
What are a few of our favorite things here at Quince & Quire?
Let's see: deep, intense colors; soft natural fibers; delicate, intricate patterns; folkloric motifs; handmade excellence; beauty and utility working in harmony.
In short: the work of Cheryl Patterson of FeltSewGood.
Cheryl is a talented sewist and craftswoman from Indiana. I happened upon her shop about one year ago, when I purchased the ochre heart ornament pictured above. (You can see that since then, my heart ornament collection has grown by two!) I was so taken with the quality of Cheryl's work that I ordered one of her handbags, a merino wool aubergine "Jasper" shoulder bag. I was thrilled with it as well: beautifully styled, carefully lined, expertly sewn. Best of all, each lovely item was made from thrifted, upcycled wool sweaters.
Cheryl spoke with me a little bit about her work and her shop, FeltSewGood.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I live in central Indiana with my husband and three Burmese cats. Of course I love sewing, and almost any kind of crafting, but also cooking and gardening. And I love scouting for antiques, and flea market and thrift shop treasures, which fits right in with making my FeltSewGood items from upcycled wool.
Your sewing skills are impeccable. How did you learn?
My maternal Grandmother was a sewing teacher, so I started early asking for a needle and thread to try to hand sew doll clothes. We didn't live in the same city as my grandparents, and I didn't get to spend a lot of time sewing with her, but I always liked that we had that in common. I have taken a few sewing classes over the years and I'm of the age when we took sewing in "Home Education" in the 8th grade!
Has there been anyone in your life who served as an inspiration or mentor in your craft?
My Grandmother.
Your items are made from reclaimed felted wool. What do you enjoy most about working with upcycled materials?
I love the challenge of finding the materials and then coming up with just the right use for each sweater or item of clothing. Since I work with mostly found "as is" items, I don't have much control over the color, texture or how much an item shrinks when "felted," but to me that's the fun part!

I am delighted to tell you that Cheryl has kindly offered a heart ornament, pictured above, as a giveaway. It is crafted from red and green felted wool, with hand-embroidered designs and a vintage button. Just leave a comment at the end of this post by 11pm EST Friday, December 11th. I'll choose the winner at random. If you'd like, tell us in your comment how you re-use or upcycle materials in your crafting. Thanks, Cheryl!
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In addition, I hope you will all consider contributing a handmade ornament of your own to a very special project that Nicole, of the lovely blog GardenMama, has started. Please visit her new site, The Wellness Tree, to read about and support a remarkable woman who is battling breast cancer.