Sara's Texture Crafts... HQ Log

Felt with Love: Felt hearts, flowers and much more by Madeleine Millington

Publisher:Search Press

Edition:Paperback

Publication:06 February 2013

ISBN 13/EAN:9781844487691

Illustrations:150

Pages:96

RRP Price:£9.99

Purchase at http://www.searchpress.com/book/9781844487691/felt-with-love

Description for Search Press;

Felt With Love is a must-have book for anyone with an appreciation of adorable hand-crafted objects. It is a colourful one-off book, filled with 15 cute, fun and simple projects (plus some variations) made from felted wool. As well as easy to follow instructions and step by step photographs for each project, the book explains various stitching and embellishment techniques. Projects include mini hanging decorations, beautiful brooches, pincushions, various wall hangings, a couple Christmassy pieces, plus much more! The author has provided templates for all the projects so that everything can be replicated with relative ease. The shapes are simply cut out using the templates and applied using easy hand embroidered stitches. Details such as veins in leaves and flowers can then be stitched with French knots or using tiny beads. Madeleine uses hand-dyed wools for the appliqués, which vary in depth and hue giving beautifully unique effects. Old clothes and fabrics picked up in charity shops can be cut up and used, so instructions on dying fabric have also been included in the book. Overall, this book is a great collection of bright, affordable, and easy to sew felt projects embellished with simple stitching, buttons and beads. They are great to do ‘on-the-go’ and once completed you have a beautiful gift for a special person or a timeless treasure for yourself!

GIVEAWAY: Competition opens 7^th June 2013 and closes on the 28^th June 2013. Please watch the video for details of how to enter.

Thank you for spending your time with me today and I hope you enjoyed this review.

Sara x

This is a sponsored review by Sara’s Texture Crafts*.

CREDITS

Thank you to Search Press for allowing me to review this book.

Reviews are filmed and edited by Sara of Sara’s Texture Crafts. I can be reached at

www.SarasTextureCrafts.com

* Disclaimer – This book was gifted to me for review by Search Press. They offered no monetary compensation for the review or to bias my opinion and none was taken. All of the above text and video review is my own and my opinions should be taken as such.

If you would like me to consider your product or book for review, please contact me for further details, or see the relevant information provided on my blogs at www.sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com& www.sarastexturecrafts.wordpress.com

A big thank you to Rosy Retro and everyone who took part in the SAL KAL, we had a fabulous time and really got inspired to knit from our handspun. Here is some of the work;

Top Left to right - Pia’s Dreambird Shawl using my hand dyed Cheviot and Hebridean fleece. Alex’s Ishbel shawl in my colourway Pansy. Steph’s Leaving Cowl in my Alpaca Pansy.

Middle left to right - My Batt Droppings Poncho using my batt waste and grey Ryeland. Elaine’s Raspberry Chocolate Pink Cardi using my Merino Blend and another dyed purchased elsewhere. Alex’s Handspun Norie in my Shetland colourway After the Storm.

Bottom left to right - Tab’s shawl using Polwarth bought from Fibre Fancy on Etsy. Muriel’s Shetland Vanter Mittens in my colourway After the Storm. Marilyn’s Drift Away shawl in my Merino Tencel Blend Malachite.

The prizes have been claimed and I think we are all now insipred to work more with our handspun.

COMING SOON! Tour de Fleece on Ravelry… I will be hosting a team this year, so please join teh group here… http://www.ravelry.com/groups/saras-texture-crafts and let’s get spinning together with knitting,weaving,crochet to follow in the months after.

Sara x

www.sarastexturecrafts.com

Here’s where I am at with the Sal/Kal on Ravelry…

I started with what I am terming ‘Batt Droppings’ these where small pulled roving nests from batt production waste (62g in total). I had a wide range of colour and texture… anything from Merino and Corriedale to silk, bamboo and cotton.

I spun them up into a fine single… keeping texture as I spun (cobweb to lace weight in the main with textured bumps).

When I finished I was keen to ply this against a natural/neutral shade. As the colours were so varied and mixed I didn’t want yet more colour on a second ply. This would have been too much and made what they call a ‘yarn barf’ yarn!

So after spending some time looking at my stash, I decided I would try my Ryeland tops in grey. I’ve not spun with these beauties before and so used it as an excuse to play.

Luckily the Ryeland wants to spin very fine too and so I have a thick and thin single from cobweb to lace weight. I think this will help play out the texture in the Batt Droppings single.

I’m going to test ply the yarns today and see if I need a 3rd Ply in Ryeland as I suspect I might. I shall be back soon with more news…

Sara x

www.SarasTextureCrafts.com - fibre and wheels available.

Ok, so here’s the deal… The fabulous Tabs from Rosy Retro and I have teamed up to run a SAL/KAL (Spin-along/Knit-along) in my group on Ravelry.

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/saras-texture-crafts

This is an easy one and a chance to work our way through some stash… no purchasing necessary (but always greatly appreciated).

How to Win:

• You must be a member of the Sara’s Texture Crafts Ravelry Group.
• You must enter at least one finished project (knitted, crocheted, or woven) with hand spun yarn from your stash. This can be anything from natural wools, blends, hand dyed, or batts and it doesn’t have to be something you have purchased from Sara’s Texture Crafts or Rosy Retro… although that does help and you’ll find out why…
• Chat as much as you like in the thread on Ravelry, in fact we want you too! Tell us what you are making and how/why. You can also ask questions if you are a new spinner/knitter.
• Feel free to share the SAL KAL info on your blog, or Facebook/twitter… we’d love as many people to take part as possible. You can use the image above as a badge/link to the group if you’d like.
• Winners will be drawn randomly from this thread.
• Entries are based on points. One point equals one entry. This is how you can accrue points;
  • 1 point for completing a project with hand spun yarn made during this salkal.
  • 1 extra point if it is fibre purchased from Sara’s Texture Crafts, or Rosy Retro. It can be a purchase you have had stashed for a while, or something new.

Important Dates:

March 1^st2013 – SAL/KAL opens.

March – spin up yarns and add them to your Ravelry stash page.

April - knit from your stashed hand spun yarn.

May 1^st2013 – Competition closes.

Prizes:

1^stprize - Tabs is giving away a wonderful sock project bag (big enough for smaller projects, like socks, hats, etc…) and I will be giving away a 100g braid of hand dyed top in your choice of colour and base from my custom listing at www.SarasTextureCrafts.com

2^ndPrize – 100g of natural wool fibre from www.SarasTextureCrafts.com. Any of my natural shades and bases.

I hope you will join in with Tabs and I… we’d love to spend some time crafting with you over the next few months.

Websites – www.sarastexturecrafts.comand http://www.etsy.com/shop/rosyretro

If you are on social media, you can find Tabs and I at;

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saras-Texture-Crafts/8561416324and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rosy-Retro/97907972987

Twitter – @SARASTEXTURECRand @Rosyretro

It’s that time when I need to announce the winner of my recent cometition.

WENDY of the blog The Crafter’s Apprentice!

Congratualations to Wendy (I shall be in touch) and a big thank you to everyone who entered. I very much enjoyed the discussion.

The coupon code is still valid for a few more days, so please do take the opportunity to grab your self a copy.

Hand Stitch: Perspectives

The new episode of Dreaming in Fibre is out at http://dreaminginfibre.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/episode-10-knitting-kick-and-noro-fail.html

I talk about knitting, crochet, yarn, noro, Wonderwool Wales, shop updates and the Fleece Club Competition!

I hope you enjoy it!

Sara x

Products, Events, Information and Shop Updates can be found at

www.SarasTextureCrafts.com

Show notes can be found at

www.dreaminginfibre.blogspot.com

You can also subscribe on iTunes, YouTube and Blip.TV

You can join me on:

Twitter – SARASTEXTURECR

Facebook Page – Sara’s Texture Crafts

Ravelry – SarasTextureCraft

Ravelry group – Sara’s Texture Crafts