"WINTER SLEIGH RIDE"

One of my newest hobbies is wool applique . . . something that I've only been working with for the past year and a half.  On my first visit to a quilt show, I fell in love with the bundles of beautiful wool that some of the vendors offered, and I was determined to be able to use them.  My only dread was that I have never, ever wanted anything to do with a needle and thread.  Needless to say, I have learned a lot during the past year and a half, and I now have quite a selection of threads and even a small stash of beautiful wool.  The piece pictured here was first seen at a quilt show earlier this year, and my mother commented that it was something that my daddy would probably love.  And so began the process of ordering the kit and then completing it.  My first thought was to give this to daddy for his birthday in April, but I soon realized that that plan was a bit too ambitious--it's approximately 13.5" x 37".  My piece is not without mistakes, but that's the thing about wool applique . . . it is so forgiving!  This design, Winter Sleigh Ride by Jan Mott/Crane Designs, is part of her panoramic four seasons series and they are all four gorgeous!  One thing that I had to add to the design was the cute little dog.  The kit that I received for this project didn't have one long "snow" piece, so my mother had to sew two short pieces together, and the dog (designed by my son) was an adorable cover-up for those stitches.  Upon completing the project, I had it framed and presented it to my dad on Father's Day.  My mother, who sews and quilts, has helped me tremendously, and it's been kind of fun since March to walk past the living room in their home knowing that this piece would eventually hang above their fireplace--while daddy had no idea that mother and I had secret plans for that blank space.