Crocheting a fabric mat...

The inspiration for me to try and crochet a fabric mat is two-fold.  I love the blog of Isabeau Joubert, who seems to be a crochet artist in Cape Town at the moment (how cool!!).  She recently posted the most beautiful fabric floor coverings that she's made.

So inspired was I when I opened the new Ideas magazine and saw a Isabeau - fabric mat in there with the pattern to make it!

Pic's above:  Isabeau's beautiful creations!

I received my Ideas magazine on Thursday morning and after work I was on my way to source some fabric for my mat :)
Later on Thursday evening my husband and I took turns on cutting the fabric to strands for crocheting...

...this morning I finished cutting the fabric and could not wait to start and see how this would work ... so far so good...  :)

Crocheting a lampshade...

The inner frame of a lampshade from a vintage craft market bought a while ago, together with a lampshade on Ilaria's blog (also featured in Mollie Makes issue thirteen) were the inspiration for a crochet lampshade cover that took shape for my sisters' birthday present...

...the inspiration lampshade at the back of this pic by Ilaria

... the lampshade found at a vintage craft market

...fitting the granny squares

Yippee... 5 granny squares fits perfectly around the top part of the lampshade...

Crocheting white granny squares with spots of bright colours...  and attaching them to one another...

...a decorative pattern from a jersey becomes the 'lacy' piece at the bottom of the lampshade cover

...the lacy bit completed, as well as ribbon threaded through the treble crochet stitches 

...a scallop pattern for the top

...the finished product...

Just 'bearly' made it ...

Last week Thursday I had a wonderfully hectic time (as I have very little experience in working with fabric! ... but the fabrics are so lovely I just had to try!) filled with lots of concentration on the most beautiful fabric... learning form Sylvia how to make a 'oh so sweet' patchwork bear.  This all happened in the lovely setting of Dot's Quilts here in Cape Town.

Searching for just the right material for our bears was such a joy in the beautiful setting of Dot's Quilts...

With my material choice made...

... I started cutting out the pattern

...and then the stitching started, with no time to waist... as a whole bear had to take shape in 5 and a half hours... 

... the leg starting to show its form...

An o so sweet pleat in the ear...

Lots of concentration for me!! ... what goes where???

... everything coming together at the neck...

... and then suddenly it is time to add the legs and you can see your bear transforming out of the material... yippee!!

... my oh so sweet Sylvia bear... only in need of eyes and maybe a cute little nose... all in due time...

This was quite a breakthrough for me... I did not know that I would be able to do this... as I do not have much experience ... other than 'the stitching in a straight line' thing (ha ha)... I was nearly caught out!... but although I left the class last on Thursday, I made it!!  What a relief :)