Friday, June 10, 2011

Brooched.

After much agonising and researching and procrastinating and planning, I am happy to report that I have finally finished my doily brooch for Susie's Flowerpress Brooch Swap.

But before you go thinking it was easy and straight forward, let me take you on a bit of a brooch journey.

First off I thought I'd make it out of bits and pieces from my Farmer Boy's shed.

When that didn't come together, I started crocheting a multi layered and petaled flower. When that looked like it was going to turn out enormous, I ditched that idea too. I hope to go back to it and finish it at some stage because it'll look great as a corsage on a bag or jacket, but not really a brooch.

Then while looking at pretty pictures on Ravelry one night I decided to make a doily brooch. And after looking at hundreds of doily patterns and not loving any of them, I made up my own.

Or at least I thought I did, but when I came home and did a Pinterest search I came up with this. It looks so similar to mine it's scary. Wow!
It seems my pattern might not have been so original after all.

I crocheted five small doilies yesterday on the train to Melbourne and back. It took me that many goes to get the size and shape and pattern I liked. But do you think I wrote it down as I went along so I knew what I had done? Nope! This silly billy had to guess and count the stitches each time.

When I had finally come up with a pattern I was happy with, I decided the cotton I had grabbed that morning was far too white, so we soaked the doilies in my Mum's tea pot and then in a salty vinegary solution to set the new colour.

Mmmmmuch better.

After that all that was left was to stitch it onto some denim, glue a circle of denim on the back to neaten it up and then the brooch pin.

Raveled here.

Woohooo, I'm mentally ticking brooch swap brooch off my mental list.

What's next? Some caravan sewing I think.

Have a fab weekend y'all.

41 comments:

  1. Kate - so gorgeous - I want one too!
    If i'm not your swap partner (?) then I'll try to have a go too.

    It is perfect.X

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  2. ooh that's a pretty brooch.
    l
    x

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  3. Oh, I looove it. Just love it.
    (And here I've been worrying about you, I should be worrying about me!)
    Looks so cute with that jumper. x

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  4. Well I'd be happy with it if it came my way especially reading about how much thought and work went into it. Love the final colour too. Nice work!

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  5. It looks great! The brooch swap was such fun - it was challenging to come up with something & to come up with something that I don't normally make got the old brain waves ticking!

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  6. Great idea dying it with tea.. looks great!
    Somehow missed the previous post until now.. what a lovely happy occasion!

    I love pinterest! Heaps of time-chomping fun on that!

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  7. Gorgeous. Yes yes yes... do write the pattern down.

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  8. Wonderful! I never write things down either, I always kick myself for it later!

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  9. But the hearts??? The hearts!!! What about the hearts!!??? Did you make them?
    Xx

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  10. Well worth the journey, absolutely gorgeous! Did you make the heart brooches too? :)

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  11. lurvly! looks great on the cardy.

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  12. Oh Kate...
    It must be a brooch sort of day...
    Love the tea staining...Brilliant idea...
    and adore seeing your family pics on your last post...You family looks amazing...

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  13. What a clever chook you are designing your own pattern! on a train no less! Love the design and the colour and the whole package. Although the massive flower petal in progress looks like it has a lot of potential as well- look forward to seeing it finished. melx

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  14. Oh Kate, it's STUNNING! I love it.
    Please do put the pattern down
    ( i'm always not writing things down i make it)
    and loved the way you "aged " it too.
    xo
    PS word verification tedrapo- how good is that! Like a teddy dj's name.

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  15. Kate, I am really loving your take on brooch making...this is fab and something I could see myself wearing!
    Also love the idea of tea staining the cotton...brilliant.

    x

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  16. I too think this is just gorgeous Kate ... maybe you should add some to your shop - I think you would sell lots and lots of them!!

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  17. oooh I like that! My mum is knitting a very similar green cardi for me at the moment and you've just given me the idea of how to finish it! Yay! Cx

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  18. bellisimo!!!! I want one!!! TK xx

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  19. I declare that may be the perfect brooch. And dyed with tea: that's just ingenious. Awesome green cardi too, love that one.

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  20. I really, really like your brooch. I think it adds the perfect touch to your sweater, too. Great job!

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  21. I like that! Great idea dying it with tea. It's STUNNING!

    San Diego Mobile Notary

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  22. That looks great! I like doilies. On everything!

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  23. It looks great Kate. I find that with crafty people, there are only so many different things that can be done and often our ideas overlap

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  24. I am just loving the brooches! Gorgeous!

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  25. It's so lovely...and I loved seeing your thinking process to get to the final one.

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  26. Oooh love it! I'm sure the recipient will too!

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  27. I absolutely love this brooch and it works so well on your cardigan. Wonderful.

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  28. that is so cute! I love brooches. I only own about 4 but I love them and I can't wait to expand the collection.

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  29. I love your brooch, I have just been making plain crochet flower ones and sewing beads in the middle and felt on the back, hadn't thought of doily ones... I like that green jacket too!
    x Sandi
    Oh all you girls in the last post, how lovely to be all together celebrating.

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  30. These are beautiful. You are so very creative. Love your idea of soaking them in the teapot. I love how the color turned out.

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  31. Capita anche a me, a volte di trovare progetti di cose che pensavo di aver immaginato solo io... bravissima sempre!

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  32. Oh, that is one super pretty brooch!

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  33. oooh, that's just so pretty Kate! Especially with that cardi. Love it! Lucky swap buddy.

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Thanks so much for stopping by...

I do read every single comment you leave and appreciate it very much, but I should let you know that I can be a wee bit on the useless side when replying to comments, that's just me, everyday life sometimes gets in the way....so I'll apologise now, just in case.

Kate XX

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