Flower Power

Prudence Mapstone, a truly colourful inspiration to all freeformers, is generously giving an exciting opportunity for creative crocheters and knitters  to be part of a huge piece of unique wall art.

Its all explained in this post on her 50 years of Flower Power blog.

Flowers and freeform - I couldn't wait to get started!

In true stashbusting style I gathered some bright and textured yarns and raided one of the boxes I have stuffed full of oddments.

Oddments is my positive term for all those bits of  crochet that didn't quite make the grade, they may have been prototypes, experiments or the motifs that didn't look just right (in the days 'before freeform'  when this mattered!)....stitch count awry, uneven petals, lumpy bits...we all have them - don't we?!....and I keep them!!

Several were chosen, at random, and the freeforming flower began to blossom!

 A back view....

....secret pocket....intentional of course!!

 ...a  familiar needlefelted middle..

fluffy bits...

 multi-coloured cotton threads....

 shiny threads....

 knobbly spirally bits....

Before photographing, it was perched on Mr RWs reading matter...so I hunted around for a more colourful background...and uncovered a favourite childhood book:

'A Child's Garden of Verses' by Robert Louis Stevenson

with the most vibrant illustrations by the very talented Brian Wildsmith

...first published in 1966....

a welcome chance to reconnect with the wonderful words and incredible illustrations..

...having been surrounded by Brian Wildsmith's  beautiful, colourful, zingy books as a child
 no wonder I love colour and texture...and freeform!

I loved this project - it has fertilised my passion for freeform, colour and illustration.

Thank you to Prudence...

I'm so looking forward to be part of an international piece of art,
and to viewing all the other colourful, creative contributions as they arrive in Australia!
There's still time if you'd like to join me!

Off to pop the petals in the post!!

Look who's soaking up the sun!

RW Junior put in a request for some more of the little monsters hooked a couple of years ago for his friends...
Here are the boys of summer 2014 -

having fun in the afternoon sun!

The chirpy chap below is shaking his tail feathers...

 

.. this smiler has a wibbly foot!

 On previous mini monster projects I have stuck to the pattern and counted religiously...
this time I just went with the flow...
multithreading in single spirals
with medium lengths
from my odds and ends bag..

the compulsory backside view...

Three have bushy tails, one has a hairy hobbit foot...
and one is a complete ball of fluff!

Each has needlefelted features,  all are stuffed full of short ends and happy hooky memories!

It was fun to use the fluffy yarn....
the floor is littered with tiny shards of pink and blue silky reminders!

They weigh in at a monsterous 83g -
a significant proportion will be the stuffing...
now my TUSAL jar is ready to be replenished!

Daisy Daisy...

Earlier this week my friends celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary...

I have enjoyed looking back at the photos of their special day and remembering all the happy details!

My friend wore a beautiful lacy dress, 

in our delicate bouquets and hair we had small yellow roses, gypsophila, gentian and ivy.

My Laura Ashley bridesmaids dress had coiled white roses at the back.

The Orders of Service were bound in deep blue sugar paper and inscribed with the groom's beautiful handwriting.

I still cherish the framed coloured pencil drawing of an Ox-Eye Daisy drawn by my friend....

I have sent them my interpretation...

A wet felted background, loomed daisies with needlefelted middles and tiny crocheted gypsophila

Happy Anniversary R and A

Hope you have many more to come!

x

Candy Floss!

A while ago an idea began to stew, 

for a friend, who had given me one of her beautiful stained glass owls...

she has a liking for Day of the Dead skulls aka sugar skulls.

Whilst having fun with my cotton stash and with spirals on my mind the idea began to take shape and crystallise!

This was the prototype, one strand of variegated cotton and a cream cotton with variegated sewing thread....sweet!

After poking, pulling and prodding,

 musing and meditating, 

cogitating and consulting,

 Mr RW commented on the stitches...

and I thought about spaces!

 Second holey spiral!

...and the backside view with some stitching to form the skull shape - a little asymmetric but I'm sure that's not unusual!

The final piece with crochet flowers, and a needle felted  middle (nose!)

My friend was thrilled with a freeform flavour of an iconic image...

and is hoping to frame it in a box frame!

Its great to see things from another artists view...reminded me to search out some frames....

Its  a tiny spoonful of a  stash bust at 8g!

Tulip

When I first bought this ball of beautiful 4ply it reminded me of the tulips I had been given by a friend, rich purple, bright yellow and vibrant red flowers with lush green leaves...

...after a long germination....here's a six petalled..
 

...multicoloured....
 

...tulip...
 

...hooked with two strands of fabulously fizzy 4ply...
 

... the backside stitches were richer,
more texture and colour variations...

 

...three narrow and three wider petals...

...from the plarn snowdrop petal pattern...
 

with .....

.....stamens of knotted wool ends...

...and a needlefelted middle...

A blooming bright 17g busted!