Felt Needle Cases

These are little felt house needle holder books. I am in a private tip in exchange. Each month we have to make a page for someone in our group according to their book's theme. The month of September my partner's size and theme was 4" by 4" and Grandmother's Sewing Box. Also, she is not doing a book, but putting her pages in a container. I was rambling around the web and discovered this pattern and thought - aha! I will make her a needle book and attach it to her page with a fancy button. Doesn't every sewing box have a needle holder? I know when I was young, maybe ten, I made one for my mom - a book with a felt cat on it out of felt.

The book consists of a front, back, and a page or two in between. I put a few needles in the pages. The roof of the house is sewn together and the book opens from the bottom. I made two. One for my partner and one for me. I sent her the orange and purple one - the one I liked best. I hope she likes it.....

Finished Felted Fabric ATC's

These are the felted fabric ATC's with images, beads and lace. I feel like they are more finished. Maybe because I do so much collage work they just didn't feel like they had a focal point. Now I feel like they give your eye a story.

The top five have images a friend gave me in a trade. They say Debbie Warren on the collage sheet. I have know idea how to get in touch, a web site or blog for her. If any one knows, let me know. I do like the images though. I printed them on fabric with one of the ink cartridges that had run low. I save them and put them in a zip lock bag. Then when I need something "off color" I use them. This time I needed a purplish hue.

On the last three ATC's I used some lace butterflies that I got in college at an estate sale. The woman was the textile curator for Henry Ford Museum in Detroit Michigan. I bought everything she had that the museum did not purchase or receive. There are six sizes of these butterflies and 12 of each size. I have been carrying around a dresser full of lace from this estate for years. It was fun to pull out a piece or two and use it.

I find I am a hoarder about with certain things. As I grow personally and chronologically I find hoarding is not such a problem. My goal is to use it all up in as much art work as possible. Two of the butterfly ATC's I am planning on swapping. The other is a small gift for one of the girls in the Fabric ATC yahoo group that as hit a really rough patch.

So what do you think? Do they look more finished to you? [I apologize for my scanner. It did not like these images.]