Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

 Nancy Grace Hutson, is a self-taught artist who pursues her artistic vision by combining her love of crochet with her drawings on archival paper. Not only will her artwork be on display at Sow's Ear in Verona, Wisconsin now through February 27, but she will also teach a workshop on her method of "free-style" crochet. Sundrops courtesy of Sow's Ear Sundrops : close-up Nancy's "themes for her crochet wall hangings are nature-based: a flowing river, clouds in the sky, the sun through trees. Even her abstract pieces – her vision of sun drops falling onto a lake, and the wild sky colors behind a three-dimensional tree branch – come out of playing with natural images. Mixed Media; crochet over wire for 3-D effect, courtesy Hutson Hutson is also displaying a few of her drawings, which she says are “colorful, rhythmic, and playful.” Also displayed is the coming together of her drawing and crochet media, with a drawing framed in creative crochet shapes." The Fl...

Call me a perfectionist; but I have been concentrating on making my crochet the best it can be since around 1990. I always loved crochet, but before the Crochet Gof America was organized, I dabbled in many other needlework techniques. Crochet called to me and I always came back to it. Then along came Crochet Loom Blooms!

Three lucky winners can enter for a chance to win a copy of the brand new, DIY Holiday. Add your email on my blog where it says “follow” and email me a note that you did so. US addresses only , please, by December 1 at midnight. Good luck! I don’t usually expect to find consistent pattern quality in a magazine that is stretched in as many directions as this Premiere Issue published by Interweave/F + W. However, the editors, Amber Eden and Karin Strom, have proven me wrong! Included are 25+ hand-crafted projects for the holidays and you will find familiar names among the designers across many genres: crochet (4 projects); Knitting (4); Quilting (4); Modern Sewing (4); Needlework (2); Jewelry (4); Mixed Media (3); and Weaving (2). Shisha Ornaments by Susan Haynes Opdahl Designated “Cool Crafts on the Cheap,” several projects were also chosen in mind for cost conscience crafters. DIY Holiday  has everything one needs to take on a new craft, including downloadable patter...

Tuesday, April 29, 2014 Collage with Crochet Art ~ A Beginner’s Guide to Mixed Media By Macarena Smartt Collage with Crochet Art The art of crochet is amazingly vast and varie;. I’ve often said I will never learn it all in my lifetime. The joy of wanting to learn so many techniques in crochet is what keeps us at it for decades. My book, The Fine Art of Crochet   is definitely in a small niche category, and I have recently come upon another exciting book that occupies its own niche as well. Macarena Smartt’s book, Collage with Crochet Art  thrills me! It is collectible and a must for every crocheter/artist’s personal library. She says it is intended for the ‘budding artist.” Many, many crocheters hesitate to say the words, “I am an artist,” out loud. I believe it is because those words bring connotations of educated skills along with the pressure to perform. This book reminds me of some kids’ craft books I’ve seen in which clear, precise step-by-step instruct...