Round Crocheted Purses

I made a round base for my crocheted purse out of strips(5/8in) of cloth so that it would have a sturdy bottom that will hold its shape.It looked like a bowl, two inches deep and then I started chrocheting with yarn to make all the rest of the body--10 rows in single crochet, begining with the first row being one single crochet, two single crochets, but having only one single crochet in each space. I then do 3 rows of a double crochet in each space, then 5 rows of double crochet, ch one over next space, double crochet, one ch over next space all around. Finish the last row with aan edge using, ch5, single crochet on first stitch, repeat, making a picot over each space. Crochet a chain for the desired lenght to make the purse string and make a second one, and insert on the third row of double crochet witgh the spaces.

My postcards

Quilted Postcards

I have been making some quilted postcards to exchange with the other ladies on my quiled landscape group. Before Christmas, we made some Christmas ones and I showed how ordinary trees are decorated with lights in the Rio Grande Valley because we hardly have any fir trees. I ended up sending them late and later in February send some little surprises to the ladies...some pink butterflies made from fabric from a book on making gifts in the Japanese way.
Then we made some winter postcards in January and I used some net my daughter left in her stash of fabrics that looks like it is snowing. I put these net over some fir trees for one card and over embroidered bare trees for the other card. (There were only three of us in the group, instead of 4 as the group should be.)
I then made three Spring ones--one looked like bluebonnets, but the curled ribbon was purple; one was a flowering tree, using pink knots as flowers on an embroidered tree; and the third one was a grape leaf with some early small grapes, which reminded me of an early childhood memory from my mother's garden.
I loved making these postcards that I am still making some more, but this time concentrating on the bugs of spring. I made a card with red butterflies among some whilte lace flowers, a large one in front and some smaller ones in the distance. Another one had a grasshopper made with an appliqued piece of green cloth and black embroidered legs. (I really liked this one a lot.) Another has a dragonfly appliqued over a nice piece of quilted cloth with tiny dragonflies in a pattern. Another one is a thistle flower crocheted.
We're now making postcards based on a song title and I finished one. I had a gold paisely that I cut and arranged the paisely forms to look like flames, adding some shiny material in a very shiny and reddish look and even added what represents a match---LIGHT MY FIRE! I am making one from an applique of a little island in the middle of the ocean--IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ISLAND(1957). The third one is not decided yet, although i have one looking like an ordinary grass and flowers--maybe---I never promised you a rose garden!

Dog Booties

Leaves are fantastic! I had always thought so, but now more than ever. Following the inspiration of an article from BELLE ARMOIRE called "Abstract Knitted and Crocheted Shawls", I have been making leaves of different sizes in different colors of left over yarn to make myself a one of a kind shawl for myself.
My cousin Tina asked me to make some little booties or shoes for her small dog, because she said the kitchen floor was too cold and she is afraid he'll get arthrities. Finding myself short on time between all my needlework projects, I decided to improvise and it all worked out beautifully.
First of all I tried to find four leaves in the same color and about the same size and I was lucky to find them in the yellow green color. I then cut four roundish looking soles from a heavy black felt and sewed a leaf around each sole, starting at the back of the shoe wityh the tip of the leaf, going around and meetimgh with the other tip of the leaf. the little bootie was shorter at the back, where I added ribbon to tie in front on the wider part of the leaf as the shoe "tongue". So four green leaves turned into four dog booties! leaves are versatile!!!

Complete Vine Hanging

This is a complete picture of the Vine Wall Hanging.

Vine Wall Hanging

These are portions of a wall hanging depicting a grape vine done from memories of the arbor in my mother's garden.