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Wednesday, December 3, 2008

ATC Postcard & More Hand Made Gifts

The brown knit scarf is a work in progress for my 19 yr old grandson to go with the knit brown hat I finished first. And now you can see the long fringe (I hope) on the Trellis scarf also knit for 16 yr old grand daughter. I've been knitting for four years now. I taught myself how by reading books and using Knittinghelp.com on line. A wonderful resource with chats, and videos for helpful instruction, all free! BTW my mother knit the beautiful afghan my things are sitting on. Okay, now I need sound advice from you! I have entered a challenge to make ATCs and Postcards to exchange with members of my ATWI20Q group. This is a new experience in the art world for me and I do feel very much at sea. First of all the theme is "seasonal" but since we are sharing Around the World and while I am in WINTER some of them are in SUMMER or SPRING (for all I know?)... This first attempt at a Postcard is a butterfly in hibernation for the winter...something like that. Title is gelling in my brain yet. It's a cotton butterfly sewn on a piece of black fleece, overlaid with two kinds of fine mesh tulle, the top layer has glitter. And it's all top sewned on each layer. I might add a button with a butterfly on it to this one. I am open for REAL criticism as I know not what I do here. So let me know what you think before I embarrass myself completely by sending these off. This next one is a first ever ATC in progress. Starry Winter Night? Again black fleece (I have a lot left over from another project...) with some holiday wrapping gold stars laid on green Angelina fibers, overlaid with orange metallic netting, which is cut out around the stars to make them shine. Then some top stitching holding it all together, but the edges now are left raw. Should I sew the edges down? What are the rules for ATCs? Are there any? Working on something this small, the size of a business card, is quite the challenge in itself. Again, I am open to suggestion.

6 comments:

  1. Oh I like that wide scarf. the one I am making is very narrow. This one looks like it will be much warmer. Very good.
    As for the ATC's I have no clue how they are to be done but these look fine to me. But do Butterflys hybernate in full form like that?
    clueless here... wish I could help you on those.

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  2. Wowzer, you do such beautiful imaginative work Lynn!!

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  3. Lynn, this is great, I love the scarfs and the butterfly. the orange netting I think needs flattening but then it will look great too. Great new projects,
    love
    Andrea

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  4. I didn't know what ATC was - so looked it up. Artist's Trading Card. First time I've come across that. Yours look fine. At first I thought you could stitch down the orange part, but leaving it as is gives it a wilder look. Depends on what you want.

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  5. I'm reteaching myself how to knit. I learned from Grandma when I was 7 and she taught me to knit with one needle under my arm, which is a scottish custom. But since Grandma's family came from Minsk I'm not sure how she learned that! Anyway, it's tough because everything is backwards - so to learn a new stitch, I have to watch someone do it and then re-make it up for myself.

    As for the ATC's - they're wonderful. I don't see this orange bit that everyone is talking about but frankly...whatever! I do ATC's alot with a group on line and anything goes - just the size has to be right. And don't worry about the seasonal thing - these are usually world wide projects so you'll get everything from summer to winter in the mix.

    Just have fun and enjoy it all. I love the butterfly one!

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  6. Cris, you make me laugh. That's a joke about the hibernating butterfly. No they just die, but I am doing a "winter" theme so decided to have this butterfly I found on my table to to sleep for the winter! Just me being "creative". LOL

    Teri, wow, thanks!

    Andrea, I appreciate your feedback. Just what I needed. Thanks.

    Elspeth, yes, I agree. But finally decided stitched down looked cool.
    See next post. (oh you did) LOL

    Mim, check out Knittinghelp.com. it's a very cool site where you can chat with other knitters, ask questions and get help immediately, and see videos of how stitches are done. I found it invaluable when I just started knitting. (after the twins were born). And thanks for your feedback on the postcard and ATC.
    I am finally having fun with them. Glad "anything goes" as that is the kind of artist I have become. Actually it sort of matches my LIFE in general. (within limits of course! LOL)

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Thanks for leaving your comments as I love hearing from you. Your words of encouragement are why I continue to draw!