Cuddly Cute Crochet

I am still around, but I guess I'm just blogging less these days. I recently did some very cute crochet projects for a book review on Craft Critique (disclosure). You can read the review HERE.



I used Red Heart Acrylic to crochet this bunny hat and mousie bib. My daughter wants the hat, but it is sized for a toddler, so I'm planning to give it to a sweet toddler of some friends of mine who live nearby.



My daughter's teacher is pregnant with a boy, so she's getting the bib along with a receiving blanket my daughter will sew in boyish fabrics.

Gees Bend Quilt Book

Do you all know about Gee's Bend and their stunning quiltmaking history? Mom and I went to the first museum exhibition when it came to Milwaukee in 2003. I think it has toured again and there are several art books and even a play (that we also saw) about the story. The play was mostly the civil rights history of the little isolated island visited by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I like civil rights history themes, but I wanted the play to be an examination of the artistic process of quilting and it didn't occur to me that such a theme might not have a broad appeal...

Above is a corduroy quilt by Arcola Pettway, 1934-1994 done in a flag style for the Bicentennial. It seems appropriate to post a flag today since our patriotism was stirred after yesterday's historic events.

I find that as I sit here to share this with you, I don't want to write an essay about the story of Gees Bend since others have already done that. Mom gave me this wonderful book Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt as a Christmas gift and I am only just now diving into it and revisiting the glorious inspiration I got 6 years ago when I saw these quilts the first time.



These two quilts are by Annie Mae Young (b. 1928)


I make nice things, but I am a pattern follower. I like the way that patterns make decisions for me and I can predict how things are going to turn out. I don't like to "unsew" seams if I don't like how things look. I often wish I had the freedom of these talented artists to know all the rules about quilt block making and then just toss them aside to create works of such modern originality. Make no mistake. These artists have carefully composed these fabrics into pleasing compositions regardless of wonky lines and uneven edges.

This quilt is by Annie Bendolph (1900-1981) I have a book on this flying geese patch that I simply must use.


Here's Annie Bendolph's photo taken by Arthur Rothstein in 1937. Image from Wikipedia:



This one is by Mary Lee Bendolph (b.1935). The colors are aqua, black and dark brick red.


I remember this one by Annie E. Pettway (1904-1971) from the exhibition. I love the way the section of wonky striped triangle dances in the center.



Lousiana P. Bendolph (b. 1960) does quilts that are variations on the housetop pattern which is concentric squares.



This one is made of old work clothes by Annie Mae Young (b. 1928)


This book is full of photos and detailed stories of the quiltmakers and the discovery of these treasures. It's a perfect gift for me! Thanks, Mom!

100 Motif Crochet Book

Here is another crochet book I got at my local Japanese bookseller. This one is ISBN978-4-8347-2650-3 or just 4834726503. I wanted some more patterns that you work in the round. I was keeping my eye out for a different book that has more motifs but this one is pretty good!



I haven't stitched from it yet. I think I invariably am drawn to books with floral patterns. Look at these:


Beyond that, there are a few edge patterns along with round patterns:


Square patterns. I like these using multiple colors, but many patterns are just one color:


Here are triangle motifs:


Hexagons:


Octagons:


And something called "knit ring". I think these are done around stitch markers. They show squares and triangle centers as well as the circle I'm familiar with:


So pretty! I'm really feeling crochet right now. It is super cold here, so working with fuzzy yarns seems right somehow. I committed to doing a review/article on embroidery for February, so I'll have to get out that stuff again too! and oh man.. I have 2 baby quilts that need borders and backs and those babies are growing every day!

I made this scarf with some really expensive hand dyed superwash wool. I love these circles! The pattern was in Crochet Today, but I've seen it lots of places:

Magic Scrubber Book 9

This is book 9 of the Magic Scrubber Series. I found it at my local Japanese bookseller. This is ISBN978-4-8247-6460-4. I think that if you do a search for it, you use the numbers 4834764604. Searching by ISBN is tricky. I never seem to get it right, but people always ask for the numbers so there they are!



I learned recently that these scrubbers are made from acrylic yarn. I found that out by trial and error, but there was an article and a pattern written about these useful little things in the latest issue of Craft magazine. According to the article, (what I remember.. I read it yesterday at the bookstore) these qualify as eco-crafts because they are effective without the use of soaps or cleaning chemicals. Also, they are durable and reuseable.

Here are the ones I've made recently:


In this book there are about as many knit patterns as crochet:


The ones on the right below appear to have a soft sponge inside. I've been wanting to learn this kind of knitting:


Here are knit houses and funny crocheted dusting girls:




Here are hears and stars:



This book also has a bottle scrubber, some cute animal faces, simple fruits, and a colorful crocheted mitten scrubber and a glove scrubber.

Finally... This is the advertisement at the end of the booklet for the yarn they are using. I can't read any of this, but maybe this is useful to someone! This same ad is in all of my magic scrubber pattern books.




Note: I edited this post from an earlier version where I'd included a photo of one of the patterns. I've since had a crisis of conscience about copyright and have deleted that photo.

Felt Mascot Book With Squirrels

Ahh camping. No critters in our equipment, thank goodness. I didn't plan our meals carefully enough ahead of time so we brought too much food, but still had to stop at the grocery for various essentials. This time of year it gets dark a bit earlier and our kids are too old to send to bed at 8:30 so we played some rousing games of headlamp Uno: everyone needs a headlamp to see our own cards. Now we are home to piles of gritty laundry and ashy cookware, but it was a great weekend!

Here is another Japanese book I got last week at the Japanese store here in Chicagoland. This is ISBN978-4-8347-5728-6 and features my favorite, miniature felt mascots! It even says so in English on the cover:


Mainly it has these fun squirrels that adorably present the various projects throughout:


Here the squirrels seem to be having a yard sale. I like the birch tree reindeer in the background:



Here are mini bags and purses:

Fun country houses:


There are various themed dioramas. I particularly like this Christmas one because it reminds me of my favorite childhood ornament:



Your mascots can have tea with teeny tiny cakes and fruit slices:


Here are some fun refrigerator magnets. I like the jam jar and the eggs and sausage:


This book has no pattern insert. All the patterns and instructions are on pages like this in the back of the book. This might look intimidating, but it isn't really that hard if you know the basics of hand stitching and working in three dimensions:


Patterns also include felt baking equipment, garden vegetables, miniature felt flower bouquets, and ice cream treats.

I did a haphazard search and I found it at Yes Asia, so if you want to order your own and don't have a Japanese store in your city, HERE it is!

Japanese Embroidery Book

Last week my daughter and I had a day alone to do whatever we wanted and I think that maybe my attempts to shape my daughter's interests to reflect my own are working out great because she said, "Let's go to the Japanese Store!"

Sounds fun! We bought some yummy treats and browsed at the bookstore. I got 2 craft books and we got some fun origami paper that folds up into little snack shapes. Here is the latest book I have to share. It's an embroidery book, ISBN978-4-529-04536-0.



Little forest critters:


I didn't photograph the page that is labeled Aquarium. Here is the deep sea:


Zoo animals:


There are also several pages of adorableness like this:


I like these birds. Patterns in this book are mostly a bit more realistic. The motifs are all quite small. The taller owl here is just over 2 inches.


Bugs in cross-stitch. You'll also find cross-stitched animals and a page of Zodiac done in white thread on black aida.


Rectangel noted on my Flickr page for this photo, "It's strange to see the alphabet with animals that don't match the letters." I love these. Forget the kids. One day I might do "SUSIE"!


Next time I'm getting this second volume of "365 Design Collection for Kids" I love the first book in that series.


I'll see if I can find this volume on YesAsia to link you to it. I haven't shopped there for awhile since our local Japanese bookshop beefed up their offerings.

EDIT: Yeah.. I tried searching for it at YesAsia, but they changed their search engine and I can't figure out how to find something by ISBN and clicking willy-nilly on other embroidery books didn't reveal this title.

Cotton Time

Sarah hooks me up with this subscription every other month. This is Cotton Time issue 79. I think it is the July 2008 issue, but I can't read the Japanese...




This issue has lots of various bags. I like the one below that has a zipper along the side to give it an adjustable capacity.


These slippers made from the cuff of a man's shirt are great:


Here is a parrot pattern made from textured fabric.


Here are some ideas to use those cords you can knit with that little whats-it-called tool (seriously, what is that tool called?):



Here you can use little adorable fabric scraps to decorate simple cards:


It's only on this one page, but there are some simple ideas for embroidery on gingham commonly called "chicken scratch". I know my grandma gave me some clippings or an old booklet on chicken scratch, but I can't find it anywhere! Publishers take note! I will buy a new book on chicken scratch embroidery in a heartbeat!


This issue also has some simple clothing patterns and tips for how to make a child's hat from a pair of old jeans. Additionally, you can cut up a t-shirt and stitch it into a funky hat , bag, and shorts for the little one in your life. I should have photographed that page too, but I was distracted by the gingham on the page above,