Crochet Comets
Among brilliant yellow stars and blazing comets, the dark star shows that brightness cannot be bright without a contrasting darkness. And though it doesn’t shine with bold yellow light, a dark star is still a star.
The Inspiration and Making of Crochet Comets
At our 2015 Dublin Rippers quilting retreat, my friend Donna challenged us. She had a black plastic bag full of fabric. We had to close our eyes and reach into the bag. We had until the next retreat to make something from the fabric we drew from the bag. She said we could make anything we wanted. It didn’t have to be a quilt.
My fabric was a tiny print in dark gray and white that gave an overall impression of gray. It reminded me of the night sky.
Weren’t there a couple of yellow and white doilies in my collection at home that might make good comets? I went home to my doily collection and, yes! There they were.
To get an idea of scale, I photographed the doilies and the gray fabric, plus some yellow fabrics that I planned to use for the comet tails. I used Adobe Photoshop Elements to digitally build the wall hanging, cutting and pasting the images of doilies and fabric.
I put several stars in the sky, just to give me an idea of how they would look. In the real wall hanging, I would use more stars and they would be a lot fancier. And I’d sew on a bunch of buttons as smaller stars.
Photoshop Elements has a tool for drawing boxes and circles and, hey—stars! I clicked on the star shape and dragged the first one. It was black, because I forgot to change to a more appropriate color. The next stars were yellow.
The sketch was pretty rough, but it served its purpose. I could tell that the quilt would have to be about five feet wide to give the doily comets and their tails enough room.
I started laying out the quilt top, stopping only to buy a length of fabric to go between the dark earth and the lighter sky. As I worked and laid out the doilies and houses and moon, I got a feeling. It was definitely located in my chest. It was a feeling of inevitability that seemed to squeeze my heart.
The feeling was that the sketch might be rough, but it was perfect the way it was. Any attempt to improve on it wouldn’t be an improvement at all. I came to know this as I worked.
So the quilt is as close to the sketch as possible. I did fancy up the comet tails with buttons and beads, but the sky is plain except for the appliqued yellow stars and one black star.
The back is made from scraps, many of which were giveaways from my quilting friends. It is quilted in mostly parallel, curving lines. That took a long time.
This was my first mostly-fabric quilt, and I learned a lot. It is also the biggest quilt I have made so far.
Crochet Comets is on display at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado, until April 23, 2017. Starting July 1, 2017, it will be part of the Celebrate Doilies exhibit, debuting in Stephenville, Texas, at the Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council River North Gallery.
Christmas-in-July Project Done!
The beauty of starting this 16-week Christmas felt kit project in July was the flexibility in the schedule. When I decided to enter a juried show with a new quilt, I was able to take a few weeks off of making the wreath to make the quilt.
When the quilt was finished, I still had plenty of leeway to finish the wreath in time to decorate for the Christmas season. Hmmm. Will I make a habit of starting projects early?
This is how the last four weeks went:
Week thirteen. 
Week fourteen. 
Week fifteen. 
These are the fourteen pieces that made up the Santa ornament. It seems like a lot, but you just work on one or two at a time and soon you have the piece done. The Santa took me about four and a half hours to complete.
Week sixteen. I sewed each ornament and toy onto the wreath base and added a hanging loop. Now the wreath is hanging up, and every time anyone opens and closes the door, the sequins sparkle beautifully!
When it was all done, I recycled the felt trimmings. I put them in a bag marked “SCRAPS” and dropped them into an American Textile Recycling Corporation collection bin. They take all kinds of used clothing and household textiles and of course, fabric scraps. To find a bin near you, please visit their website: www.atrscorp.com
This was so fun, I’m going to do it again next year! I hope you’ll join me to make your choice of Christmas in July project in 2017. Maybe you’ll choose a gift or a decoration to make–maybe something to sew or knit or crochet. We’ll have project planning sheets and lots of support.
If you’d like me to email you about it next summer, please send an email to knitandcrochetwithsuzann@outlook.com and type “Christmas in July 2017” on the subject line.
Suzann’s Christmas in July project, 2017
Three Stories, Three Stories
This wall hanging is called Three Stories, and I also have three stories to share with you in this post.
First Story
I’m putting together an exhibit called “Celebrate Doilies!” which will run from July through September 2017. The exhibit will feature photos of doilies and stories about their makers.
For the next several months, I will be collecting photos of doilies and stories about them and the people who made them for the exhibit, which will be at the Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council, River North Gallery, in Stephenville, Texas.
This means that if you have family doilies hidden away in drawers or proudly displayed in your home, I would love to hear from you. This blog post has lots more information.
To learn even more about how you can join in this project, visit www.textilefusion.com/doily-heritage-project and click here to see a sample doily story.
Second Story
The three stories of the wall hanging called Three Stories are the stories of the filet crochet house, the vintage quilt top, and the doily that I cut into quarters to embellish the corners.
I picked up the cute filet crochet house from Ebay. It may be a placemat, a table mat, or a chair back cover. Whenever I find vintage crochet for sale, I consider it having been released from its previous story. My job is to give it a new story.
Same with the vintage quilt top: I found it at an estate sale. The piecing and stitching are far from perfect, but the overall effect is charming.
The white doily in the corners is also from Ebay. The thread is small and the stitches are firm and well-made.
We don’t know anything about the people who made these things or what their lives were like. It’s fun to imagine the history of the doilies and the quilt top.
Three Stories and other wall hangings that feature doilies will also be part of my exhibit next year.
Third Story
Three Stories seemed a little plain to me, so I decided to fancy it up.
How? With crocheted flowers! And buttons!
A couple of crochet flower books I know came in handy. I crocheted “Sweetheart Rose” from Crochet Bouquet, and “Twirl Center Rose” and “Paired Leaf Frond” from Crochet Garden.
I arranged them in an old-fashioned garland-y way and appliqued them to the quilt during last Sunday’s Dallas Cowboys football game. The Cowboys won and Three Stories is finished.
Next, I’m looking forward to hearing your doily stories–one, three, or however many you have!
Threads of Texas Quilt Show 2016
The Town ‘n Country Quilt Guild’s biennial quilt show, Threads of Texas, near Stephenville, TX, is over for 2016. I imagine there are some members still recovering from organizing and staffing this wonderful exhibit.
My friend Peggy and I sold tickets for four hours. We met lots of people eager to see the quilts, shop for supplies and gifts, and have a little lunch.
Along with our friends Hazel and Donna from the weekly Dublin Rippers bee, we entered several quilts in the show. We’ve changed our name temporarily to “The Ribbon Ladies,” because between us, we won a total of eleven ribbons!
Afternoon won a blue ribbon (first place) in the category “Other Techniques—Small.” I posted in-progress photos of Afternoon earlier in this blog.
You’ll also find some blog posts about Red Vases, which won second place in the same category. Same for Antelope Horns, coming in at third place.
I haven’t written about Crochet Comets yet (but I will!). It is my first quilt made from quilting fabric, and it’s embellished with doilies. Crochet Comets and Red Vases won merit ribbons for embellishment.
Peggy has already planned what she’s going to sew for Threads of Texas 2018. I’m not sure what I’m going to enter, but I am sure looking forward to it!
Felt Christmas Wreath Almost Finished
The third four weeks of my twelve week Christmas in July project are done, and now I’m in the home stretch. Making the ornaments and toys to decorate the wreath is so fun. They turn out very cute and they always make me smile.
Week nine. 
Week ten. 
Week eleven. 
Week twelve. 
I have a few more ornaments to go, and then I’ll spend week sixteen putting it all together.
For more frequent updates, please follow me on Instagram @suzannthompson.
Another Wall Hanging with Crocheted Flowers
The Five Point flower from pages 85-86 of Crochet Bouquet was perfect to embellish my latest wall hanging. The Five Points in the photo are made with Aunt Lydia’s No. 10 crochet cotton. They are really small and cute.
I’m making the wall hanging to enter in a juried show with an evolution theme.
You can crochet three different sizes of flowers from the Five Point pattern, one size growing out of the previous one. To me, that is a visual way to show how something might develop over time.
The quilt design also goes from plain to fancy, another sort of visual evolution. Here’s a peek at one of the steps in this wall hanging’s evolution.
Find step-by-step photos and hints for crocheting the Five Point flower here.
Crochet Kaiser Roll Hints
Thanks to Lindsay for asking about the Kaiser roll in Cute Crochet World. It’s part of the “Cheese Sandwich on a Kaiser Roll” pattern on pages 56-58.
Crocheting the Kaiser roll, I ran across two places in the instructions that need correcting:
- Page 57, third column, second paragraph, 4th and 5th lines down should read “transfer ch-2 lp of Rnd 2” not Rnd 1.
-
Same page and column, end of Rnd 6 should read “join with a sl st to ch2 at beg of rnd and end off OR cut yarn and needle join.” The words “and end off, or” are missing in the printed instructions.
You can find corrections for all of my books by searching this blog for “corrections” or “errata.” If you find a mistake in one of my patterns, please let me know and I’ll list it in the corrections pages.
Alright, back to crocheting a bread roll. The top of the roll has the subtly swirled, puffed look of a real, yeast bread bun. Here’s how to get that texture.
In the “Read Me First” section of Cute Crochet World, page 8, I wrote about the “first stitch” and the “next stitch.” It’s so important in crochet to pay attention to details like this in the instructions, and be able to recognize them in your work.
In this photo, Rnd 1 is joined with a sl st in the first sc of the round. To begin Rnd 2, ch 2 (which counts as the first hdc), and hdc in the first stitch, which is the same stitch you sl stitched into to join Rnd 1.
To join Rnd 2, sl st in the top of the ch-2 at the beginning of the round. Can you see the sets of 4 hdc sts separated by ch-3 spaces?
To make it easier to find them later, place a marker around each of the five ch-2 in Rnd 2. I used safety pins here.
With Rnd 5 finished, you can see how the hdc-tss are moving in a little swirl pattern. The ch-spaces move a couple or three stitches counterclockwise with each round.
After Rnd 5, enlarge the live loop far enough that it won’t start unraveling as you work on the next step.
Turn to the wrong side of your work. Look at the ladders formed by the ch-sts. Rnd 2, where you have markers, is the first rung of the ladder. Three more rungs follow (Rnds 3, 4, and 5).
Insert a larger hook under the first rung, where the marker is. Remove the marker. Insert the hook under the second rung and pull the second rung through the first.
This will feel pretty tight, but that’s how it is supposed to feel. You can use your fingers to lift the loops. It’s a lot easier that way.
*Insert your hook under the next chain and pull it through the chain on your hook. Rep from * once. The yellow bracket shows the ladder of chain spaces, all chained up.
Now put the marker or safety pin into that last loop to hold it in place. Do the same with the other four chain ladders.
When you are finished chaining up all the ladders, turn back to the right side. See the fluffy Kaiser roll top?
Insert your smaller hook back into the enlarged loop and tighten the loop around the hook.
In Rnd 6, when you get to a loop with a marker in it, work a hdc into the loop and remove the marker.
After crocheting into the loop, the instructions tell you to skip the next hdc, and hdc into the next 5 hdc. You may not be able to see the skipped hdc very well, since it may be covered or squished by the stitch you just completed. However you should be able to see five hdc before the next marker. In the photo above, they are marked with yellow dots. Hdc into each of those.
A needle-join is by far the best way to finish off this cute Kaiser roll top. After the last hdc, cut the yarn and pull the final loop right out of the top of the last stitch.
Thread the yarn end into a tapestry needle. Skip the ch-2 and take the needle under the top of the first full hdc of the round. Pull it through.
Insert the needle into the top of the last st of Rnd 6…
…and on the wrong side catch the vertical loops of the hdc. Pull the needle through. Adjust the loop to match the tension of the other loops around the edge of the roll.
Here’s the finished top. Now is the time to sew on beads to resemble seeds, if you want.
Crochet an inside bun. Sew the bun pieces together around the edges, stuffing lightly before you close the seam completely.
Poets and Paint Rock
Last week was Langdon Review Weekend in Granbury, Texas. The weekend celebrates the publication of the current Langdon Review of the Arts in Texas journal, and features poetry and prose readings, art exhibits and talks, and musical events.
I was pleased to present a talk about my TextileFusion artwork at this year’s event. In conversation with people after the presentation, the subject of Paint Rock came up.
Paint Rock, Texas, is not too far from San Angelo. Native Americans painted interesting and beautiful motifs on overhanging rocks along the river.
How exactly did this happen? I’m racking my brain for the exact phrase or question that caused us to start talking about it, but I can’t remember.
Anyway, for whatever reason, poet karla k. morton asked, “Have you been to Paint Rock?”
I said I hadn’t, but my husband was there and took lots of pictures so I could see how wonderful it was.
“My dear friends own the land that Paint Rock is on,” she said.
“I designed a sweater with images from Paint Rock,” I said. I’m sending her pictures of the sweater.
This was the original sweater, made with Joseph Galler RBC Parisian Cotton, a long discontinued, fabulous cotton yarn. I used US size 3 knitting needles.
Later, I designed a similar sweater with heavier cotton, which was
ed in Southwest Crafts* magazine. Southwest Crafts has been out of print for years, but I still think of it fondly, because my Paint Rock sweater in the magazine was the first pattern I ever
ed for pay.
*”Ancient Indian Pictures in a Knitted Sweater,” Southwest Crafts, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 7 ff., January/February 1991.
Here Before You Know It
Lately several people I know have said, “I can’t believe we’re already at the end of August,” shaking their heads in disbelief. Today, for the first time this year, I heard someone say: “The holidays will be here before we know it.”
Hearing that made me feel pretty happy with the progress I’ve made on the felt Christmas wreath kit by Bucilla. It’s my Christmas in July project.
The second four weeks are going according to schedule:
Week five. 
Week six. 
In Week seven, all the holly leaves for the wreath are finished, and I got to make a candy cane. 
Now I’m getting into the really fun stuff, with this toy train engine and a peppermint candy. At around 20 pieces, the train took a long time to put together. Totally worth it, though. It is very, very cute–so cute it tugs at my heartstrings.
And my sixteen week project is at the halfway point. Looking good so far! At this rate, it will definitely be finished in time to decorate for the Christmas holidays.
For more frequent updates, please follow me on Instagram @suzannthompson.
9/6/2016–Hi y’all. This poor post got tons of spam comments, so I’m closing comments. Email your comments to me at knitandcrochetwithsuzann at outlook dot com and I’ll post them here.
Pacing Myself for Christmas
I just love sparkly felt Christmas decorations!
They are fun to make, too. Herrschner’s, my favorite mail-order needlework company, has an annual sale on Christmas kits. In a fit of optimism, I ordered two kits back in 2014, thinking I could just make them in my spare time. Ha ha ha hahahahahahaaaaa!
It’s been proven that by pacing myself, I can actually get a kit finished. Blogging and Instagramming about my plan keeps me accountable. So here goes.
The goal is to finish this cute felt wreath and ornaments in time to decorate for Christmas. The kit is by Bucilla. Each week for sixteen weeks, I’ll embroider, embellish, and sew a manageable portion of the project. I started in July, and it should be done in November.
The wreath project fits nicely in a small totebag, along with scissors and a plastic container for the sequins and beads. Contrary to the instructions, which advise keeping the different colors of sequins separate, I put them all together into the container. The day I can’t pick out a green sequin from the container is the day I need to quit sewing felt kits.
I like being able to carry the project along, like I did a couple of Sundays ago. While waiting for my daughter, I lunched at Subway, ate a delicious sandwich, eavesdropped on conversations, and embroidered holly leaves. It’s amazing what you can get done between bites. A very pleasant time was had by me.
Here are the first four weeks’ work:
Week one.
Week two.
Week three.
Week four.
For more frequent updates, follow me on Instagram @suzannthompson.