The other day when I was out in the yard photographing some inkle weaving, a bee landed on the loom and ambled around. She didn’t seem bothered about me and my camera and she let me photograph her.
I was concerned that she might be having a hard time in the heat, so I sat my camera down so I could bring her a little dish of water, but she flew off and started nuzzling tomato flowers.
I hope that she and all her sisters are doing well, and I am grateful to her for stopping for a little visit.
Life is full of little blessings that make our hearts sing, isn’t it?
The Lily Doll Project that I am designing for the Mirrix Chloe loom is all about imagination.
So to celebrate imagination, I designed a Mermaid costume to be woven on the Chloe loom for the Lily Doll.
The Mermaid Tail slips onto Lily Doll’s legs so she can have adventures in a Mermaidly way.
But it struck me this morning that the Mermaid Tail and the Lily Doll pattern could be ‘mashed up’ to weave a doll that is a Mermaid and not a little doll with legs, dressed as a Mermaid.
There are always so many options, aren’t there?
Here are the links for the Lily Doll kit and pdf pattern:
I have worked with my dreams all my adult life. I use the images, stories, and themes that happen in my dreams to shape my art and artisanship.
After my beloved son in law died suddenly from a heart catastrophe brought on by Covid, I had incredibly powerful dreams in which I was able to talk with him and listen to his new stories about his journey after this death.
He told me that I absolutely HAD to write a book about finding my way to hope and grace in living with the all encompassing grief unleashed by his passing…..
I was also having many dreams about Star Babies….. I have been dreaming about Star Babies for more than 30 years… I dreamt, over and over, about how the Star Babies were the most amazing experience of joyous, innocent, contagious and delicious laughter. Dreaming about them and their new adventures was incredibly healing. They lead me to keep finding references to how the stars offer us laughter and connection and hope, which I felt was synchronicity working it’s finest magic.
I was finding so much comfort and solace in my crochet, and talked with my wonderful editor at Stackpole, Candi Derr. We agreed that we can heal our broken hearts with lovingly creating small, but significant things that wrap up our love. And as we talked and I designed, and crocheted, crocheted, crocheted, it became clear that stars were meant to be the metaphor, and pardon the pun, but the STARS of this book.
Of course, I had to begin with the Laughing Stars that evolved from the Star Babies, and that seeded this book, Crochet Stars-
And then, I found all kinds of ways of creating more and more stars….
Some of which act as frames to embrace the memories of those we love, but who now dance among the stars-
And some of whom crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but still live on in our hearts….
I added a little lace to the pupster’s pics, and played with colors on the back of the stars:
It’s lovely to think of them all playing and laughing in amongst and with the stars, and the Star Babies, too!
Crochet Stars is now available from all the online book sellers! Yay! Happy Crochet! ❤
Tottie Talks Crafts Blog 