Using my Stash

     Yesterday I painted fabric out in the garage (inspired by Sew Wild) and completed several small notepads I'll put in the "Preparing for Christmas" pile.  Constructing these notepads is kind of a pain, but the ladies love them as stocking stuffers, so I continue to look for ways of making the making more fun for me.  After free-motion stitching organza over some hand-printed fabric leftovers, I hauled out my stash of felted wool (last summer's bonanza of thrift-store sweaters, washed in hot water, cut up, and stored by color in zip-lock bags) and selected several pieces that seemed to match my fabric choice.

     I first cut out a long stem, several sets of leaves, and a bunch of small berries from the "felt," then arranged the pieces across my prepared fabric, and finally stitched everything down.





     And one of the completed notepads::