Boho Gypsy Style Purse

Right now I'm working on a granny square boho purse. The granny square I chose has a tutorial here: http://edascrochetroom.wordpress.com/2011/04/http://edascrochetroom.wordpress.com/2011/04/. So I made six of these (three for the front and three for the back of the purse in autumn colors. From here on out I have to figure out how to attach all the pieces and fill in the background. No one seems to call them purses anymore. Everyone else calls them handbags around here. I'm looking forward to making the fringe but that's a long ways off.

Center of granny square.

I need six of these for the handbag.

Getting Ready For the Pow-wow

I am dealing with a mountain of unfinished projects. Ever since I joined Burning House Art Gallery, I'm making pots faster than I can keep up. Right now everything is trimmed and in drying mode. That's only because I didn't throw any new pots yesterday.  I did make a plaque with a roadrunner carved into it and some ankh beads yesterday. I put a handle on the pitcher and trimmed another bottle. By the time I cleaned up the mess from that, it was time to go home. How can 4 hours  pass so quickly?

I didn't even knit at the knitting meeting. I worked on origami.  I wanted to send cards today so I wrote my two cards, made 3 origami cranes and then it was time to grab dinner before pottery. I had so many errands to run yesterday that by the time I got to the knitting thing, I was too tired to knit.

I got some odd balls of yarn at the thrift store to use in my Abandoned Art give-away stick weavings. It's the perfect use for small bits of yarn.

All the photos I took yesterday are still on my camera somewhere. I think I left it in the back of the car, but my boyfriend needed to drive that car to work today, so I'm pretty sure my camera went with him.

From here on out I'm dropping everything except the projects I need to finish for the Pow-wow in Lucerne Valley, CA on Sat. Oct. 4 and Sun. Oct 5, 2014. I can resume the other projects after the Pow-wow. If you are a local it will be at Pioneer Park this time. If you are not local, it's not a huge event. I personally wouldn't drive 300 miles to be there, unless your family is dancing there or something. Even worse there is a similar event in Apply Valley/Victorville area the same weekend. I wish they'd coordinate and have similar events on different weekends.

The medicine pouch necklaces I'm knitting for the Pow-wow.

Using circular needles to knit pouches.

The pitcher I put a handle onto last night.

Autumn I Know You Are Out There Somewhere

Weaver at an SCA event.

Since Google search punishes duplicate content (even if you are just quoting yourself) I'll  just link you up to my crafty shenanigans today. My latest crafty blog post is here.

I am definitely feeling autumn in the air today. It is gusty outside. The chickens are hiding in their  penthouse to stay out of the wind. After Fletcher leaves for work I'll shut the gate so nothing will blow out into the street. One day after a wind event there was a bra just hanging in the tumbleweeds.

I'm happy to be getting back into both pottery and weaving, all in the same week. It just worked out that way.

Knitting and Crocheting Made Monday Go By Fast

Today I decided to make a day-in-the-life style video for Vloggerheads. The day is not over so I'm still working on it. My camera batteries are about to die too.

On the way to Apple Valley I worked on the orange toddler dress I'm knitting. I can't decide if I want to make it striped, or make it all orange and then use duplicate stitch to make it look like a jack-o-lantern.

Then tonight in the last bits of sunlight, I worked on my grey free-style crochet necklace. Honestly I think I have enough bits to do the necklace already, but it is just so much fun making the little parts, I can't seem to stop. I need to find a flat surface somewhere to lay it all out and figure out how to turn it into a statement necklace.  And I have yet to sew the faux pearls and beads to it. I was going to start the beadwork tonight but once again I've managed to lose the beading needles. I didn't want to waste the last 30 minutes of sunlight looking for a needle.

Dinner is in the oven and I'm kinda dragging, so I'm just going to sit here and blog and update my Twitter and such.

Please leave comments. Otherwise I feel like I'm kinda wasting my time here.

A two dimensional crocheted flower

Exploring paisley shapes.

A Plethora of New Projects

I've been on a creative frenzy of epic proportions. I kept trying to resist the urge to get back into quilting when one day the whole closet exploded and I find myself drowning in five or six different quilting projects including purses,  pillows, and bed quilts. The crazy quilting requires embroidery, so add that to the mix. That kindled a fresh interest in doing embroidery. I'm one of those odd  people that enjoys hand stitching.

The embroidery inspired me to start a new doll with ribbon loops for hair. She is brown with pink polka dogs, and white ribbon  hair. I love making art dolls but sometimes I forget to finish them.

Then the knitting meetings have inspired me to get yarn for a felted purse one week and sock yarn the next. Only the self-striping sock yarn isn't for socks, because why waste good  yarn inside a shoe. I  plan to use it for medicine pouches, each one containing a gemstone or a talisman. Sock yarn is almost $10 a skein and it takes 2 to make one pair of socks. Many knitters do this of course, but I don't need a $20 pair of socks.

I also have many ideas for weaving. I want to weave a hat! And some pouches. I want to weave in the round.

And it's been too long since I painted. I have a half finished  painting just waiting for me to finish it.

And I have skirts to make. Plus I'd like to make an apron. And I just started a new fashion design project with my niece Rockstar.

But right now, this very second, I have the afternoon drowsies and they are driving me crazy.

This was supposed to be a juggling ball but its too big now. Rats.

Craft Lists in the Works

I'm really inspired by the 'Fatkini' movement. I wonder if that term is trademarked? I'm tempted to make some for my Etsy shop called Cherry Moondrops.

I have a lot of crafts I want to talk about but right now I desperately need a nap, so I'll just make a list for later.

1. Woodburned spoons
2. Doll gourds
3. Quail gourds
4. Finish snake socks
5. Crocheted juggling balls
6. Knitted & felted purse
7. Crazy quilt blocks
8. Animal blocks
9. Metal container purses
10. Washboard Kit
11. L-shaped knitted scarf cowl thingie
12. Amigurumi for Etsy

Yep, need a nap.

An Obsession With Patchwork

Yesterday I had a fabric shopping spree for quilting fabrics. I fell back into the quilting bucket and I can't get out. I'm working out 4 different projects: the chicken bumble, the paper pieced animals, a quilt based on a purple palette sample, and a quilt  based on blocks affiliated with the state of CA.

Up till now I've been making do with some scrap fabric bits I got at a thrift store in Atascadero. There is a great selection there, but when I was making the elephant block, I realized I have very little green or grey. The dolphins also require grey. So I stocked up on grey, purple and green fabric.

Then I found a bolt of orange with a shine to it for $1.50 a yard. There were almost 11 yards on the bolt so I got that. Somewhere I have more orange set aside for a belly dancing costume, so I need to get those into the same  pile. I remember years ago I wanted to make an orange and aquamarine colored belly dance costume. I am not a huge fan of orange so I don't want to dress head to toe in orange. With my body shape, I'd look like a giant orange!

Yesterday at the library I got a book written by a quilt historian listing a bunch of squares associated with each state. So since I've lived in OK, NM, NV, CA I thought I'd represent each in a quilt. I might add NY as well since that is where my father's side of the family is from. The book is full of facts about each state. For example New Mexico was once claimed by Texas, Mexico, and the U.S. There is also a page for Wanderers and Canada is included as well. It's called Create Your Family Quilt by Barbara Brackman and comes with a CD to help you design it. 
(ISBN 1-893824-1001)

Time to get back to sewing. You guys take care.