Hello all

I have started on the second stage of the quilt, it is now ready for wetting down when I get the time.  I'm afraid dancing has got in the way of it this week, and with my parents away on a little holiday, I am taking care of their garden and fish, which means a little extra than 107 kms round trip each day that I do when I go to work.  It sits there on the table, waiting patiently for more attention.

The first panel, when I used the prefelts, I did happen to use some felt that was more than just prefelt, and some did not adhere, so I have been utilising my felting needles and getting them to stick down.  Then I will wet felt the whole thing again.  Some of the spots in the whole fabric are a little soft.  It is hard to get everything since it is so large.  I had a catastrophe when using the Sander too - it went bang and shattered the piece of cast that was somewhere inside it.  I went out in a couple of days and purchased another bigger one, but still cheap.

I am learning heaps about this quilt as I go along.  Better methods mean that each time I use a prefelt, I have to brush the back of it to rough it up a little.  It will help it to adhere to the base more, I hope.  Each panel is different - I did not want it to be all uniform like a normal sewn patchwork quilt.  I just hope that it turns out okay in the end, after it is all put together.  I will have to stand right back when I hang it on the wall, to get a nice picture of it when complete, to get it all in.

Allison----I get most of my silk form Treetops Harmonies, which is Nancy Ballesteros, and some from Helen O'Neill.  They are both over here in Perth - Helen only lives a few Kms from me.  They both do a wonderful job at the dyeing, both unique colours, so it is good to be able to have both to get a variety.

Nancy also sells it by the metre (silk Chiffon) and so does Helen, I think.  I also got some through FeltWEST when they purchased a bulk lot.  I am not sure where that came from.

Happy feltmaking to you all

Julie Williams

Jaruleeli FeltART

Chelsea Gardens, Parmelia, Western Australia