Crochet Wall Art

Remember my orange and green Tussy-Mussy 12" Square? 

It was a very interesting design by Rebecca Bisbing (here) with stitches that challenged me (view my projects here).  

I had pinned it up on the wall next to a framed hand-embroidery crewel flower design sewn by my Mother-in-Law in the same colors. 

But...I wasn't happy with it pinned up and realized it needed to be framed properly.  

Several weeks ago I had bought two black frames at Ikea with the intent of framing some black and white prints from vacations that I had rolled up and put away many years ago. 

Of course, I didn't bother to take measurements of the prints and bought the frames hoping they were the right size.  And you guessed right.. duh...the frames were too small. 

So today I'm sitting here thinking about those frames and decided to use one to frame my orange and green Tussy-Mussy square. 

The frame's mat opening wasn't a square shape so I added three rolls of double crochet to the top and bottom of the square to make it a rectanglar shape.

Then I cut out a piece of Muslim the size of the frame and sprayed some adhesive on a piece of stabilizer and attached it to the fabric.

  Next I pinned the crochet design to the chalk marked outline of the mat opening and loosely stitched the design to the fabric. 

The last step I dropped the fabric with the sewn on design into the frame opening and closed it up. 

For now I've hung it in our hallway from the dinning room to the kitchen so I can look at it close up so I can admire it as I pass through. 

I love it!  

I've always thought of displaying my crochet pieces framed and I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome.  

This won't be the last crochet piece I frame!

Have you ever framed your crochet?  

No. One Tussy-Mussy 12" Square

Yea, I finished it.

Tussy-Mussy 12 Inch Square No. One

Just in time too!

I wanted to finish this one before we leave for London tomorrow.

And before I forget how to do it.

LOL!

Crazy colors.

Soft pink, two shades of blue and red.

Sorry, photos are dark because it is raining here today.

That beautiful weather we had left us yesterday.

We have a late night flight tomorrow.

I'm so excited I don't know if I'll be able to sleep at all on the plane.

Hubby just texted me that Margaret Thatcher's funeral is in London at St. Paul's next Thursday.  

While we are there.

Don't know how much I will be blogging while on our grand adventure.

Or if I will at all.

I just may be too busy.

You may have to wait until we return to hear all about our journey!

Now I have to turn control of my laptop over to my Hubby so he can download the 2,252 photos on my iPhone to my laptop...then I can delete them on my iPhone.

I want to have a clean slate for our trip.

Tussy-Mussy 12" Square No. 2 Completed

All done!

I finally finished one Tussy-Mussy 12" Square!

Is it perfect?

I doubt it.

It was a challenge for me.

I lined up the cotton yarns I used to show you.

Orange, lime green and two variegated yarns...one tan and white and the other tan, green and white.

Round 13 is finished here in green.

Another view of the finished product.

All 14 rounds.

The toughest rounds for me were 8, 9 and 10.

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time reading instructions.  

Particularly when all the stitches are lumped into one paragraph for a round. 

I lose my place all the time.

I tried to make a diagram for this pattern but I got stuck on it.

Designers amaze me because I don't know how they can think up these complex patterns.  

This free pattern (here) is by Rebecca Bisbing.

Get her pattern now...because she is only offering it free through May 31, 2013.

Even though this pattern was hard for me...I loved it.  

Now I'm going to try to finish the first square I started in the acrylic yarns (pink, red and blue).

You can follow my journey with this project (here) and (here).  

Changing the subject...only six days remaining until we start our adventure flying across the Atlantic Ocean and touring England/Wales/Scotland!

We are packed and all ready and very excited.

We're going on a Grand Circle Tour with 36 other people...but most exciting we are touring with my college room mate and her hubby.  We've been closefriends for over 40 years.  

Hubby and I were looking at a map of the UK the other day because we don't know where anything is.

So we were looking up all these towns and...

I discovered that Liverpool isn't anywhere near London.  

I always thought it was a suburb of London.

Yep, that's how clueless I am.  

So...all my UK friends...

if you see a Yankee looking confused and lost

 - but very HAPPY - 

in the next couple weeks...

it's probably me!

LOL!

P.S.

We also found out that our fanny packs are called waist packs in the UK!   

That's funny!

It's going to be weird to see vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road too.  

I'm so glad we aren't driving... just riding.  

Tussy-Mussy 12" Square No. 2

If at first you don't succeed, try again.  

I decided to put aside my first Tussy-Mussy 12 inch square in acrylic yarn and try again with cotton yarn in different colors. 

 I was stuck on round 9 on my first square in red, pink and blue (read about here).

I guess I wasn't crazy about that color combination and decided to try another one in cotton yarns.

This was my inspiration!

I love the colors in this lovely crewel embroidered flowers in a vase made by my dear MIL.  

The yellows, greens and oranges match the cotton yarn colors I have in my stash.  

First four rounds done.

Starting round seven here in orange.

Finished round eight here with the four chain-three corners.

I'm working on round nine now. 

I have no idea if I'm doing it correctly but I really like this square.

It's challenging for me and interesting too.  

And I like this color combination.

Well, I better get back to work!

My Bunnies

I love bunnies.

Doesn't this cute bunny remind you of the White Rabbit from "Alice in Wonderland"?

I'm hosting our BUNCO gals next week (for those of you not familiar with BUNCO it is an easy to play dice game) and really just an excuse for 12 women to get together to have FUN and TALK.

I have been busy cleaning and de-cluttering the kitchen and family room.  I cleaned out kitchen cabinets and drawers that haven't seen the light of day in years.  

I couldn't believe all the saved business cards we had stuffed away.  Every time I turned around I found another pile of them.  

They are like bunnies multiplying...

Another dark and rainy day but I know the trees, shrubs and grass love all this rain.

I bought the cute chick and bunny mugs with the stuffed animals at our local grocery store.  They are easy to store out of season and just fit my kitchen window ledge.

I made the EASTER banner too!

Yesterday I went to Michaels (our local craft store) and picked up some supplies for BUNCO...cute paper plates and napkins in lovely spring colors.  

I spotted this adorable white fur bunny and, of course, she came home with me.   

She will make a cute center piece for BUNCO. 

I took two plastic Easter eggs and tied ribbons around them and set them in my glass candle sticks. 

Easy, no cost decoration.

I taped my SPRING banner on the fireplace and put some more bunnies out.  

I haven't been crocheting this week as much.  I'm stuck on this round of my motif - this side isn't working out right.  I don't know...maybe my stitch count is off on the previous round.  I already frogged the previous round and re-did it.  And it still isn't working out.  I love this motif so I'll keep working on it.  

So true!!!!

(click here to see all things EASTER at Teacup Lane)

Tussy-Mussy 12 Inch Square

This crochet square design is so exquisite. 

 It reminds me of the African Flower Motifs. 

And isn't that the cutest name!!!

Tussy-Mussy it is.

 I'm using yarns from my stash as usual to try out the pattern.

Sorry the photos are a little dark...I took these last night by the light of my table lamp.

Interesting rounds.

Hope I've done them correctly so far.

Let's spice it up with pops of red.

I'm going with shades of red (pinks) and blues so far.

Haven't really planned it out.

I'm grabbing colors as I go.  

You know the drill - click here to see more details on Ravelry.

Click (here) for the free pattern.