Hearts galore

This time of year, I always think of hearts.  Hearts in felted wool are particularly lovely.  I'm trying some new techniques.  Machine quilting on the felt give is texture and pattern.  My default machine quilting style is small and scrolling.  What could be better for hearts?  I think I"ll continue to work on integrating machine quilting into felted projects.  

I'm still loving the embellment possibilities with #5 pearl cotton.  The Drizzle stich around the red heart above is a work in process.  In this red and turquoise piece I also tried cut away applique.  I stitched the outline of the red heart on the wrong side, then turned it over and cut away the turquoise felt to let the red peep through.  Adding another layer of turquoise felt to the back and machine stitching around it, left the impression of trapunto work.   Not sure how this piece will end up - maybe a pillow top or framed.  

My palette this year is full of clear pure colors - turquoise, red and cream.  

I also tried edging some felt with zipper pieces.  These were repurposed from an old pair of jeans .  (The jeans that were transformed into a gardening apron with pockets strong enough to stand up to prunners and other garden implements.) I like the look the zippers add.  There are some beautiful pieces already sold on Etsy, so for now, this is just for fun....but I did buy more zipper by the yard, so a few more projects are ahead.  I assembled it based on my best guess and whipstitched the zipper to the edges of the felt.  It would be interesting to see if there are other approaches.