The Second Memorial Quilt for Lori P Plus a Bonus Gift from Leftovers

Amanda P commissioned two memorial quilts from her mother's clothes, one for her sister and one for herself. I did the first one back in early December so it could be mailed off in time for Christmas. I just finished the second one. It went a lot smoother as I knew what I was doing this time (lol). Amazing how that happens.

Finished size about 34"x34".

I made this rug as a bonus from leftover t-shirt scraps and jeans strips.  I have another one started from the leftovers from the Tennessee memorial quilt also.

All Hail the MIghty Cow Hat and why I'm in a snit

You know what I hate? I hate when my friend whose upstairs apartment I live in comes up and says "Oh you didn't work today?" Uhm I made an awesome cow hat- why isn't that work? I think a better way to put it would be to say "Oh you didn't go to Champaign today?" I am always working when I am home. If you could see the piles/mounds/mountains of art I produce you would most likely nod in agreement. But I do believe in her mind if I do not physically leave the house and travel somewhere I am not working. Why do I let this bother me? Good question Rebecca, good question.

Cow hat pattern by RepeatCrafterMe- I also adapted the owl hat from her pattern-  Headbands/Warmers pattern by TheVelvetAcorn

Another Art Journal Page. Yes the fun just keeps on coming

I go from one thing to the next in my art. I always have. Six months crocheting, three weeks using watercolors, a month and a half cutting crazy quilt fabrics. 

Right now it's my big mixed media art journal. Love it love it love it.

And crocheting of course. This hat is for a friend in Boulder CO for his grandson. He sent me one of his hand blown glass ornaments as a barter

It's the purple thing in front of the encrusted chest.

Creating Order from Chaos- The Unexpected Dishcloth Post

This past holiday season my friend, Laura, asked me a couple of times to make her some dishcloths in pastels to put in a bath type gift basket. I kept insisting that I didn't have those colors of cotton yarns but she could buy the yarn and I'd do it. I didn't hear back from her and the thought went the way of most things- right out of my mind.

I was cleaning/consolidating some of my craft supplies in anticipation of my big move to my own space (I'll miss my little pink room here but YAY! STUDIO!) when inspiration struck. Why not make my own dishcloth cotton yarn from the massive amount of crochet thread I bought over the summer? I was going to donate a bunch of it to the Yarn and Yak knitting group at the library but the more I looked at it the more I thought "This could work".

I ended up with a nice pile of dishcloth yarn, found an easily memorized pattern and made three lavender cloths in very short order. I got one big 30 gallon garbage bag of thread down to a 13 gallon bag (along with some owl hat yarn even). I still plan on donating another 13 gallon bag full to the knitting group. That still leaves me 362761473891643789154 skeins of yarn and balls of crochet thread so I think I'll be okay for a few months.

What I bought for $100 this summer

Pattern found at http://www.bestfreecrochet.com/2011/11/24/328-camo-print-dishcloth-maggie-weldon-maggies-crochet/

I still managed to let this thread and yarn go to the knitting group.

Knitting a dishcloth takes sooooooooooo much longer than crocheting one.

I took some yarn to my new place. Still have the bag of 100% wool here and whatever else is out in the shed. I plan on treasure hunting after lunch.

A Little Facebook Challenge

My Pond friends Beth and Chrissy and I were talking about a crocheted cowl pattern that Bethie posted to my Facebook. I decided to see if could make one in an hour like the gal had said in the link.

I clicked on the Lion Brand website to get the pattern. OK looks easy enough.  But wait...a size P hook?!? I ain't got no size P hook! I dug through my other crochet hooks, the wooden ones until I found the biggest one.

  Next I dug through the bulky yarn stash. I had some of Thick n Quick but not enough to make the cowl so I grabbed the ball of teal. 

After a quick swatch I realized it wasn't bulky enough so I added a strand of Yellow Gold.

I set the Timer and away I went!

45 minutes later it was done!

I apologize for the Green Bay colors lol.

Trying to Get a Plan

Wow what a week! The orders came in along with the cold weather. I added more items in my online stores, took a day off to go to Springfield and tried again to clean my room (fail). Here's what I am working on:

1. Three slouch beanies to go to Canada (eh) I did the prototypes and while I thought they would just take those nooooooooooooooo they want black acrylic. Eeeek!
2. No less than 6 owl hats for adults
3. Making pins from flowers I have been doing from scrap yarns (see pics)
4. A pink and black crochet hat with a large flower for Sharie's grand daughter
5. More black and orange doilies (see pics)

That's about it and trust me that's enough. I'm thinking two weeks at least.

Owl Hats

I used to make doofy hats. Now I make owl hats. The times they are a changing. 

Hats for sale in my Artfire shop over there>>>>>>>>>>>

Or just leave me a comment here and I'll get back to you.

100 Days of Doilies Day 100

Wow I did it! 100 Days of doilies, some old some new, some tattered and torn. I am finishing up with the piece I use as my blog header.

I bought this at a second hand store soon after I moved back to Illinois. I paid $3. It was probably intended to be alter lace or at least an edge on a runner of some sort. I adore it.

Tomorrow I will do a giveaway of one of the doilies featured here over the past 100 days. Grab the kids and tell the neighbors!!!

100 Days of Doilies Day 99

See how easy it is to get off your carefully crafted schedule? I totally forgot to post yesterday AGAIN!

The next to the last doily in this series is one of my favs! It's another wedding cake lace this time in burgundy and ecru. Yummy!

On another note, I started an Artfire shop. You can see it by clicking over there>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

100 Days of Doilies Day 98

Well that was fun (not). Nothing like death to totally throw your schedule off kilter for a week.

Back to the doilies.

I made this one in the 90's. I like the pattern. I think I'll make some more!

100 Days of Doilies Day 96

Like I said before...gotta love a square doily. Gotta love a set of them even more! Don't know where I got em though. That happens a lot it seems.

100 Days of Doilies Day 95

OMG! these little oval doilies! I made dozens and dozens of them in every color you can imagine. I found the pattern the other day so there  may be more to come.

100 Days of Doilies Day 94

Not really sure about this one . Who made it, where I got it. Looks vintage though. Also looks halfway Chinese so.....hmmmmmmm.

100 Days of Doilies Day 93

Cute Cute Cute! A little potholder I got at a thrift store some place, some time.

100 Days of Doilies Day 92

At one time I did quite a bit of filet crochet. I gave a lot of it away as gifts. I managed to keep this one (yay). Roses is a theme I have carried through most of my adult life.

100 Days of Doilies Day 91

This little beauty must have been sewn to something at one time or another. There are threads EVERYWHERE. It's quite small maybe 7" across made from thin thread maybe size 20 or 30.  I have no clue where I got it.

100 Days of Doilies Day 90

Digging back in my personal stash for the last few doilies in this series.

this is one of the first doilies I did after I learned to crochet. I mean seriously, can you tell how complicated it is? Add to that fact it was an ancient vintage pattern very poorly written. But I jumped in with both feet and all guns blazing. I never did finish it 100% because I couldn't figure the last bits out. It's falling apart now but I still love it.

 

100 Days of Doilies Day 89

I must have made this pattern at least once before because there were marks on it but I can't remember doing it. I also had to look for a picture online so I could see what I was getting into as the picture was AWOL. Daybreak by Elizabeth Hiddleson.

The middle blue is lighter. So pretty.

100 Days of Doilies Day 88

A new pattern for me  done in a variegated white and mint green Knit Cro Sheen from the big haul of thread I made last month.

100 Days of Doilies Day 87

Wedding Cake Lace in ecru and sage green. Simply gorgeous.

This pattern can be difficult. At first it's repetitive and boring and then it's so complicated and poorly written out I had to underline each little step as I went. I still did it wrong and had to fudge it on the last green round. The good news  is it's so pretty I have several more planned and I know that they'll go faster.