Crocheted leaves - and a solution to the ordering on website

 

As you can see, I have been crocheting again.  I'm hopeful that the worst heat of the summer is over now so it's more comfortable to take up wool and hook once more.  These are some of the leaves I have been making.  I'm not quite decided what to make them into.  Possibly another waistcoat, or else a scarf.  I have used several different colours, and each one is slightly different - I did start off trying to follow a set pattern but after all, did you ever see two leaves the same?  So I just did them slightly different lengths and shapes as I felt inclined.  Still waiting to fix my website links but I'm not too bothered as the site itself is up, and if you can't get to the order form, just send me an email by clicking on the email link and I will send you an order form by email.  If you haven't seen it yet, it is at www.christinelinton.com.au .

My website

At www.christinelinton.com.au you will find my new website.  A few problems with links at the moment, as my thumbnail pictures don't link to their larger counterparts, and a couple of other links, but overall I am pleased with it.  The link problems will soon be fixed (my son is the computer whiz, I'm afraid the web server pages are clear as mud to me) and that will be great, but anyway it will get there in the end.

 

This fishing rod bag is one of the free patterns on my website.  I made it from an old pair of jeans but you could certainly use new denim.  It doesn't take long to make but you need to put a heavy needle in your sewing machine, and if you have a walking foot that makes it a bit easier as sewing over denim seams can be hard going.  If you would like to make hubby's fishing rod a cover, you can print the pattern off from the website.

The heat ...

Too hot for crochet, sewing or any other craft in South Australia right now - in fact too hot to think much even!

Applique Vest

 

The gum leaves on this vest were cut from felt, and attached to the background with a line of light green stitching down the centre.  The red gum blossoms were embroidered with straight stitches and a gold french knot tips the red, with a yellow french knot centre.

This simple decoration gives a lift to a plain vest.  Have a go yourself and put your personal favourites on a plain vest.

Crochet scarf

Welcome back to Craft Conversations and a happy new year.  I have been having a break from posts but am now raring to go again.  Above you can see my latest creation, a crochet scarf.  I almost broke my own rule and followed a pattern, but did change it to the degree of using a much thicker yarn (Moda Vera Mousse, from Spotlight) which is 70% wool and 30% soya (!!!), thicker than 8ply and soft as anything.  Also it was in the "specials" basket so it didn't cost much.  It crocheted up beautifully with a 7mm hook.  The pattern is from a great new book on freeform crochet called "Freeform Style" by Jonelle Raffino and Prudence Mapstone, 2009.  This book will get you experimenting with your crochet hook and any old yarn you have.  Look it up in your bookshop or public library.  Note that being Canadian, like American crochet patterns, the terms are different to UK/Australian terms, mainly that their (American) single crochet is our (UK/Aus) double, and their double is our treble, and so on - make yourself a note about that if using an American pattern and you are used to UK/Australian patterns.  And in reverse of course if you are American!

I made this before our heatwave (in South Australia) kicked in.  Woolcrafts are no fun when it's too hot to do anything.

Machine quilting with thread waste

After having an obsession with skies, I think I may have conquered it now.  I've painted them with fabric paint, I've machine quilted them and now I've used a technique that has satisfied me.  I read about using thread waste - all those little bits of coloured thread you cut off from your sewing and embroidery - and I machine quilted them on to this sky, which I made by appliqueing "sky" shades onto a foundation, along with a few seagulls cut from the beach/lighthouse fabric.  I had to cover the thread waste with Sulky water-soluble stabiliser first as they kept catching in the darning foot I was using; that worked and when I'd finished machine quilting I just dipped it into water and the Sulky dissolved.  Here are some close-ups to show you how it looks.

I hope it gives you some ideas for yourself.

At http://bird-diary.blogspot.com/ you will find my other blog.

Inkjet printing transfers

Look at this picture from a calendar and you will see at the top of the wombat a mark where the calendar hole was.  This picture is to be printed on an inkjet transfer sheet, a piece of fabric which is made to go through an inkjet printer, because it is for my wombat-mad grandson Pete, to form part of a storage bag for his wombat collection.  Because of the fault in the picture, I scanned the calendar picture in and opened it in the Paint program, after making a copy to save as the original.  Then I had several attempts to brush paint effects over the affected area.  There are sufficient colours available in the Paint program to restore the picture to normal, and when I saved my best effort and then printed on the inket transfer paper I was very pleased - see the next photo for the result.

Try this yourself with a calendar picture.