Crochet Entrelac

The funny thing about the quilt show is that both years I have gone I have learned a new technique that is not related to quilting. Two years ago I learned how to cut bias strips and knit them into scarves.

This year as we were leaving I saw one of the vendors crocheting. I can't go by someone and not ask them what they are working on. At first it looked like a baby sweater. When she showed it to us it was actually a crocheted entrelac afghan.

As a knitter I have wanted to learn entrelac for a couple of years and haven't got around to it. She showed me a little of how to do it and then gave me a website to get step by step instructions. They are very clear and well written with a lot of photos to help. Here is the link if you are interested. http://mylifeinknots.blogspot.com/search/label/Entralac%20Afghan. I sat down today and worked the beginning of a sample and I really like it. This is the beginning two rows in a sport weight. I am going to go through my left over yarn and see what I can come up with.

2011 Dixie Quilt Guild Show

Warning: This is a long post!

Today was the 2011 Dixie Quilt show. The theme was Gems of the Desert. This is the quilt that they were drawing for.

There was a special exhibition of Marva Dalebout's quilts. She passed away last year. She was a resident of So Utah and a Silver Thimble recipient for her body of work. She began as a painter. Here are a couple that I really liked. There was also one of a little girl painting flowers, but I forgot to take a picture of it. They were displaying about 50 of her quilts. This first one was my favorite.
I think this one is absolutely whimsical and hilarious! I really liked the colors on this one. Many of the quilts this year featured these elongated triangles and the elongated shapes that you see in the circle. Must be a new template to play with.

I loved how this quilter used the red and the geometric and it isn't overwhelming. I liked the overall presentation. Lots of small piecing.
The information sheet on this one said that she got the pattern off of the internet. It is called twisted ribbon. I like the whimsical twist on a classic square.
This quilt reminded my friend Carole and I of an Amish quilt. It was all applique. It was amazing. It must have taken 1000's of hours. I forgot to write down what award it got.
Here is another award winner. This one was all pieced. This one was very unique. I loved the black and white shiloette on white. Very striking!

The following two quilts were what I would call mixed media. They were by the same person. the boots had thinned copper, suede, ultra suede, leather and other fabrics in it. The picture beside it I took to help give you an idea of the dimensional aspect of it.

There was also a lot of hand painted quilts at the show this year. This is one that I really liked. I thought the use of color and theme was excellent.

This picture doesn't do this quilt the justice that it deserves. The way she used her colors was amazing. All of the leaves were different colors. The triangles around them varied in hue as it went around the larger triangle. It must have taken a lot of work to get them just right.

This was another award winner. This was all pieced. Amazing work! Loved the colors on it too! I loved this version of a fan quilt. I had to take a close up of it since you loose a lot of the detail when you are back far enough to see the whole thing.

This quilt was amazing to me. It was made of the two fabrics. The floral print and the ecru. Then the small border of black on the inside and a larger one on the outside. I thought it was very well thought out. I would have never thought you could do something like that.

Quilting

With all of my handwork projects, you might not guess that I am also a bookworm. I love to read, and read a variety of things. Usually nothing to deep. I read to unwind and escape. I started a new series a couple of weeks ago that I found by accident. It is called the Elm Creek Quilt series by Jennifer Chiaverini. I am really loving this series. It is about a group of women who quilt, their lives, their friendship and about their lives. They are all let by the matriarch Sylvia Bergstrom.

I have just finished book 9 of 15 I think. I am really getting the itch to learn to quilt. I know! Crazy huh? Like I need another project or hobbie.

My father's mother quilted. She gave all the granddaughters quilts that she had made before she died. I cherish it. Since starting this series, I cherish it even more for the history behind it. I also know how much work goes into things like that.

I called around yesterday to the quilt shops in town. Several of them give beginning classes. Then next one should be in June. I may do it, just to say that I have. Even if I don't do anything but the sample quilt. At least I will know how.

Shawl, 2nd Pattern

I have finally finished the second pattern of my shawl. I had to take part of it out several times because I dropped a stitch and couldn't catch it. Not a good thing with lace. I have started working on the 3rd pattern. When I did my daughter's I didn't to the lace edging around the bottom, but put fringe on it. I'm trying to decide what to do with this one.

Soft Baby Blanket

I had a shower yesterday for a friend Heather that is expecting her first baby. I decided that I wanted to make a baby afghan for her. I searched the internet and found this one http://majorknitter.typepad.com/photos/patterns/oh_so_soft_baby_blanket.html

It is a little hard to see. It is called Oh So Soft Baby Blanket. It is worked with two strands of sport weight at the same time and with size 15 needles. It works up very fast and is soft as a cloud. I LOVE IT! I think it is going to be my new go to afghan. It turned out really well. Heather is having a girl, so I used white and a varigated baby pastel. Here is what it turned out like, and she loved it.

Mohana Shawl

I made this shawl for my daughter 3 years ago. I knew then that I would make it for me eventually. I started it about a month ago. I am almost through the second pattern. I chose a white cotton thread instead of yarn. Here is the detail of the first section. As soon as I finish the second section I will post that also. As challenging as lace is, I really like it.

Cross Stitch

After knitting presents for all of the family on my side, and not really getting a lot of feedback on what the got, I decided that I probably won't do that again. :( A friend of mine that a cross stitch kit that she was doing and I fell it love with it. It will be perfect to go on the wall with all of the family pictures. I started it the week after Christmas. I haven't cross stitched in about 5 years. I had to go and buy some reading glasses so I can see the fabric. I hate getting older! My youngest asked me how long it was going to take me and I figure about 6 months. He just raised his eyebrows and I said that this one I wasn't going to give away. I may have to revise that since I have had to stop for a couple of other projects. Right now it is about 1/3 of the way done.

Christmas Update

Yes, I know that I have been absent for about 6 months. I have been knitting, but just too busy to make time to update my blog. I got all of my Christmas presents done to send home with my mom when she came up for Thanksgiving so that I didn't have to mail them. In the rush to get everything finished, I forgot to take pictures. I could have cried about that. Oh well. Here are a few that I got after.

This is one of the men's ties finished. It was for my youngest brother. I thought that they turned out really well.This is the felted cable bag that I did for my sister. I decided that I really didn't like the way they did the handles, and if I do it again I am definately going to change them.The one on the left is the one that I made for my niece and the one on the right is the one that I designed for my mom.