A Creative Journey...

I've been admiring the galleries for numerous rounds of hoopla and finally found the courage to join. Embroidery isn't something that I excel at...but it was worth a stab (bad pun intended...) because the theme of silhouette/negative image appealed to me. While I'm not quite sure if my hoop (7 of 50) examplifies the theme, I did try my darnest. Based on my swap partner's interests, I chose to do something with Dia de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead. Day of the Dead sugar skulls are typically colourful and vibrant. I chose to do black on black embroidery on a colourful patchwork background. From a distance, it looks like a silhouette of a skull on patchwork:



Up close, you see the typical designs of a sugar skull!



And a requisite shot of the back of the hoop...

I'm getting a headstart here! It follows (by reason?) that a fabric lover must love to sew, no? I guess it's also possible that a fabric lover collects fabric for petting or for visual stimulation? Anyhow, I digress. For the fabric over scavenger hunt, the categories are as follows:

* Something local

* Something green

* Something lucky

* Something vintage

* Something tiny (under 2")

* Something related to the letter "M"

* Something sharp

* Something bumpy

* Something cozy

* Sender's choice

And I get to select 5 categories to fulfil! Well, I'm sending the following items because it's sewing-related.

Something vintage...



Something tiny...



Now I need to work on ideas for three additional categories!!

Oh poo. One of my matchboxes did not make it to my swap partners. I have no problems making another matchbox...heck I enjoy making these wee things. But it really annoys me that the mail system has failed me...again.

But on to good things. I actually made a mini stash of these matchboxes to have on hand for use at the crafty meetup with CD in April. It was nice to do a quick test to see how my idea would pan out. Yep! A chunky mini matchbox house filled with chunky mini things. Try saying that fast three times!

This bag (11 of 50) was made for a swap using a picture that my partner had in her list of favourite things. It's so much fun trying to reconstruct a bag based on a picture :)

I've been crafting in my mind...envisioning what I need to do to make an awesome mug rug (8 of 50) for my swap partner. After reviewing her answers to my questions (more than twice, I might add), here's what I came up with. Gnome...check. Colour match to kitchen decor (since she indicated that mug rug will actually serve as a coffee press rug)...check. Requested size of not to exceed 7" square...check.

Embroidery WIP



Embroidered gnome



As I was embroidering the gnome, this was the story in the back of my mind...

Larry is your average variety garden gnome. It has been rumored that he is a charity shop rescue, but he insists that he hails from Target (or was it Wal-Mart?). He is not happy with life in the chilly northwest. “Ah the cold weather is making me miserable,” he moaned. “There are icicles in my beard and my nose is redder than Rudolph’s!” The harsh winter conditions have taken a toll on his usually sunny disposition. Larry has decided that it is time to make a few changes in his life. He will be a garden gnome…no more! His plan is to spend the rest of his life, snuggled under the warmth of a coffee press (or teapot if it comes to that). He does not mind being squished…not if it means moving down south for good!

Front view



Close-up



Back view



The sewing bit for the mug rug was a breeze (what can I say...I love to sew!) but the embroidery bit was less fun. I kept things simple...but sometimes, simple is good. I hope my partner likes it!

In keeping with resolution #4, I joined a notecards swap because I figured I needed the extra nudge to get started on making a bunch of handmade cards (5 of 50) to send out. After cranking out about 25 of these (18 of which have been sent out partners in my swap group), I am excited to make more notecards!

Sample set of what I sent to my partners:



Close-ups of a few of my favourite cards:

Using this nifty little template by Rachel, I constructed a couple of matchboxes (4 of 50) for the fill-a-matchbox swap!

I adore the STS swaps! What's even better than the STS swaps? Well, a Secret Santa swap with the STSers...of course. This year, I was given the task of doing some non-creepy stalking to find out what I should make for my partner, AS. Here are the crafty bits I came up with:

1. Mine for Life Shrug made with this pattern (27/50)


2. Carryall Bag (28/50)


3. Sewing-themed Noisy Bangle (29/50)


4. Knitting Pendant with Chain (30/50)


5. Dyed Yarns - "You're Making Me Blush!" and "The New Frontier" (31/50)


6. Log Cabin Style Pincushion - based off ones made by AM (32/50)


7. Wee Critter That Crochets (33/50)


8. Fabric Hoop Art (34/50)

Measuring in at ~ 2.25" by 2.25" (with pages at 2" by 2"), this tiny book is full of colour and texture. Per my partner's request, some of the pages are finished, while other pages are left are partially done. I used acrylics, watercolours, inks and various bits of paper and fiber for the collages.

Made for SC, for the geeky themed OTT swap. It's a chubby little thing, measuring approximately 3.5 x 3.5 x 1.25 inches. The cover is an aqua-hued fabric, and I embroidered the octopus based on her selected themes of oceanography and octopus. I hope she likes it!

For the Alphabet Inchies Swap! Somehow, I got myself placed in the "Naughty" group, so there's a bit of, erm, a mature theme to some of the inchies.

CM's Inchies - D, J, P, V

DN's Inchies - C, I, O, U

CY'S Inchies - F, L, R, X

NK's Inchies - A, G, M, S, Y

AL's Inchies - B, H, N, T, Z

HS's Inchies - E, K, Q, W

And here are a few inchies that were made as I was racking my brain for suitable themes for the alphabet inchies swap :)