Year-end balancing the books -craft wips

***2008***

was a good crochet year for
me so I thought I'd finish it
off by posting all my wips
as a statement that they would
indeed get done...eventually.

I only have 4... which I think is
a respectable number.

#1: Sew together the knitted horse
mum made me and also crochet
it's blanket of flowers.

#2: Finish the second %$#^&
knitted sock using dpn.

#3: Finish my applique

#4: Finish designing my crocheted
sheep teacosy

Happy New Year Everyone
I wish you health and happiness!!!

geekcrafts

I've been lucky to have had my works
show up on other craft sites and
just got the nod from geek crafts
for my south park amigurumi.
It's got everything from
Dr. Who to Mario to Star Wars
so check out this great site.

I'm still not happy with their eyes

I got tired of making Cartmans
so I switched to Kenny
(Xmas present for my youngest)
Working the head.



The two trouble makers.





Kenny is a bit unstable and
falls over easily.
Cartman needs his right
eye slid back up.
It must have been a rough
night for them both.

Link to South Park Afghan
Link to amigurumi Butters

A trio of French bears

Aren't these cute?



At first I thought that these were
needle felted.
They are actually made from
recycled wool sweaters.
The patterns are in the
December 08 Marie Claire Idees.
I really want to make these!

Barack Obama lives at my house

My oldest son asked for 2 books
written by Barack Obama
for Christmas so when I saw
this pattern I thought I'd
make it for him.



He's 2 1/2 inches tall which
is smaller than if you
followed the yarn and hook in
the pattern.
I decided to make him using
a dk weight yarn and 2.5 mm hook.
I also made him into a stuffed toy
instead of a puppet.
I think he would also look
cute as an ornament to mark
this historic event.
Here is the free pattern.
You just need to sign in to Lion Brand

Another knitted scarf

One of the wonderful things about the gorgeous
yarns that are available now is that even
a beginner knitter (that's definitely me)
can make a pretty scarf using
the simplist pattern.






 
This scarf is for my son's girlfriend and
as this is my first gift to her
I wanted it to be special.
It's a simple garter stitch
using 20 stitches on 15 inch needles.

The yarn is lovely,it is Lang's Mille Colori
and are stripes of deep chocolate browns with
amazing jewel purples and reds.

But what made this scarf come out so lovely
was the addition of a second thinner yarn
called Rowan kidsilk haze made from kid
mohair and silk. Not only does it add an
incredible softness to the scarf but
it also adds a slight shadowing affect
which unfortunately doesn't show
up in pictures.

One-Skein crochet scarf

I wanted to make a quick but nice present
for mum and I knew that
this scarf would fit the bill.
When rolled up it looks
like a perfect rose.



When worn it can be wrapped once
or several times around the neck.



1032 people (counting me)
have made it Ravelry's
most popular crochet project.
I used Paton's Classic Merino
and I would guess that
I used only 3/4 of a skein.
I've seen it made with acrylics
and expensive yarns and all
of them resulted in a very pretty scarf.

You can find the free pattern here
or in the Happy Hooker book.

Crocheted Ornaments-sweaters and skates

What fun it was to make these
mini sweaters!
They along with the little skates
were sent to Coltpixy
for a swap over at
Creative Living.


I love the sweater pattern
by Marci Senders.
She has done a great job not
only with the pattern but
also with a great tutorial
complete with step-by-step
pictures.
Thanks Marci!

I was also very happy with how
the little ice skates came out.
Thanks to Myra Ann Shaw
for a really cute pattern!
I'm planning on making
another pair but this time I will
make them into hockey skates
for my referee son.

Russian join- a technique for joining a new ball

I learned a wicked new way to join a new
ball of yarn without any tails to weave in;
it's called the Russion join.
I learned this technique from
a helpful clerk at Romni Wool
in Toronto.

Instead of posting a long winded how-to,
here is a great link with pictures.

When I used it on my scarf
it resulted in a strong invisible join
so I was very happy with the result.
To me it seemed to take less time
than weaving in ends and
the result is much cleaner.

Since I'm such a novice knitter
I'm not surprised that I haven't
come across this before
but......

My question is,
Why is it that I'm not seeing
crocheters using this technique?

Tagged

I've been tagged by amber
at Crafty all over the place
so here goes...

7 Random Things about sukigirl
---------------------

1. When I was around 5, I almost drowned in a pool,
but being the clever red headed girl that I was,
I wore my hair in a lovely ponytail...perfect for my mum to pull me out of the water.

2. I have painted my work space the brightest pink
so that my male family won't venture inside my space.
Sometimes it gets a bit much for me, but we all know
that we have to suffer for our art.

3. I still regret having to tell my son that there was no Santa Claus. He told me that all his friends didn't believe in him and asked me to be honest.
I was ..and he cried ....and it broke my heart.
4. My hubby and 2 sons have no idea that I have manipulated them into choosing female pets only. I do this in an attempt to preserve the estrogen balance in the house.

5. When I was 7 years old my brother and I were picked to be the King and Queen of the London Fair. We got our picture in the paper, a free teddy bear (which I still have after many, many years), lunch with the fair president and a bucket load of tickets for rides.
I think of it as my greatest achievement.

6. When I was 7, I also slipped on our back step and the back of my dress got caught on the clothesline hook and I hung there for about an hour before my mum
came to rescue me.
It was, of course, one of my lesser achievements.

7. That despite how #2 and #4 sounds, my family is my greatest joy!

As far as tagging, .....most of the blogs I visit have done the tag thing so I'll bend the rules and just list 7 sites.

1.LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this site attic24

2. If I could only visit one it would be Craftzine

3. She is so talented, I wish she would post more
coltpixy
4.Crochet Liberation Front
I belong to this subversive group on Ravelry.
Yes, the words crochet and subversive can be used together.

5. I just discovered this one and I'm really enjoying
the mix of crochet and sewing projects.
My cuppa'charms

6. I've picked up some great recipes from here.. smitten kitchen

7. future girl
Great designs, tutorials and craft book reviews

A crochet rat for Rosie

My niece Rosie lost both her rats
this past year.
I decided to make her one for Christmas
using a great pattern
by planetjune at etsy.



He is about the size of her own rats.
Let me just say that it is very difficult
to photograph a black rat.

And you know the expression that
the camera adds 10 pounds.
It happens to rats too.





I never thought that I'd be crocheting a rat.

Amigurumi Cartman in Crochet

He's 3 1/2 inches tall and is a
Christmas present for my son.
I bought the pattern from
La Fe Crochette at etsy.

Link to South Park afghan
Link to amigurumi Butters
Link to amigurumi Kenny

Standoff

The squirrel wants to get to my
bird feeder which is on the
other side of this kestrel.
Pretty fearless I would say
considering that the hawk is
feeding on a bird that was
at that same feeder.

A fast knit

I wanted to make friends with
knitting again so I knit
up a quick scarf for hubby.
The yarn is beautiful and soft.
Jaspe Wool from Romania
The Romanian part sounded right as
hubby has a Romanian grandmother.
Size 15 needles, 15 stitches
in garter stitch.
I started and finished in one evening.

The pain of double pointed needles

I know when to quit and
count my losses.
It's not like I didn't give
dpns a fair shot.
My first sock went relatively
well and it was great
having my mum here helping me.

Today I sat myself down to
what I thought would be a nice
quiet morning working
on the second sock.
But I soon came to the realization
that working with those needles
was making me hate knitting.

So I am formally banishing them.

Jack from Nightmare Before Christmas crochet pattern

This is a pattern for Jack's head only.

It is basically just a sphere.

I ended up using felt for the eyes and the
mouth stitching, although I do give you
a pattern for crochet eyes.

This pattern is untested so
let me know if you
have any problems.
(Also see link to
Zero's pattern by Mishymishy)

I used a size 5 mm hook and worsted weight acrylic.
Gauge: 5 sc = 1 inch
4 rows = 1 inch
the circumference for mine was 27 in.
This head is worked in spirals.

Place a marker at the end of each round
moving it as you work.

Ch 2
Rnd 1: Work 6 sc into second chain from hook,
join with sl st to form a circle. (6 sc)

-->Rnd 2: Work 2 sc in each sc around. (12 sc)
Rnd 3: Work [sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc]
repeat around. (18 sc)
Rnd 4: Work [sc in each of next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (24 sc)
Rnd 5: Work [sc in each of next 3 sc, 2sc in next sc]
rep around. (30 sc)
Rnd 6: Work [sc in each of next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (36 sc)
Rnd 7: Work [sc in each of next 5 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (42 sc)
Rnd 8: Work [sc in each of next 6 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (48 sc)
Rnd 9: Work [sc in each of next 7 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (54 sc)
Rnd 10: Work [sc in each of next 8 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (60 sc)
Rnd 11: Work [sc in each of next 9 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (66 sc)
Rnd 12: Work [sc in each of next 10 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (72 sc)Rnd 13: Work [sc in each of next 11 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (78 sc)
Rnd 14: Work [sc in each of next 12 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (84 sc)
Rnd 15: Work [sc in each of next 13 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (90 sc)Rnd 16: Work [sc in each of next 14 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (96 sc)
Rnd 17: Work [sc in each of next 15 sc, 2 sc in next sc]
rep around. (102 sc)
Rnd 18--39: Work even. ((102 sc)Rnd 40: Work [sc in each of next 15 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc] rep around. (96 sc)
Rnd 41: Work [sc in each of next 14 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc] rep around. (90 sc)
Rnd 42: Work [sc in each of next 13 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc] rep around. (84 sc)
Rnd 43: Work [sc in each of next 12 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc] rep around. (78 sc)
Rnd 44: Work [sc in each of next 11 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc] rep around. (72 sc)Rnd 45: Work [sc in each of next 10 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc] rep around. (66 sc)
Rnd 46: Work [sc in each of next 9 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc]
rep around. (60 sc)
Rnd 47: Work [sc in each of next 8 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc]
rep around. (54 sc)Rnd 48: Work [sc in each of next 7 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc]
rep around. (48 sc)Rnd 49: Work [sc in each of next 6 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc]
rep around. (42 sc)Rnd 50: Work [sc in each of next 5 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc]
rep around. (36 sc)
Rnd 51: Work [sc in each of next 4 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc]
rep around. (30 sc)Rnd 52: Work [sc in each of next 3 sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 sc]
rep around. (24 sc)
Bind off.This still should leave a large enough opening to stuff the head.
Eyes: (Make 2).
Row 1: Work 6sc into a magic circle, join, tighten and ch 1 (6 st)
Rw 2: Work 2sc in each sc, join, ch 1 (12 st)
Rw 3: [Work 2sc in each of next 3 sc, 2 dc in each of next 3 sc ]
twice, join (24 st)
If you feel you want a larger eye add a round of sc.
Using photo complete face using your choice of felt
or embroidery.

Babette crochet afghan

I've always wanted to make a babette
afghan and decided this would be the
winter to start on it.
But first I looked
through my old craft books
to see some of the 70's versions
of the granny afghan.
This lovely example is from BHG
Crocheting and Knitting 1978



Not quite an afghan but still a
wonderful example of grannys
in this pillow from
McCall's Crochet Treasury 1977


Here is a link to some modern afghans
known as babettes.

It may take me a while to pick
out my colours and also decide
if I will follow the babette pattern or
just do my own thing.
But it is a project which I'm
really looking forward
to starting.

Crochet sheep cozy

Not much to look at now but this is
my attempt at designing a sheep's
head for a tea cozy.

It is a little wider than my sketch
because it is amigurumi style
so when I add a bit of stuffing
it should be the right width.
Patons SWS charcoal colour
using a 4.5mm hook.

Granny Square jacket

Here's today's vintage image:

It is from a 1980 magazine called
Christmas Ideas
put out by
Better Homes and Gardens Creative Ideas
It is made with 42 granny squares (2 1/2 in)
for the back, 20 for each front,
and 30 for each sleeve,with simple edgings added for
the colour, cuffs and bottom.

Nightmare before Christmas (crochet)

Since my family all love the movie
we thought it would be great for this
year's Halloween theme.



I think he'll look great hanging in
the dark with a spotlight hitting him.
I made Zero from this great pattern.

Jack is next and should be
quite easy to make.
I'll crochet his head and pop it over my skeleton
and then make his clothes.

Crocheted Christmas Garland

I've made two of these garlands and I am
starting one for myself.

Poor little gingerbread boy!
He needs a candy cane crutch.

How to make Coffee Cozies

Beginner Cup Cozies
by sukigirl74

I made up the pattern for these cozies for a swap
and I wanted to share it.

Please note that all content and images are mine and are protected by
copyright.I love to share my patterns but, as usual, please do not claim them as your own or publish my patterns on your site without my permission ....you are more than welcome to link to it. Do not sell any items made from this pattern. Also I ask that you credit me as the designer when posting your pics of any items you make. 


Please read all notes before starting because
all mugs are not created equal.
I give row counts for my particular mug
but I do tell you in my instructions
how to adjust to fit your own mug(in red).
I've given you the basics but this
is an easy pattern so have fun with it.
This pattern has now been tested but please let
me know if you find any errors.

Note:
Chain 2's at the beginning of each row count as a stitch.
When making rounds, place a marker in the second chain
so that it will be easy to know where to join with a slip stitch.

Pattern: starting from bottom
Row 1: Crochet enough chains to fit snuggly around.
the base of the cup, then join with a sl stitch (27 st)
(being careful not to twist chain).
Row 2-3: Ch2, hdc into each st around.
Join with a slip st.(27 st)
(Make as many rows that will take you to just below your handle).

Handle Rows:
(For these rows you will be working back and forth so you will not join.)
Row 4-7: Ch 2, turn work, hdc into each stitch but leave some stitches at the
end unworked (for handle)
(For your mug make enough rows to reach the handle hole.)
Row 8: Ch2, turn, work, hdc into each stitch of previous row, ch 8.
Row 9: Ch2, turn work. Starting in 3rd ch, hdc into each chain and
into each hdc of the previous row.
Row 10-: Ch2, turn. Work hdc into each stitch of previous row.
(For your mug, make as many rows to take you about halfway up the
hole of the handle and end with your last row as a wrong side row. A wrong
side row will mean that you will end NOT at the tab end.)

Buttonhole row:Row 11: Ch 2, turn.
Hdc into all but last 4 stitches, then ch2 (forms button hole), skip 2, hdc into
last 2 stitches.
Row 12: Ch 2, turn. Work hdc into each stitch
[including the 2 buttonhole chains (from row 11)].
Row 13-: Ch 2, turn. Work hdc into each stitch.
(For your mug, repeat Row 13 until it reaches bottom of your handle top).
Decorative edgingRow 14: Turn, skip first stitch *3 hdc into next stitch, slip stitch in next*
Repeat from * to * until end of row.
(Optional: when you get to the part that lies under the cup handle you can
slip stitch over these stitches. See blue arrow below).

Sew on button using the same yarn and you are done.
Please note that all content and images are mine and are protected by
copyright.
I love to share my patterns but, as usual, please do not claim them as your own or publish my patterns on your site without my permission ....you are more than welcome to link to it. Do not sell any items made from this pattern. Also I ask that you credit me as the designer when posting your pics of any items you make.

Lovely embroidered owls from vintage book

I'm lucky to be able to find a lot
of vintage craft books from our 
library and from second hand stores,
mostly from the 70's and 80's.

This book I own, 
it's called Needleplay by Erica Wilson
printed in 1975.
Most are made using rug yarn.
I'm in love with the owl
at the bottom left!
But also look at those flowers!

Fabric crochet hook case

I sewed this as part of a swap over at
Creative living
Rach, who I made this for,
makes lovely, lacy things with teeny,
tiny hooks and thread.

The fabric looks very similar to one she
picked as a favourite over at Flickr.
I would love to have included wool felt
in her case but it is impossible to get here.
I really have to order it online someday.

I don't know if you can see it but
there are little squirrels and mushrooms
in the fabric.
So I was thrilled when I found the acorn buttons.
I made the flower out of the same fabric
and added a vintage button to its centre.

Owls and colts and tea... Oh my!

I was involved in a swap over 
and received a wonderful package
of handmade goodies from Star.


She knows that I love owls,
am learning to knit,
that I love tea and that
I went to Paris this summer.
How spoiled am I!
Everything is gorgeous..
from my very cool owl potholder,
to my stitch markers, to my tin magnets.


This is what I sent to her.
Star is a great believer of making
lists (she's such an organized woman!)
so I made fabric covers
for 2 small notebooks.
One fabric has flowers and the
other has colts which is part
of her username.
The wristwarmers are to keep
her warm on her daily walks with Reba
on cooler days
and the cozy is for her morning
coffee which, lets face it,
we can't function without.


 
Thanks for the wonderful swap Star!

A needlepoint with a few problems

This was supposed to be part of a swap project
for a good friend but I decided not
to finish it. It was to be a pincushion,
with a needlepoint on one side
and fabric for pins on the other side.
It all started really well.....
The design was based on her avatar.

I started stitching the bird and flower first and
I was happy with them. But the background white
caused problems for me,
I used a larger stitch and my tension
turned out to be too tight,
which badly skewed the whole canvas.
When I blocked it, it squared up a bit but
the tension was still too tight.

But I think I learned from my mistakes.
Next time I will use a frame and
keep all of my stitches the same size.
I'll also relax my tension
(maybe with the aid of a glass of wine).
I would really like to have another crack at
this because I do think it could be a
pretty little project if done well.

Crocheted wristwarmers for cooler weather

I love these wristwarmers!
They just tuck under your sleeves for
extra warmth.
They are perfect for fall weather when it isn't
cold enough for gloves but still a bit chilly.
I crocheted them from this wonderful free
pattern by Melissa Mall from Inner Child Crochet.



These are made from a wool soy blend
which is incredibly soft!
I was going to embellish them but
since the recipients don't live nearby,
I wouldn't be able to match any
colours they have in their coat.

Learning to crochet using Japanese charts

I've seen so many cool patterns online

in chart form but I really didn't
know how to read them.
So I decided to sit myself down
and figure it out.
I first picked a pattern that had
both a chart and written instructions.
I chose a pattern that I knew
I would normally be able
to crochet fairly easily.
I then made a photocopy of the
pattern so that I could mark
off each row as I made it.



I also made sure it had a
chart listing each symbol and
it's corresponding stitch.



I then tried to figure out the first row
by ONLY looking at the chart.
I then went to the written instructions
to see if I got it right.
From then on I pretended that
I only had the chart and worked hard
to figure each row out.
The only time I would look at the
written instr. would be if
I was absolutely stuck.
Once you get the hang of it
it is quite easy.
It's wonderful to be able to SEE
which stitch goes where.

Crocheted capelet

It rained yesterday so I decided to
finish this capelet.
I'm really happy with it!
I can't quite figure out
what type of top to wear with it.
It is sort of a fall/spring type
of garment...definitely not for summer.

The colour in the pic is wrong.
This link shows it truer.
I will definitely make another
probably in a nicer yarn.
Oh, and it also only took 2 skeins.

Here is a link to the beautifully
written and easy pattern.



Update: I have since frogged this.
The yarn wasn't the nicest.

Panforte=happiness

I pity the fool that has never eaten panforte.
Okay, maybe that is a little strong... but just a little.
The lovely city of Siena, Italy might be famous for
the incredible horse race known as the Palio,
but for me it's famous for this amazing dessert!
I'd even take this over Italian gelato which
is saying a lot!

It's hard to describe but it is closest to a fruitcake
(in texture only)..I happen to HATE fruitcake
so I hate even typing that word.
It has honey, almonds, pepper, cocoa
and spices. Mmnnnn!
It comes in a few different flavours
but chocolate and the famous panpepato
(pepper to us) are my favourites.

Each time I am lucky enough to visit Siena
I bring back as much as I possibly can.
Then I savour each slice with a good strong
cup of Italian coffee knowing that
my precious supply is dwindling.

Even the package is beautiful!

Patchwork Comforter

[Originally uploaded by
Heath & the B.L.T boys]

I came across this on flickr
and it brought a flood of memories back to me!


It is from the Better Homes & Gardens Patchwork & Quilting Book of 1977.
I'm pretty sure my sister and I saw this article years earlier published

in their magazine and as soon as we
saw it we knew we had to make one for mum.

Ours was made from crazy shades of green
and,week after week, we secretly worked on it
at my sister's apartment
which was above a small grocery store.

I'm surprised that we even finished ours on time

because of course it took so much longer
than we ever expected but we stuck with it
until it was finished.
I'm not sure how much my mum actually liked the
look of the comforter itself but we thought it
was the coolest thing we had ever done!

I have no idea what happened to it,
I don't even have a picture of it
but the memory of making it with my
sister still remains clear!

Life lessons from a dog

It's a hot August day today and the air conditioning is cranking away and I start to think of winter.
It's usually the other way around, when I'm sick and tired of shoveling the snow and trying not to skid my car on icy roads....that I think ahead to sunshine and heat.

Stupid, isn't it, not to be able to live in the moment!

I think I could learn some life lessons from my
beautiful border collie/lab mix.
Her name is Comet and she is the sweetest dog that I've ever met!
She is the type of dog who will turn down food for affection and she greets visitors by leaning her whole
body into them..her version of a body hug.

During the warmer months she sits out on the
cool grass for hours watching birds fly
and bugs crawl..she seems fascinated
by nature.

In the winter, no matter how cold it is
she tears across the fresh snow , dipping her nose
as she goes, breathing in life.

She is teaching me to breathe in life!

Beginner's Knitted Sock

This is my second knitted project
(first was a washcloth)..
Maintaining even tension on the edges of
the DPN's were difficult but since this is
my first try I think I did well enough.
The second sock is on hold until I make
some swap items.
Hopefully I don't forget everything
that I learned!

Usually I learn a craft by reading books
so it was nice learning this with my mum
(she was visiting when I did this
and acted as my backup!)
Thanks Mum!

vintage embroidery

I picked these up at a thrift shop for a buck a piece.
I hesitated buying these because I wasn't sure if
I really liked them.
Well they have definitely grown on me
and for now they will hang in my workspace but
I would eventually like to use them as elements
in a larger piece...maybe tone down
the orange a wee bit?
I really love the embroidery on the dresses!

WIP capelet

This is the first garment
that I have ever tackled in crochet.
I found the free pattern on Craftster through Ravelry
and so far I am loving it.
It is totally beginner friendly and really easy
to adapt to your own size.
In fact I randomly pulled out the biggest hook (N)
that I had and some pale green worsted yarn
from my stash just to see if
I could figure out the pattern.
I really expected it to be way off in the sizing and
that I would frog it back
but so far it is fitting me beautifully!
(In the picture the one side is just pulled
down lower....the sides are
in reality even.)

Crocheted Santas waiting for Christmas

I wanted to work on a project on my holidays that was
small enough to easily fit into my suitcase.
I also wanted something silly to crochet in
the heat of Italy so this fit the bill.
All I had to do when I got back home was put stuffing
in them and take their picture.

The middle one is to be the first Santa in a garland
of non-traditional Santas.

Birds of a Feather

#1 www.flickr.com/photos/harthillfarm/2408794822/
#2 www.flickr.com/photos/11878641@N00/149535249/
#3 www.flickr.com/photos/florenceforrest/277299308/
#4 www.flickr.com/photos/23472119@N06/2270626220/
#5 www.flickr.com/photos/lovely_textiles/418687556/
#6 www.flickr.com/photos/mmmfruit/149314422/
#7 www.flickr.com/photos/panash/2436669310/
#8 www.flickr.com/photos/andreasee/155260587/
#9 www.flickr.com/photos/22609510@N03/2510847937/

Birds are on my mind, and in my house.

A few weeks back I had my back door
open, enjoying the warm weather when 2 large robins decided to fly in and visit me.
You have no idea how big robins actually are until you
have them flapping around your room..in a blind panic, tossing themselves against walls and windows.

My two dogs, happy that their master had provided them with a fun new game
started to bark and lunge at them.
That put me into full panic mode!
I did eventually manage to
get my canines out and away from the birds.

I decided to stay in the next room to let the robins settle
down and after a few moments one even perched on the back of my comfy chair.
For a few minutes we each sat perfectly still, content to just look at one another.
It was a perfect moment.
After a while I looked over to see
what robin #2 was up to.
I could see it quietly sitting on the window sill and then I happened to glance
over to see my cat, who I had totally forgotten about,
staring at it, in full hunting mode.

To make a long story short, my high-pitched shriek somehow got my cat to retreat and the robins eventually found their way back out through the door.

No I didn't think to get my camera, but that image of the robin sitting
on the back of my favourite chair watching me is one that I won't ever forget.
I've been thinking of somehow
creating that moment in fabric.
But for now here are some lovely birds from some very talented crafters
...who knows what stories led to their creations!

Italian Dragon

Italian Dragon
Originally uploaded by sukigirl74

This dragon sat above a busy street corner in Venice. I stood and watched the crowds as they passed this corner and almost no one looked up, they simply walked by without noticing this lovely creature.

I was never at this corner at night but I imagine that
the umbrellas are street lamps.

Italian Door knocker

DSC01237
Originally uploaded by sukigirl74

I love European door knockers and this is one of my favourites so far!
It is from a lovely town called San Gimignano in Tuscany and was one of a pair which hung on a set of huge wooden doors.
A while back I posted this one, also Italian.

Italian women

Tomorrow I'm headed to my favourite place in the world...Italy.
I started thinking about some of the women I have seen there.

This is Galatea, the sea nymph who I also visited here in France.

This is one of the many beautiful Annunciation paintings.
 

A beautiful door knocker...

I hadn't realized, until my good friend Colt-pixy told me,
that this is probably Medusa.
Obviously this is not meant as a welcome.

This woman is glazed into a small tile.

Frenchy bag...Amy Butler

I'm totally in love with my new bag.

It's the first bag that I've sewn and the first time I've used Amy Butler fabric and there's no turning back now!

A couple months ago I literally dusted off my old sewing machine to make my niece some bibs for her new baby. It felt so good sewing those few items that I thought why not try something else. So I went on flickr and naively searched 'sewing' thinking that a few hundred results would pop up......more like 250,000!

One style of bag caught my eye, the Frenchy bag, and by coincidence it was a pattern made by, no other than Amy Butler.
It is a wonderfully well designed pattern and I found it very easy to put together, I'd recommend it for anyone who has some sewing experience.

A smaller handbag version is also included in the pattern and I'm definitely looking forward to sewing it.
Fabric names: green nouveau trees from her midwest modern collection and blue gothic rose from her Belle collection.

Second afghan

I finished the second one.
Exactly the same except this one has a larger border.
I'm afraid to say it but I am very tired of making these guys!

Japanese pouch

Japanese pouch
Originally uploaded by sukigirl74

I’ve been meaning to post this little Japanese pouch (made from a kit) for ages.

It is basically a crocheted hat-like roof

with three pieces of felt (2 circles and 1 long rectangle) that form the base.

Then some basic embroidery and a zipper.
The roof is stuffed; the base isn’t and forms the pouch for coins.

There are tons of permutations (yes I enjoyed math as a kid)…substitute knitting for crochet, fabric for yarn, hand felted instead of acrylic, etc.
If you make the base higher and insert a can you would have a cute container…
the roof would form the lid.

I’m thinking of making one that has no bottom and is unstuffed and larger and would fit over a teapot.
Voila….a teacosy.
Or make it smaller and pop it over a soft boiled egg to make an egg cosy
(how cute would that be!).

You can make it as simple or complicated as you like.
I hope it gives you ideas and please let me know what you think.

The Luxembourg Garden in Paris

I saw this lovely fountain in the Luxembourg Garden
in Paris and instantly fell in love with it.
Who were these lovers and why was the god
who hovered above them unhappy
....no doubt he wanted her for himself.
A little research and I found out a few things...

The god was in fact not a god, but a cyclop
named Polypheme who was
indeed in love with the lovely sea-nymph Galatea.
But Galatea, as fate would have it,
only had eyes for Acis and the
giant Polyphemus pushed a boulder, killing Acis.
In sorrow Galatea
turned her dead lover's blood into the river Acis.