop.

And be sure to check in again next week for more new Spring styles to come!

Beautiful Blooms

My amaryllis is blooming!

The beautiful trumpet shaped flowers and rich colors
really brighten a winter day.


Amaryllis are easy to grow from bulbs as an indoor house plant and most varieties start to bloom in just about 7 weeks.

I love the pretty warm pink color and the pale green throat.

I always see amaryllis bulbs for sale in my area around the holidays, just before Thanksgiving through Christmas. If planted in early to mid-November, you'll have blooms at Christmas time. You can also order bulbs online from a variety of garden sites to be planted from October through April. We didn't plant our amaryllis bulb until after Christmas, so ours is blooming mid-February.

Amaryllis are surprisingly easy to grow and come in a rich variety of colors! There is really not much of a plant once the blooms are gone. We just set our plant outside for the summer, in the pot it bloomed in, and keep it out of direct sun. Water and feed regularly and the leaves will stay healthy and the bulb will rejuvenate. In the fall, as the leaves start to yellow, I cut back the leaves and remove the bulb from the soil. I just keep the bulb in the garage where it is cool (40-50 degrees F) and dark for at least 6 weeks. After the bulb rests it is ready to be planted again! I plant it in regular potting soil and water it a little. Then don't water again until the leaves start to grow. Then gradually add more water and watch it grow! You can enjoy the beautiful flowers for several weeks depending on the variety. There is more information about planting and care of your amaryllis bulb at Amaryllis.com.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to All!

Have a great weekend.

Toasted-Pecan Butter Cookies

Oh my gosh, you must try these! These are my new favorite cookies! The recipe for these Toasted-Pecan Butter Cookies is the "Cookie of the Month" recipe from the January '09 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

These delicate, crisp cookies have a rich buttery taste.

Toasted-Pecan Butter Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
3 1/2 ounces pecan halves, toasted (1 cup)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted


(Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in oven, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden brown, about 10 minutes. )

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Break each pecan half into 2 or 3 pieces. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until pale. With mixer running, add vanilla and salt, then reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour, beating until just incorporated. Stir in pecans until distributed evenly. Cover dough, and refrigerate until firm, 15 minutes (or overnight; let dough come to room temperature before using).
Drop 2-tablespoon scoops of dough onto baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges of cookies are golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool. (Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 2 days.) Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

"These rich, crisp, delicate cookies owe their crumbly texture to confectioners' sugar. Pecans enhance their buttery flavor." Enjoy!

Pretty New Handbags

I've just listed a few new handbags to my Etsy shop, Felt Sew Good!

I'm partial to argyle, so I really like this blue argle Sabrina style handbag.

This teal Jasper style bag was made from a finely textured merino wool sweater and I added a retro tropical print lining.

And this light blue and stripe pattern Emma style handbag was made from a repurposed wool sweater with a little bit of angora. It's very soft to the touch.

See more photos and get more info about of all these handbags and more in my shop!

Work in Progress

As you can see, I've been making more Heart Felt brooches and felted wool flower brooches.

I set up my own little assembly line on the kitchen table!

If you are looking for a sweet Valentine gift, you can see the finished product and make a purchase through my Etsy shop, Felt Sew Good.

On Vacation!

I'm taking a break and heading south for a relaxing vacation.

Some warm, humid air and and sunshine will be a welcome break from the below zero temperatures we've had this past week.

And when I return, freshed and rejuvenated, I''ll have shop updates for Felt Sew Good and some new crafty blog posts! See you in February!

Heart Felt Valentine

These cute, stuffed, "Heart Felt" brooches were made from felted, recycled wool sweater pieces. Each heart is two layers of felted wool and "puffed" with a little stuffing. I added a small appliqued heart, a vintage button and embroidery to each one. They are available in my Etsy shop, FeltSewGood. Get one for yourself or someone you love!

Happy New Year!

Wishing You a Happy 2009!

Sew Somerset Winter Issue

My Felt Sew Good felted flower brooches are featured in the new, Winter '09, issue of Sew Somerset magazine. Sew Somerset represents "the art of creative sewing with mixed media".

You'll find great photos and how-to techniques from a wide variety of artists and crafters. See a preview here. Or, you can see more of my work, including my Felt Sew Good handbags and toys, for sale in my Etsy shop. I'll have more shop updates after Christmas!

It's Wickedly Chic!

This week, my Etsy shop FeltSewGood is featured on Wickedly Chic! "WickedlyChic.com is the hottest destination for shoppers seeking advice and product recommendations from the world of Indie design and fashion."

Wickedly Chic is a fun website - "Independent Shopping for the Wickedly Fashionable". Check it out, there's still time to find just the right gift for that special someone!

And The Winner Is!

Congratulations to Amie P., the winner of the Felt Sew Good Customer Appreciation Giveaway.
http://feltsewgood.blogspot.com/2008/11/customer-appreciation-giveaway.html

Thanks so much to all of those who entered.

There is still plenty of time for holiday shopping

and I'm still adding lots of new items to my Etsy shop, FeltSewGood.

Handbags, scarves and mittens made wonderful gifts!

I have some new Christmas stockings
and there are more Holiday Heart Felt ornaments on the way.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give Thanks and enjoy good food with family and friends!