Craft is the word

Craft is the word has moved

knitandbead — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:52:19 +0000

This blog has been relocated to http://anitamorris.net/ Please update your links.

Links I’m loving right now

knitandbead — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:10:27 +0000

Here are my favourites of the craft sites I’ve been reading recently.

Creative process

Overcoming creative block

Surviving self doubt

These two are fairly self-explanatory as every creative person deals with creative block and the subsequent self-doubt at some point.

Embroidery and Cross stitch

MrXStitch

My favourite blog about contemporary embroidery and cross stitch. There are posts about artists who are pushing the boundaries using fabric and embroidery, there is lots of fan art featured, weird and wonderful ‘plushies’ showcased.

Pin Tangle

My second favourite blog about embroidery. Sharon b, who also wrote a stitch dictionary, is the author. She also writes about crazy quilting. It’s not something I’m into but I imagine some readers here enjoy. She posts some excellent resources from time to time.

Stitchin Fingers

A message board community of embroiderers. It’s one of the first places I take my embroidery questions.

Cloth dolls

I’ve been reading about making cloth dolls for an upcoming project. I’m probably not going to get a chance to start it before the middle of the year, earliest, because of going back to uni.

Clothmatters

Clothmatters has some awesome free doll patterns including a fairy one that I like. I don’t usually like fairies. The pattern for the cat pin doll I will make for certain.

Jester pin doll pattern

Another free pattern that I want to make.

Magpie Collectables

Two things strike me about the creations of Maggie R. One is the use of beaded details on her dolls. The other is that she’s not afraid to create an unusual doll. Check out her Bag Lady

Cloth doll artistry

A message board community about cloth dolls. There is well organised information suitable for the newbie doll maker like myself.

Misc.

Making a mark

An art blog with a wealth of information. I’ve barely scratched the surface of what is there yet.

morgueFile

Free photo reference library that can be used as a starting point for art. The terms of the license are straightforward.

First FO of 2010

knitandbead — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:27:34 +0000

It’s February 2010 and already I have been busy. I moved house in early January and I’m going back to uni in the first week of March. I have enrolled in a graduate diploma of accounting.

This is the first FO for this year. I finished it around January 12. It’s a carp picture cut from pages of an old magizine. It was inspired by the tutorial for this project. I have something of an obsession with fish which shows through my art. I intend to make at least two more and hang them on my wall once I have finished unpacking.

In addition to projects in knitting, cross stitch and crochet which have carried over from last year, I’m also working on a bag to hold my laundry, my first fabric ATCs, and have plans and materials for a messanger bag and a bargello quilt.

Blackwork and mythological creatures in stitches

knitandbead — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:37:06 +0000

I thought I would share some of my cross stitch and embroidery projects today.

Celtic dragon on 14 count Aida in DMC 820 and 349. Design from Clarke, L. and Orr, A (2001) “Celtic Cross Stitch” New Holland Publishing, London, pages 54-55.

Mini Blackwork sampler A. From the top right hand corner: a daffodil pattern, a peacock, steampunk cogs, and koi (carp). This is finished but I may applique this piece into a fiber book. A second mini sampler is being worked on. EDIT: The daffodil pattern is from http://blackworkarchives.com/bw_flwrs.html

Blackwork Biscornu WIP from this pattern, which was originally from Better Homes and Gardens. This one is going to be my new pincushion. Here’s a tutorial on making biscornus.

Medieval embroidery after the Opus Anglicanum style. Outline in backstitch, fill is in split stitch. Threads are DMC 310 and Blanc.

It’s going to show a dragon headed amphisbæna when finished. When it is, it will be sewn into a pouch.

I want to make a fiber book as a sampler of embroidery stitches. The Take It Further Fiber book inspired me with this idea. I’ve done chain stitch, back stitch, cross stitch, split stitch, stem stitch and couching before. I haven’t done many of the common modern fill stitches such as long and short stitch, and satin stitch.

Here’s a tutorial for one method of binding pages into a fiber book.

Vortex hat

knitandbead — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:42:13 +0000

I finished my Vortex hat in August. Aparently I forgot to post it at the time. The pattern is from Knitty. It has a spiral and a point. The shaping is cool to look at but simple to knit. I really loved knitting this. I chose Cleckheaton Kaleidoscope for my yarn. It’s difficult to find a varigated 10 ply yarn in Australia.

Me wearing the hat.

Steampunk skirt

knitandbead — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:55:14 +0000

Much craft has continued to happen since I last posted. One of the things that I’ve been doing is more sewing. I’ve been working on SCA projects and this steampunk skirt.

This is an a line skirt based on this tutorial. The cross stitch design of cogs is my own.

I’m very proud of it because I concieved and created it from beginning to end by myself. I haven’t done that with sewing before.

New craft: Cross stitch

knitandbead — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:41:08 +0000

I decided to try cross stitch because I want to stitch a design that has been described as ‘I heart the interwebs’. My first project is a small kit of a clown fish. I’m happy with the stitching. I shouldn’t have cut the Aida to a smaller size once I finished stitching.

Other sources for future cross stitch projects include radical cross stitch and the art and literature of Ancient Egypt.

Tiny Amigurumi Bear

knitandbead — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:35:05 +0000

I finished the Tiny Amigurumi Bear on the 2 June. My friend who it was made for doesn’t have it yet because she wants to be given it in person. I’m happy with the way it turned out.

Two more Geek Afghan squares

knitandbead — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:31:19 +0000

I’ve completed two more squares for my geek afghan. One is the Eye of Horus, the other shows the Tardis.

Eye of Horus pattern

Tardis pattern

I like the Eye of Horus square better than the Tardis square because the design is clearer.

I’ve also started charting my own squares for my Geek afghan. I’ll share the charts once I’ve knitted the squares up.

First Geek Afghan square finished

knitandbead — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:29:13 +0000

I’ve finished the first square for my geek afghan. It’s a square featuring the Torchwood logo. The square is knitted in garter stitch and the logo is embroidered on. The pattern is at http://pics.livejournal.com/mabiana/pic/001e27ca/