Wool Applique and Embroidery

Another hand worked project completed. I have not done this much handwork in years, and I must say I'm enjoying it. It's a nice change of pace.

My friend Marilyn made herself new a scripture cover last winter. It is beautiful hand appliqued wool. Well, when the rest of our presidency saw that cover we wanted new covers for ourselves. Marilyn was more than willing to help. So the project began. 

I started with a completely different idea in mind than what I ended up with - but here's how I came to do what I did.

First I went shopping for wool. I thought a nice gray would be pretty. Then when I couldn't find gray, a nice cream. I did find a beautiful cream with a very faint houndstooth woven in, and as I reached for the bolt my eye caught a glimpse of the most beautiful red you can imagine. And imagine it you will have to do, because all my photos make the red look orangey. No. It is a deep blue-red. To die for. Instantly I knew I had to have it. So that's what I got.

I wanted flowers. I asked Audrey to draw some for me, taken from a bridal shower invitation I had received. She did a great job and I was ready to go with fabric and my design.

Then I took a little break while we went to China. It was there I found my final inspiration for what I wanted on my scripture covers. It was a lacquered table top that I saw in Xi'An. I took a few pictures of it:

Those flowers have a little bit of a dogwood flavor to them (and never forget I love dogwoods!). I knew that's what I really wanted.

I came home and went begging to Marilyn. I knew there was no way I could translate those flowers into a pattern for wool applique. Marilyn sat down with pencil and paper and in a few seconds drew up a plan for me:

Two months later I've finally finished. It's hard to tell, but the cover itself is a deep red, and the flowers are pink and cream with crimson (in two shades) centers. The tiny leaves are a pale spring green.

There is a lot of room for improvement, but I must say I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. And I have to admit to just sitting and staring at them. They're not perfect, but I'm perfectly happy with them.