Crochet Wallhanging Update: Day of the Dead #2

i have been working on this piece a lot lately... wanting to finish it so that i can hang it in the house. i am actually loving how this piece has turned out.

it's not "completely done" (is any piece ever completed?) ... i am trying to come up with a crochet design for a marigold ... and want to make a strand of yellow & orange marigolds (and maybe some beads... mmmm... beads) to drape over\around the piece.

marigolds are used in Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations ... the scent of the flowers lead the spirits. also, in India, strands of marigolds are used for joyful celebrations and for reverence.

i think a strand of marigolds will really set this piece off... we'll see!

here are some close up shots (up --> down) showing some of the details.

this piece is mostly free form crochet... i have also made crochet motifs and appliqued them to the piece... the stitches used are mostly sl, sc, dc, ts & bobbles (lots of bobbles) made with dc.

i have also incorporated loom knitting and small-loom weaving to the piece. and then the embellishments! i used vintage and new buttons; and beads of glass, plastic & metal.

i had so much fun picking out & placing the embellishments!

here are some side-to-side views

i created this piece from all acrylic yarns (mostly red heart yarn). i like using acrylic yarns to make something i consider beautiful from something so looked down on as a medium... mostly because of the snobbery involved. i really hate that look you get from "serious fiber artists" when you mention acrylic.

don't get me wrong... i love and use wool yarns... i splurge on lux brands sometimes... but i actually adore the spectrum of colors and textures that are offered in acrylics. they are bold and fun... which is what this piece is all about... a celebration of family & life.

CROCHET HERO: Xenobia Bailey

This is a portrait of one of my crochet heroes, Xenobia Bailey.

(this picture is "borrowed" from the Roving & Yarn Blog ... which is an AWESOME blog about traveling & textiles... check it out) (sorry about that... you can "borrow" one of my pics...lol)

If you are a fiber artist who is unfamiliar with her work: shame, shame, shame ... first go to her blog @ http://xenba.blogspot.com ... then Google her name... you won't be disappointed, i promise!

Xenobia Bailey does absolutely beautiful crochet artwork... she works mostly (if not exclusively) in single stitch crochet and using mostly acrylic & cotton yarns and plastic pony beads. Which, to me, exemplifies the fact that you don't have to know all of the fanciest or complicated crochet stitches... and that you can make STUNNING artwork with humble components.

I love her eye for beautiful and bold colors. As a fellow fiber stitcher, i appreciate her dedication to a piece (maybe i am just slow, but it would take me forever to complete one of these pieces! lol). I love the funky & spiritual aspects of her art. And I love that her work forces people to see that fiber art can be classified as fine art.

I am headed to NYC (for the first time) in September ( a gift from the wonderful Sugar Daddy); and I am so hoping to see some of her artwork in person.

I am also lucky enough to own a crocheted hat created by her ( a gift from my younger son) that was purchased from her Etsy shop. (I also received a very nice hand-written note from her!)










check out these links to her artwork\articles & i think you will see why she is one of my crochet heroes:

Sistah Paradise's Great Walls of Fire Revival Tent

Artist Xenobia Bailey Gives New Life to Crochet

The (RE)Possession of Xenobia Bailey

XENOBIA BAILEY'S MOON LODGE, TRANCE FORMER TENT AT LA TRIENNALEDI MILANO DESIGN MUSEUMS EXHIBIT: DRITTO ROVESCIO, 2.24-3.29.09 , MILAN, ITALY

FIRST CRAFT OF SPRING: Greenville SC (Main St)

I ended up making 2 daffodils for The First Craft of Spring ( www.firstcraftofspring.blogspot.com or www.boozeandyarn.com ) public art project. Choosing the quote for the project was easy... "Be the change you want to see in the world ... Ghandi", has always been a favorite of mine. It puts the power of change on the individual... you don't have to wait for change to come... YOU can be the change!

I "planted" both of my daffodils in downtown Greenville on Main St., figuring that would be the area in which they had the most impact. Sugar Daddy helped me "plant" these at around 1 am; it was a little more difficult than I had imagined... lots of people (and policemen!) are still out and about downtown at that time. It was really hard being inconspicuous!

I chose the statue of Joel Poinsett , who was a physician, botanist and American statesman, as the spot for the daffodil in the pot cozy... it is right downtown, close to city hall. I think it will have good visibility there.

And then I chose the statue representing Sterling High School, which was South Carolina's first public black high school.

My hope for participating in this project is to highlight some Greenville history; and to inspire change... change that starts at an individual level -- but will end up impacting the world.

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD

THERAPUTIC STITCHERY (starting a new piece for fun and relaxation!)

Before, during and even after the holidays, I was involved in very functional items...most were gifts: scarves, hats, bags, afghans, etc. One of my resolutions for 2009 was to "finish up loose ends"... figuratively, as in straightening out some personal issues... but also literally, as in finishing up some hibernating fiber projects.

I got a good many of the fiber projects finished; and so I decided to to start a strictly non-functional freeform project. For me, it is so enjoyable not knowing how a project is going to end up! I can just add on what and where I feel like. It is a very relaxing... almost meditative quality, for me, in just mixing up colors, stitches and types of yarns ...i get so in the zone that i have been told my mantra should be "loop...loop... stitch." (are they making fun of me?)

Here are pics of the new piece, a Day of the Dead inspired piece. I love all of the bright colors associated with the festival; and I love the appreciation of ancestors ... and really the appreciation of life and its cycle. So far,this has been a fun piece to work on!

FRIDAY NIGHT ART EXHIBIT

Today Sugar Daddy & I went out to lunch... we ran into Eric & Judy Verhoeven. Eric & Shug used to work together. During the conversation, it came up that Judy's art exhibit was opening tonight. She is a paper collage artist. They gave us a flier with the show information.

We just got back... wow! her work is very awesome! I am so glad that we got to go! She really had some beautiful pieces!

Her work is going to be displayed at Centre Stage on River Street for the month of February. If you get a chance, I recommend that you check it out!

Here is her website with some pics of her pieces!

DANG IT!

I was working on one of my WIPs...when i ran out of yarn...dang it! I hate it when that happens!

As you can see, my first attempt at matching dyelots hasnt really worked out. The original is more pink...while the first replacement attempt is more "purpley"... dammit!

wish me luck!

HAVE YOU EVER DREAMED ABOUT A PROJECT?

Here is another sneak peek of another wip.

the other night, i dreamed that i was working on a project...that's all...just me crocheting and then doing a felting technique with hairclips...

when i woke up, i felt compelled to try to replicate it...so here goes. i do know that it will be felted /fulled using the hairclips... i dont even know if this idea will work, i havent seen anyone online mention it... so i am compelled to try it... but i dont want to say anything more...dont want to jinx my crochet mojo!

has that ever happened to you... dreaming about the creation of a project? if so, how did it turn out?

BETTER PICS

Here are some better shots of my newest wallhanging. It is a "stashbuster": made from scraps of acrylic yarn. It is freeform crochet over two metal craft rings; and measures approximately 12" across.

I like to do projects that show that acrylic yarns can be beautiful.