I just had to share this baby blanket with any fellow fiber junkies out there. This is a baby blanket that I just finished crocheting for a friend and her son-to-be. (I reserve this level of time/effort/love for those closest to me that I know will appreciate the time/effort/love the project took) The pattern is from the Spring 2007 Family Circle Easy Crochet magazine. (I keep the best editions of my crochet magazines). It was designed by Michele Wilcox. She has tons of great patterns. I used Baby Bee Hushabye Solid in Naked that I purchased at my local Hobby Lobby. It is a 50/50 cotton/acrylic combination that is a dream to work with. I wish they made it in more "adult" colors because it is soft, but practical. I highly recommend it.

Here is my second mug rug. This one is from DesignVigilante. Her Tunisian crochet is such a pretty stitch! Hmm...maybe I need to learn.  The color is a little darker than the photo shows. The yarn is wool, but it is still soft and the color varies just enough. 

I received my first mug rug today from LimeRiot. I am in LOVE with the little hedgie in the mug! Makes me wish I could have one as a pet again. Too cute.

Here are my pics finally!!!

Here is my box with all of the little packages!  Everything came tied up with ribbon and labeled with little purple tags.

Package #1:  A beautiful Asian style mug and a pretty blue cozy (crochet)


Package #2:  A lovely warm caramel colored chenille scarf (knit)

Package #3 A coffee ground scrub

Package #4  A swap journal to keep future swaps organized in


Package #5  Some yummy looking coffee

Package #6 A beautiful french press cozy from a picture she saw on my wists...and what's underneath?!  A french press to go with it!!! Sorry the pics of the press aren't coming out great...just trust me it's gorgeous!

Thanks to Onyxnox for the link to the pattern.  Her's is here http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=113794.0

This is for a friend of mine getting married in November 2009.  She doesn't know that I've made it for her and I really hope that she loves it.  Of course it's coming with a no obligation to wear it if you don't want to clause (it's her wedding and I want her to choose), but if she does her hubby isn't allowed to throw this one at the reception.

So without further ado...the pictures:

and close up..



I painted a little box for it to be kept in.  I also hand sewed the little cushion in the box.




Another huge thanks to Onyxnox and as always comments are welcome!

Here it is!  The waist is still too big even after using a much smaller pattern size than my first attempt, but the elastic should take care of that nicely.  I used Simplicity pattern 4236 for the skirt because my mom insisted that I needed a pattern to cut out the skirt.  I wanted a-line not a circle skirt, so it's still not the
skirt I would have cut out by myself, but it's fine. 




The fabric is 100% polyester and so thin that I did a double layer for everything.  The straps are the "tube" concept that has been mentioned for use with one- sided fabrics.




I love this look, but how on earth do you keep it on!  It's always wanting to slip the loop off my shoulder, which would be a very bad thing if I was around anyone when it happened.

[Any advice when it comes to glazing would be greatly appreciated.]

Scroll Down for picture updates

So I'm in Ceramics 1 this semester and this is the best of what has made it through the glaze kiln so far.  All of the glazes he has are kind of boring colors and no outside glazes are allowed, but underglaze is fine.  I have some underglazed pieces going into the kiln soon.  He fires our stuff at cone 9 to 10.  The spots are because there is bunches of iron leaching out of the clay.

Any advice when it comes to glazing would be greatly appreciated.

 


-this is the only one so far with a white clay body...I used akane jade glaze, but I think I got it too thin.


- These are going into the kiln soon-



Pics added May 8 2008
-I still have my final few pieces (the best ones) going through the glaze kilns

The black one from the before pic above


the glaze seperated on this one unfortunately



MY FAVORITE SO FAR!!!

Everyone needs an "eye shot" right?  So here's mine.  My eyes are "hazel." (Not quite blue and a little bit brown.  Sometimes they even look green)  I must admit that I did use photoshop to clone out a really bad catchlight.

  I just love how these turned out.  I carry a 5" x 8" notepad around in my book bag and I have one on my desk to jot things down on so that I don't forget.  The problem was that when the pads get put in my bags the pages get all bent up.  These covers are my solution. 

I kept the crochet fairly basic to leave the emphasis on the embroidered felt.  The crochet design is my own pattern and I sketched the felt additions out freehand before stitching them and sewing them onto the covers.  The covers close with a simple button and loop closure.












I'd love to hear you comments!

Last weekend I was digging through my beads trying to find something to make a cell phone charm out of when I found a couple of containers of mixed beads, which inspired this necklace.




What do you think?