Knitting and Crocheting Lolita ATC ACEO, #15

https://www.etsy.com/listing/242141281/knitting-and-crocheting-lolita-atc-aceo

Knitting and crocheting lolita artwork!
ATC/ACEO, one of a kind, watercolor painted, and colored with markers to touch up details.

-MNR

Chii From Chobits, lolita art! ATC/ACEO for sale

https://www.etsy.com/listing/242139761/chii-from-chobits-atc-aceo-fanart-clamp

Hot off the press. <3 p="">An original hand drawn piece of fanart of Chii from Chobits,

-MNR

My Hen and Chicks tatted edging

No, its not a pattern.
The pattern can be found online by googling though.

Hi everyone, this is just an edging I have been tatting on my breaks from work. I hope to put it on some cute clothing that needs sprucing up.
A nice dress, ne? Cuuute.
This is not crochet or knitting, this is tatting. =3

-MNR

Discussion of art materials: Acrylic Paint

I can safely say that I am moving beyond student and beginner paints.
They served their purpose when I was a child, and in college when I needed inexpensive colors to put on a canvas for class.

So, if you're a hobbyist, inexpensive colors are good.
However, keep in mind inexpensive colors will:

• have less pigment in them
• more dull colors, 
• might mix strangely
• the pigment in the color won't match other brands' colors
• might be transparent, which can be good or bad for your purposes
• might be runny or clot too quickly in the tube
• dry too quickly on the canvas, so they become sticky and unworkable
• and other anomalies.

I have learned all this from trial and error. A professional or advanced hobbyist cannot simply use cheap colors. Your work will LOOK like an amateur's work. Or worse, like... sorry to say it, washable children's paint on a cheap piece of paper.

(FYI, since the cost of materials goes up, this is partially why original artwork has the cost that it does. Part the cost is the experience of the artist, part how much time is spent on the piece, and part is the cost of quality materials and making a piece that will last decades or centuries as opposed to a year or two.)

I am saying this looking back on paintings I've made over the past few years.
I am ramping up the quality of my pigments. The job I have currently is but a temp job, but I don't spend money on anything else, just student loans, some food, some transportation (I bought some clothes last week), and the rest goes towards bettering my knowledge of my crafts, mainly art and art supplies.

I think I like heavier body acrylic, but its hard to... find something that's in the middle of heavy body and low viscosity paint. At the moment I'm using

• Liquitex brand, heavy body and more general pigments, 
• Golden brand, and 
• Chroma brand.

I'm looking at my options as for paints I want to use. I have found that going to art supply websites gives you great deals, plus exposes you to reviews of other artists' experiences with materials.

What I stopped using:
Again, these were good for learning to paint and school projects, in both primary school and bachelor level college. But again, for a more professional artist, they don't really work.

• Reeves
• Liquitex Basic
• Artist Loft (basically off brand)
• Premiere Acrylic Colors

I mean, brands have cheaper colors in order to build brand loyalty with a customer and draw them towards buying the higher quality materials they sell.

However, this is the piece I am complaining of. Well, not really. I just felt I needed to say something after last night, I slowly became frustrated with some of the colors. This painting is a work in progress, and I plan on repainting most of it. I like how its coming out, except for some of the paints I used.  But eeehhhhhh...

-MNR

Found a vintage crochet bag pattern link – A Russian Bag

Vintage Crochet Bag Patterns – A Russian Bag



Great crochet thread pattern I just found, check it out!

I aim to make it sometime, maybe in a size 10 or 20 crochet thread. I would want it bigger, with more stitches.



-MNR

My crocheting project: Crocheted Silk Purse Fig. 1

Florence Home Needlework, Crocheted Silk Purse Fig. 1

I got this PDF from antiquepatternlibrary.org. I am thankful towards the person who donated these scans. <3 p="">
I love crocheting vintage, antique and ancient patterns. This happens to be an antique pattern. Very Victorian/Edwardian. I plan to use this all the time, special occasion or no special occasion, victorian wear or no victorian wear.

The PDF: http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/pub/PDF/B-JA077Florence1887.pdf

The description says: 

Florence Home Needlework 1887

Florence, Mass., Nonotuck Silk Co, 1887, 96 pgs.

Pretty neat! Many of the antique patterns that are preserved historical documents are created in the northeast, specifically, my home state!

This is what is available in the booklet. This is only the image, not the complete pattern.

Anyway, here is what I have so far of this crocheted purse.

I am using a size 10 modern steel crochet hook, 1.3mm. Size 20 crochet thread (antique, JP Coats brand) with a strand of cotton sewing thread. Size 8 toho chartreuse transparent seed beads. 

Fun!

I have been working on it in the evenings and during my lunch breaks at work.

Sorry if the images are a  lil big when enlarged. I took them with my phone. I swear, I am so lazy in documenting my projects.. I'm trying to be better at posting records of what I"m doing! Its actually a marvel I've posted something. however, this is an antique pattern that isn't even on the ravelry database, so I'm thinking that I have to pioneer that effort...

Anyway, the slip of paper that was in that last photo looks to be one of those mailaway order forms, advertising more patterns and thread available from JP Coats. On one side, it says: "Doilies to Crochet! Only 10c a copy! Mail this coupon now" Hahahha. Finding anything that is 10c today is... hard. With old and antique mailers... I've always had a strong desire to mail in the coupon or order form and see if they honor it. xD

Anyway, sometime soon I will add a ravelry entry for this pattern/book and perhaps post the link here.

Edit: Here is the ravelry link: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/murasakinoryuu/crocheted-silk-purse-fig-1

Here are the mostly finished images of the crochet beaded purses. These are done with bead crochet, and thus are bead crochet purses.

-MNR