Art Shows

My two amigurumis won second place at the Stow Munroe Falls Library Needlework Show. Yeah! The exhibit is up until 5:00 pm today (27th March).

Next year I'm going for first. I plan to finish my dragon, make a second one, and pose them in a fight scene. I think that a bit of action would really help my creations.

Last year, I wanted to enter the National Collage Society's Postcard exhibit, but I did not get my fabric art completed in time. This year, however, I was ready. Here is my collage and the inspiring photo taken at Put in Bay's Butterfly House.

Needlework Show

Well, I didn't get my amigurumi dragon finished in time for the Needlework submissions. Instead of stressing, I decided to take my time finishing the dragon for next year's show and submit two other projects that I already completed. They are not my best pieces, but acceptable.

The first is a wiener dog that I made for my daughter. The second is a chocolate cake with orange margarine topping.

The Needlework Show is at the Stow Munroe Falls Library and all submissions will be free to view starting Wednesday, March 23rd through March 27th.

Current and Past Projects

Wow, has it really been so long since I've posted? After the crocheting and fabric portrait-making frenzy last April, I was a bit burned out on crafting. I have not done much experimental crafting, but I have completed a few projects for competitions and fundraising.

I entered two amigurumi pieces in last year's Needlework Art Show at the Stow-Munroe Falls Library and both pieces took third place. This was quite exciting because it was the first time I had entered a competition.

The pattern for the panda was from the crochet-a-long that I posted about before. The sushi patterns were from Tasty Crochet: A Pantry Full of Patterns for 33 Tasty Treats.

This year I am working on a dragon. The pattern is by Lucy Ravenscar. I love Lucy's patterns. Not only are they super cute and detailed, the instructions are clear and easy to follow. I've purchased several of Lucy's patterns and have been very happy with the results. Here's Lucy's photo of the dragonet:

And here is what I've accomplished in the past two days:

After the Radcom Art Show, there was a fundraising auction for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I created this Daffodil Trail fabric portrait to be auctioned. Next to it, is the framed version of my Romeo and Juliet in Central Park.

The next competition I was going to enter was for the National Collage Society. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I didn't get it finished in time. Here is the finished fabric portrait and the photo I used. The photo was taken at the Butterfly House at Put In Bay.

I am also currently working on a Mug Rug Swap. I hope to have the mug rugs complete this weekend, so I'll have something to share on that.

Cute Patterns in Amigurumi Too! by Ana Paula Rimoli

I am still enthralled with amigurumi. For my niece’s third birthday, I crocheted more of the little critters in Ana Paula Rimoli’s book Amigurumi World and the birthday cake. I loved making up these patterns so much, that I purchased Rimoli’s second book Amigurumi Too!

I crocheted this tea set from the second book over the holidays. I love how it turned out. The little spoons and chocolate chips really make the set.

After today, however, I am getting back to my quilting. I joined the Fall Quilt Swap on Quiltinggallery.com. I decided to give paper piecing another try. My first attempt turned out okay, but it took me longer and I wasted a lot of material. I purchased Carol Doak’s Bright and Bold Paperpiecing book. The instructions look clear and easy to follow. I will let you know how it turns out. Hopefully by next week!

In the mean time, have fun with your crafting endeavors, and I would love to hear from you.

Amigurumi World and Panda Crochet Along

I've been away in amigurumi-land again. Making these little crocheted animals is addictive. I just cannot get enough. I have wanted to make every critter in Ana Paula Rimoli's book Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet.

I have a pretty good start, too. These guys are easy, quick, and I think the cutest out there. There are instructions for large amis, but I like the little guys. This book is well worth checking out.

Also, I've joined a Crochet Along. This is a new experience for me. I know how to crochet, so I was not sure if I would get anything good out of crocheting with other people, but I could not resist the ami. It is a fuzzy panda. The yarn is brushed to make it look like fur. I figured that joining the Crochet Along is worth it, just to learn the brushing technique. If you hate working with those special fuzzy yarns, then this is the perfect alternative.

Check out the first lesson. There are several YouTube videos to demonstrate special techniques for the Fuzzy Panda. The best tip is to give your yarn an extra little tug at the end of completing a single crochet. This makes your stitches tighter so the stuffing does not show through.

Here are some tips that are not mentioned in the lesson videos for brushing your crocheted amis:

1. I found it easiest to collapse the piece so that it was a double thickness. This helped to protect my fingers from the brush and it did not pull the piece out of shape.
2. Be careful when brushing near the edge. Those stitches pull easily.
3. Start with a gentle brush stroke until you get the feel of the yarn's resistence. It is easier to brush more to get the desired look than it is to try and hide pulled stitches.
   

Anigurumi

I have discovered a new love - anigurumi. That is, the Japanese art of creating characters out of yarn by knitting or crocheting.

Last weekend I found an amazing blog about anigurumi. It first appealed to me because the site had patterns to create Star Wars and Lord of the Rings characters. I am a huge Star Wars and LOTR geek! The patterns were easy to follow and the result - I think - was great. Here is the Frodo Baggins I made:

I even made the elven sword, Lothlorien pin, and of course the One Ring. The site where I found the patterns is Geek Central Station. The doll pattern was free, but I had to purchase the clothing and accessory patterns. The prices are very reasonable and the direction very good.

I am not working on a Legolas doll - and then maybe some Star Wars!