Swaps - recycling sort of?

I belong to a group called Unlimited Textiles, and last month I participated in an Unfinished Symphony swap. We have two partners - one we receive from and one we send to, and the idea was to send a piece of anything, and your partner would finish it for you. I sent this piece of felt I had made to Claire and look what came back!

I was absolutely amazed - all that stitching, and she had made it into a Purse, and she had included a bundle of Oliver Twist Threads. Claire tells me she cut a postcard sized section out of the front of the felt, turned the rest over and using merino tops and wool threads, she integrated the two pieces using a Clover needle felting tool. She then added more stitch, mostly in wool and some stranded cotton before using the felted lines to cut the shape of the flap.

This is the back of the purse - it measures 5" x 7"

I have subsequently made a cord for the purse from some of the Oliver Twist Threads. I am delighted with my Finished Symphony - thanks again Claire

Now I must apologise to Ati for this miserable picture of the beautiful piece of felt she sent to me. I can't find the original pic I made anywhere, so have taken this back off the web page but I can't produce it any bigger here! It was about A4 size.....

I completely altered the look of Ati's piece by painting it first with Gesso and then various other fabric paints. The felt was quite thick, so I chopped it up to displace the embroidery on it, turned it all around the zigzagged it back together. butting up the pieces. I then cut out a Postcard, and ATC and some inchies and finished them off. I am pleased to say Ati was delighted, but again my apologies for the miserable pic.!

This is a gorgeous Quiltie (5" x 5") I have recently received from Alis. I asked Alis if she would swap 'vintage ladies' with me, and she made this beautiful Quiltie she calls Daydream Blues. The background is of felt, organza and painted nappy liners all free machine stitched, then zapped with a heat gun. Then a chiffon scarf laid over, more machine stitching in flower shapes, and multiple beads added for centres. Thankyou again Alis, she really is lovely.

This is the Quiltie I made for Alis, which I called Vintage Blossoms. The background and the 'blossoms' are coloured with transfer dyes. The blossoms are actually cut out from flock curtaining. The lady is a photocopy of a pic. using the laminated technique - pva-ing the pic to a sheer, letting it dry, and wetting then rubbing it off from the back (hopefully leaving the image behind!) I then added a slight pink wash. I am happy to report that Alis was delighted.