About Me & My Artistic Expression (or Thread Obsession)

When I was a small girl, every Sunday afternoon my mother took us kids to visit my Grandparents. While my mother and grandmother chatted at the kitchen table over coffee, I wandered through the company rooms of the house admiring all the fancy workings that adorned the furniture. Every table top was covered with at least one fancy working. Towels were trimmed in lace, as was every hand cloth, pillowcase and tablecloth. And every week this fascinating display changed!

In my Grandparents home my Grandmothers "private" area was in the basement right next to the cloths washer and across from a very large stove. While my grandmother sat waiting for the cloths to wash and the oven to bake, she would create her fancy workings. As a little girl I would sit on the floor at my Grandmothers feet and watch her knit or crochet. This is how I learned . . . . by watching. To this day I still knit backwards.

What fascinated me as a child remains a passion of mine today - some 40 years later. I naturally gravitate towards century old patterns and have a fondness for Victorian and Celtic designs. I draw a great deal of my inspiration from nature, which is probably why I'm so hooked on Irish Crochet. I also recently I began creating some of my own designs and will some day put them to patterns. I work with a variety of fibers in creating my work such as cotton, bamboo, wool & linen - and lots of color!

In this blog I'll talk about things like fiber, crochet tips and techniques, and share my knowledge in the crafts history. Resources are immense with the internet, but I'll list my favorites here too.

My greatest passion is crochet, but I do still knit from time to time.

You can browse through an array of my creations at:

Artistic Needlework: www.etsy.com/shop/ArtisticNeedlework

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Artistic-Needlework/101214780007413

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ArtisticNeedleW/

Posted by Artistic NeedleWork

Exercise Your Crochet Skills


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/priscilla-hewitt-hewittMatelassé Crochet


If you like texture and intricate patterns, you'll like Matelassé crochet. Texture is the focus of these 15 exquisite afghan patterns in Priscilla Hewitt book "Matelassé Crochet".

Designed to imitate the look and feel of matelassè fabric, patterns are full, textured and contain raised stitches that will exercise your crochet skills.

I'm putting one of these afghan patterns on my to-do list!Check out this not-so-new book from your Library or as a NOOK Book:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/priscilla-hewitt-hewitt
Priscillas website: http://priscillascrochet.net/index.html
and she's on Ravelry too



Torchon LaceMaking

Brush-up on your lace making skills with Jan Tregidgo's book: "Torchon Lacemaking: A Step-by-Step Guide." (2011)

I love this book! If you've always wanted to try Torchon Lacemaking, get this book. This is a great how-to book for makers of all skill levels. You'll need to buy a few supplies to start (internet) and familiarize yourself with threads (if your not already there) the rest is in the book. I'm going to make a small sampler from this book, frame it and mark it off my bucket list!


Overview: Torchon lacemaking is a textile art steeped in tradition—the skills required are often perceived by beginners to be well out of their reach. This practical book describes those skills step-by-step, making them accessible to all. It explains traditional techniques through a series of specially designed samplers. Although color is not traditional in bobbin lace, it has been used here to great effect so the path of each thread can be clearly followed through the sampler. Essential equipment and materials are described in detail. This book also offers instructions for a super-beaded sampler, advice on adapting and designing patterns, a guide to joining and mounting lace, troubleshooting hints, and information on suppliers and museums with lace collections.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/torchon-lacemak…/1028813418…
Jan Tregidgo  http://www.tregidgo.com/jan/


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