Crocheted Quilt Designs--- a New Look

The water lily design is finished and waiting for a pillow insert.  I do like the water lily design. The two right hand squares use some yarn that was spun with cat fur from my two Maine Coon cats, now gone. This pillow will help me remember them when I use the pillow.  The reverse side is my free interpretation of a birch forest near the pond.

The next quilt designs will be oversized, crocheted with large hooks and used for small scatter rugs and other pillow covers. They will go faster. The design I am considering is Sunflowers as I have lots of the colors I need for them, yellow, brown, and green.  Stay tuned.    

Water lily inspired quilt design crocheted pillow cover

The  inspiration 

The design planning

The  finished product

A close up

Beginning Quilting

     

Since I am new at quilting, I decided a good beginner project would be some simple "mug rugs" or coasters.  Deciding what colors & fabric patterns look good together from my small batch of scraps was fun.  And since the results were pleasing, I think I am feeling ready to try the next step, which will probably be a small quilted wall hanging.   What's everyone else up to these wintry days?

Trying a New Craft...

     I've had a box of wool fabric sitting around from my rug braiding days and decided to put it to use by making a "penny rug" with some of it.  I've been admiring the penny rugs I'd seen on various crafting websites and blogs and decided it was time to try making one myself.  I love chickadees and thought they would be a good theme for my first "rug".
     Penny rugs got their name from the round "pennies" or circles that made up the first penny rugs.  In the 19th century, wool scraps from worn out clothing that was too small to be recycled in other ways, was cut into various sized circles and then sewn together at the edges and then sewn onto a burlap backing to make rugs.  Today they have evolved into decorative table runners, wall hangings and candle mats.
     My "penny rug" is a candle mat or center piece for a table.  The top photo shows it being used as a mat for a table lamp.  It is traditional to use the blanket stitch to stitch the rug together and I found that it went fast and that I really enjoyed the stitch.  Good thing, because this little rug required a lot of stitching!

Crocheted Christmas Ornament coasters

These are done with cotton yarns. Quick and easy. E hook and crochet in the round.
ch 3 close ring with sl st
ch 2 to start rows with (=1dc) and end with sl st

1. 12 dc in ring
2. *2 dc* around ( 24 )
3.  *dc 1, 2 dc next st*  (36)
4. *dc 2, 2 dc next st* (48)
5. *dc 3 , 2 dc next st* ( 60)

Then crochet on top:

1. 6 sc
2. 6 sc
3.  6 sc
4. 6 sc
5. 6sc
6. 3sc, ch20, close with sl st in first chain, 3 sc ( I used 10 ch, not 20)

Working on the warmies, new styles for 2014

The latest creations are clearly in response to the winter season. With a weaver friends help in selecting some wonderful mohair at a fiber festival in NY, the latest shawl was just finished.

The latest winter hat style is totally UN slouchy, unlike last year's model. 

This is snug and yet puffy on top, almost Nordic.



I am working on the second one and have an order waiting.

Table Mats for Ruth

These placemats were made at Lake Champlain this summer. They were made on an Ashland knitters loom for my mother's friend, Ruth, who still lives in CT at 104 yrs of age. The mats are on her kitchen table now.

Quilts on my mind....

I am tapping the quilt patterns for crochet projects. Annette Lep's book, Crocheting Patchwork Patterns offers patterns and directions for making these patterns. The evening star was completed during a recent trip to the midwest. The small blocks are easy and convenient while riding. Most quilt designs are only various arrangements of basic squares and diagonal ones. This block is approximately 2' x 2'. After washing, it will be better, and it will join other blocks for a throw size piece.

On my trip, I became fascinated by what I learned about   Barn Quilt Trails . These trails were started in  2001 in Ohio. When I visited the Flint Hills in Kansas, I discovered a trail there and later bought Suzi Parron's book  on the history of the trails.

Of course when I told Kyla about this, we decided that WE have to make these for our barns. Maybe we will start a barn quilt trail in Orleans County! The U.S. trails are organized now and accessible on this barn quilt info website. Vermont has a trail in Franklin County near Grand Isle where I will be this summer. Of course I will get that trail map, follow the tour and meet with some of the participants. Such fun!

California Dreamin'

California
California writer Brittany Shoot recommends the World Famous Crochet Museum – a 5-by-8-foot plastic green kiosk that's part of the kind-of-random "Art Queen Compound," near the northern entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. Shari Elf, the artist who escaped L.A. to run the crochet museum and the rest of the compound, told Shoot, "I added 'world famous' as an affirmation that crochet, and the craft-work of loving hands, deserve to be world famous." The dirt-and gravel lot is also home to an art gallery, and a variety of outdoor tables, metal rockers and oddball art projects. The museum itself used to be a Fotomat kiosk. There's no admission fee and no set hours; if the key is in the lock, you can let yourself in. It's so small, only two people can be inside at the same time. The eccentric Elf doesn't actually crochet; she merely displays her collection of others' creations – mostly animals and dolls, including tatteredSesame Street and Winnie the Pooh characters, well-worn alligators with googly eyes, and tiny crocheted angels with magnets affixed to their backs. It looks like a child's well-loved collection. The museum provides no history or how-to lessons regarding crochet, and there are no fancy doilies and lace, just the folksy, finished products. Visitors are welcome to add their own handicrafts to the collection.

World Famous Crochet Museum!!!!

.How curious is this????  Maggie googled it and found it near the Mohave desert outside of  LA. It really is a California Dreamin' kind of a place. I love it!! It is on my Rv travel list for sure!!  The little creatures are so reminiscent of what I have done over the years.