Delayed entry!

Oh gosh its been months since I have posted
I worked all summer in doilys..time consuming and pretty...i found an appriciation for it as an art form. It was the show of skill for decades!

the Doily

I will admit it ..I am old fashioned and thus I have a soft spot for purely decorative needlework.Michael has been watching a lot of HGTV shows lately..and all that anyone wants lately is "clean and modern"...seems like the 80's all over again...I am a fondness for sheer curtains,tablecloths, and doilies ...I mean the point of these were to protect for furniture from scratching (and dust) and to show off the skills needed to create the intricate patterns...

the tan doily was actually from a book last holiday that made the work into art ( the doily being glued to canvas after it was done..and this  was a lot of fun to work on ( Michael started one also )..it does require a bit of Patience as every row changes ..but really its a repeat of the same thing ..and crochet thread leave a welt on your finger ...this was in bigger thread ..but I have worked with smaller and the big thread went fast ..I thought it turned out pretty nice !

and a starfish dishcloth/potholder..I love to make dishcloths they are fun and fast and the thick soft cotton is always nice after working on thinner yarn/thread..this was one of the free patterns that Lilly cotton put out each week.

I still have a shawl and pop top bag in progress ..but needed a change of pace ! ...

What 6 months can do

Well its been a half a year since I started this blog to show my goal of a new project a week ..this was inspired my Tats photo a day, Alex and Cori's blogs..in the meantime, Cori has moved, Alex has moved ( or actually she is moving today).. tat had to give up her facebook due to nasty hackers..and My hubby lost his job.whew ..all the changes are enough to wear me out  ....

so about 27 weeks late I had 39 completed projects ..including a few recipes , several unfinished Items, and lots of inspiration and ideas...

thank you to anyone who has followed along, I appreciate the feedback and support

so this week i took 3 days of vacation( plus weekend and holiday!)  and got a few things finished

Michael  and I went to Michael's on my bday and we saw Christmas yarn! ..we bought some of it and a pattern for Christmas dishcloths ( the pattern was free )..I mad one to get Michael excited about helping me make so early Xmas gifts...it was fairly easy..and even so I got so involved in watching TV I missed a picot stitch!  

I finished the 2nd panel of pop top purse #2..well almost finished ...look closely and you will see about 2 inches on the side not done ..i ran out of the black cording I need to complete...so next visit to wally world I can get it ..

I also found a fun Japanese pattern for a scarf that i wanted to try ..Michael had gotten me the yarn a year ago and I just now found the right project for it ! ..it has funny dangling puff stitches on the side that give it weight and movement ....

well my friends that is all I have for this week ..

something old something new

My latest Project was a new concept on an old request from Becca..

Years ago ( and here she would stress  MANY YEARS)

she asked me to make some painted panels for her to quilt .

The panels themselves appeared and disappeared for years ..

I knew what I wanted to paint ..just never got around to it ..

Since She has been so close and we have been walking several time a week,

 she again URGED me to finish this projects ..so finally ....two of the four panels

Sadly I have not painted much of the last few years ..but the didn't turn out too bad ....

After making the Fasciatior hat ..

I thought I would try and make a full size version ....

Becca had given me some grey wool.......and it seemed a good fit

I was working without a pattern and trying to gauge shrink during the hand felting process.

.and the brim is too wide to be a bowler ..but it is an attractive hat!

I had enough of the grey wool left and I had a heavy shawl pattern I was wanting to try

and I was noting similar shawls of the BBC production of  "larkrise to candelford"...

it is a huge yarn eater ....using 2 1/2 skeins of the red heart wool ! ....

its almost done, I am still working on the edging ..

but all the pics came out fuzzy and I was playing with the setting on my camera ..

but I am sure you get the gist ...

This week I said goodbye to my dear friend Alex ...

who got a wonderful opportunity in AZ....

I will miss being able to have coffee and visit face to face ,

but this is a great chance for Her to pursue a goal she set for herself .

Alex is an amazing cook, and is talented in so many areas, A real artist!..

Here are Alex,Michael,Tat and I

Alex gave me an early birthday present, beautifully wrapped in wonderful paper...a Tiffany coloring book and a hand glazed tile "coaster"....

that's all the projects for this week..I hope all of you take a moment to give your Friends and family hugs and tell them how much you appreciate them, in life people may leave ..to move across states or leave forever..but do let them know, before they are gone, what they mean to you ..

cheers!

Little things

My friend and walking partner Becca gave me 3 bags of assorted yarn recently,

there was a lot of acrylic

 ( and I am very fond of wool and silk)

so a lot of the yarn was shared with Jackie ( Michaels mom)

 ...however i did find this odd looking acrylic yarn ..It is the kind that used to be used for macrame ..

and I though..

Macrame plant hangers!..

My Nana used to make them when I was younger ..and I know she showed me how..

I just have to refresh my macrame skills ..

but to test out the yarn I made two little "baskets"

I love the idea of "hard "crochet ( where you crochet over other cords to  give strength)..

in this case... stiff yarn/smaller than normal hook/sturdy decorative stitch..

make up for the lack of additional cording .

The stitching over the cording is also the basis for Irish crochet

the organic nature of crochet makes the baskets a bit "wonky" but I like a bit of wonky

The Green Vase

I recently got a new craft book while at a community yard sale with Kelley ..it featured a nifty vase made of old magazine rolled into tubes and coiled ..and then saw another version while shopping with Tat and family

so this is so simple of a concept and the should have been easy..

should ..mind you...

just roll a bunch of coils and glue together!

OK

so the instructions did say it would take a lot  of them

I worked for several night rolling the tubes  

and then several more hrs flattening them ,rolling them and gluing them into place

in the long run I got something that was interesting , but not very pretty..and way more work than the result..But I did finish it ..this was rally a project for someone with no other things going or it would make a neat family project ...

the Great Cover Up

OK so Y'all have noticed the fixation with shawls, I think they are so pretty, lacy, floaty, and usable..or at least I think so...alas , I keep picking increasingly  more detailed and complicated designs., I like the challenge of learning a new pattern..and it keeps my hands busy while catching up on Desperate Housewives!

The Blue shawl above is one of my endless projects, it was pretty and fun to do , but my the last 2 inches of the project I was getting ancy to start the next project ! You can see from the slightly blurry photo above that Lilly cat was quite taken with it and decided to use it as a blankie!

I started on another shawl right after, with a pattern I saw in the book "crochet so fine" it had a flower border that I didn't like ...so I left it off..another pic where my flash washed out the beautiful color and it has a metallic sparkle behind it ..I made this one as a gift for my boss ( Lisa if you read my blog... act surprised !)

I thought I had posted the pic for Michael's pillow , but didn't see it ..this is just the top ..

I have 2 more projects in the works at the moment , another smaller pop top bag..and a vase made of paper..both of them are almost done ! ..

I started a pink mohair shawl last night also.....so many projects ..so little time!  

Pot holders

This week I tried a new pattern for a really pretty potholder!

OK so it kinda looks like something a grandma would make..I get that its not in every ones taste ..but heck its a potholder and not a piece of art work ..but I do think its kinda pretty and was really fun to make

 I also tried to make paper beads, I saw this at the destination art event, and saw some paper beads that Alex had made .I mean this was simple... just rolled up glued paper right? ...well I ended up with more glue on my hands and paper beads that would not behave ..I had the best intention of making a bunch of them to send to my mom..but they are so ....well lets just say... the pretty pack of paper I bought is being sent to basil to make cards with and I will go back to making fimo beads..but it was a good try!

 I had a bit of cotton yarn left from the pot holder ( and not enough to make another one of the same ) so I thought I would make a fancy dishcloth .....I love the silly looping chain st that runs from the center ,,but the silly thing will not stay flat...but it was fun to make anyway....

if anyone reading ever wants the link to any of the projects that I make I am glad to share ...just let me know !

the fascinator !

I am not sure if anyone else seemed as focused on hats from the royal wedding as I was ..
I love hats
my mom loved hats
and I have hats all over ..I usually wear my hats just for sun protection but I love them nonetheless

but I noticed a trend for small silly useless fascinator hats ..so I made one of my own, my friend David was working on a full size felted top hat, and I used the same concept to make a mini felted bowler..
before anyone asks, no I don't intend to wear it ..it is just art for arts sake ..but it is cute! 
I hand felted using microwaved hot water and a wooden spoon, and blocked over a vase

I also worked on a pillow for my Michael..I make stuff for everyone else but never for him so I found this pretty pillow and made him one ...the top was done in noro silver thaw..so all the pretty colors are part of the yarn..the back ( that I was still working on when I took the pic.) .is purple and olive....and its pretty too..alas I forgot to take a pic of the completed pillow ....

Happy Easter

so I couldn't resist making something for Easter

8 little eggs and a basket!....and our lillycat is so excited to show them off!

Kelley made some sure cute little bunnys that I will add a pic of later

from Kelley

The original pattern called for sock/fingering yarn, but I didn't have any in the colors that I wanted and I wanted to use yarn from my stash.  My bunnies are made out of Sugar 'n Cream cotton, I have LOTS of that hanging around in various colors.  I used size 6 DPN's.  I also made my ears longer, because 10 stitches just didn't look long enough.

I just like to add my bit of spring pep talk
the cycle of the seasons, and of renewal is continual..I get so exited about the miracle of plants coming to life ..of beautiful flowers and all the riot of colors ...may all of you have a chance to take a  sec this spring to look at all the beauty around you!
cheers!

ATC's

my new thing is artist trading cards
basically small works of art..in trading card size

now when I first looked into this I thought "oh how simple "
but getting images to grow and thrive in the small space is more than just shrinking down artwork
as I was creating the images I was thnking of the most impact with the shortest amount of visual scan time

so if ya didnt get all that I will take out all the jargon for you
the smaller the art the less time people look at it ...

so I wanted rich layered images..
alas there is no substance to them ...
they are just pretty
no story
no deeper visual meaning

I didnt really capture all the colors right with the photos ..
the last pic is the prototype of basils business card ..
but alas after scanning ..
it got wet..
Basil said it was maurice spilling the sambucca on it ..
I got one good scan for him and the cards were printed but I saved it just to show off

I double posted today to make up for my lack of posting this month!