Wooly Projects

I love wool. I love the process, from fleece, to spinning, to weaving. When dyed, there is so much depth to the color. Each part of the fiber "takes" the dye differently. As a fabric, it is soft, yet firm, stable, yet giving. So when I thought of a new table runner for fall, I knew I wanted to make it from washed, overdyed wool, to capture to aura of the season. First, I chose some wool scraps that reflected the season's colors.
Then I cut out maple and oak leaves of different sizes and colors.
Then scattered them around.
Sewing the leaves with embroidery floss, using a straight stitch, leaving knots and tails on top.
Finishing the runner by cutting up about 6 inches and tie with an overhand knot to create a fringe. Giving it a scarf look. The fall colors and wool look good on the scrubbed pine table. It was a fun project. It turned out well and inspired me. So of course I had to do a few other things to celebrate the new season.A pumpkin pillow for the bench on the front porch. It's made from wool and repurposed cotton fabric.
I machine appliqued the pumpkins.
Then used strips of wool for tie closures at the side. The Boo pillow is all wool. The foundation is pieced from a salvaged wool jacket. and the Boo s from a salvaged wool skirt. I just top stitched the Boo on the foundation, letting the letters fray a bit.
Fun and easy. The day after I finished these the weather changed from very warm to cool. The leaves started falling. Fall is here. Celebrate!