Texture it With Knots! The Bullion Rosebud!

There are as many kinds of bullion knot rosebuds as there are designers. i will be sharing with you my own. It is a very simple rosebud, you can make it a bit more complex by adding mroe petals to it, and i give you the suggestion of colors you can use to add to it.
This is a lovely techinique to learn to embellish crochet. You can add it to purses, clothing (especially tops and little girl's dresses),b ut you can also use to it embellish beanies, gloves, belts, the front of ponchos, totes, coin purses, and more!

Materials:
If you are making these rosebuds as an all-over after-the-fact embellishment on a bag, and you used yarn for the bag, you can use yarn for the rosebuds.
If you want a contrasting fiber, you can use Perle or pearl cotton for the rosebuds.
Suggested colors: DMC Pearl Cotton Thread, Size 3, 16 yds. (15m)
Very Dk. Shell Pink
Rose
Very Lt. Shell Pink
If you want to use yarn, use the following colors:
Red Heart Shocking Pink or Country Rose
Rose Pink or Pretty 'N Pink
Baby Pink or Raspberry


Choose where you want your stitch to go on your bag or garment, bring the needle through from the back to the front at that spot, then you insert the needle a few stitches below that, and bring the needle up near where you oribilaly brought the needle through to start up,then you wrap the yarn around the needle (if you are using yarn, wrap 10 times, if you are using embroidery thread, wrap 15 times. Not too tightly so that you can pull the needle through!) Pull your needle through, tighten it up a bit and to anchor it in place, pull your yarn or thread through to the other side.
For second side of center, bring out needle a little bit under the bullion just made, then, insert needle through beside the bullion stitch just made and make a bullion with 8 wraps. pull needle through, tighten stitch and ancor it in place. Fasten off on the wrong side. Thread needle with Pretty 'N Pink, if using yarn.

If using Pearl cotton, thread needle with Rose. Starting right underneat the darker center, bring the needle through, then stitch above where you stitched the last bullion, to make this petal longer than the last one, make 12 wraps, pull needle through, tighten stitch, and anchor it.
Repeat this last stitch on the opposite side but make 14 wraps instead of 12. Pull through, tighten stitch. Anchor stitch and fasten off.
If you would like to make a couple of more petals, repeat the last 2 petals right beside the ones you made last, but using the pale pink yarn or thread.

Once you have made your rosebuds, you can add little crocheted leaves (if you want to). Use Red Heart worsted weight yarn Tea Leaf or if you use #10 cotton, make leaves with Frosty Green. Or you can make a couple of Bullion leaves using Tea Leaf if you are using yarn or Med Pistachio Green, if you use Pearl cotton, use Med. Pistachio Green.

If you came in just now and do know how to make the Bullion Knot to begin with and are interested in learning to use this technique, go back to our previous class and learn it, then come back and try the rosebud.
Here is where you will find our previous tutorial:

Texture It With Knots! Bullion Knot

For our next class, we will complete a Bullion Rose.

Born in Bethlehem

Texture It With Knots! The Bullion Knot

Now, if you don't want to make puff balls, or if you already used the puff balls and would like to use another kind of embellishment to create texture, use knots!
We will be making different knots, so you will learn to make them and by eaither scattering them all over your project or using them to follow a design of your own invention, go for it! This and the following classes will enable you to use decorative knots from now on.

Let's start with the Embroidery Bullion Knot.
You know Bullions from crochet, the embroidery bullion is pretty similar, but you can add bullions to your project after the fact, by using embroidery bullion knots.

You can add them in a pattern of your own choosing, you can scatter them all over, you can add them horizontally or vertically, and you can curve them like semi-circles.

You can use yarn on yarn, tone on tone, or contrasting colors and a different thread from the yarn used for your purse, bag or garment. For example, you can use Perle embroidery cotton, you can make them with a #10 cotton thread, you can use metallic thread, you can use satiny rayon thread, variegated embroidery thread,etc. The possibilities are almost endless.

This particular knot is also known as a caterpillar stitch or a coil stitch because you can use it as coils in a decorative manner. It all depends on how many times you will wrap the thread or yarn around your needle, if you do it say, 20 times, you will have a longer bullion and you can arch it a bit and turn it into a semi-circle.
Usually, you will wrap 15 times and you will get a straight bullion. If you would like to have an interesting effect with this thread, you can use 3 or 4 contrasting embroidery threads threaded through your blunt or embroidery needle. This stitch can be used a s a powdering, here and there as an accent, or you can mass it together, thus making a very dense textured filling following a pattern of your own invention; you can work it closely together to form a textured outline to other motifs you may want to sew onto a piece or just use it to add interest an a splash of color and a surprise where you would like it.

Before you begin, you have to decide whether you want the bullion to lie straight or if you want it to curve (for it to curve you only need tomake it longer and add mroe wraps to the needle). As with everything new, please, practice with a scrap piece until you are confindent with the stithc and then add it to your project to embellish it!

To work your Bullion proceed as follows, insert the needle into the crocheted fabric where you want it, from back to front, insert the needle again a little bit further, as far as you want theBullion to go, and without pushing the needle through the crocheted fabric all the way through, wrap the thread or yarn around the needle, 10 to 12 times for yarn or thick thread, 15 to 20 times for very fine embroidery thread or fine cotton crochet thread, not to tightly, because it will make it hard to pull the needle, and pull the needle through the wraps. Pull all the way till all the thread has gone through the curls of the wraps and all you have left is the Bullion.
To anchor the stitch, bring the needle to the back at the spot where you started.

Born of the Lineage of David

Yo-Yo It!

Materials:

Yarn of your choice

Scissors

Blunt needle

Crochet hook size H

Yo-yos are easy to make and are a fun way to embellish a piece of work. You can make them in a variety of contrasting, vivid colors against a dark ground (black, coffee, chocolate brown, burgundy or navy, to give you just a few examples. A dark slate gray will also work) or against a white, creamyu or light beige, or even a pearl gray.

On the other hand, you can use them tone on tone, just to add texture to the item you are making and mobility (if you choose to let them hang a little more) that is flirty and fun.

For example, for a shawl, you can add the yo-yos to the last 2 rows of your shawl as a substitute for tassels or a fringe. If it is a cardi, you can do the same or sew them all over a bag or large tote! You can also sew them in rows, leaving a space in between for a fun effect, similar to a moving fringe. Like colored, hanging coins, they will add motion to the garment or the purse.

Make your yo-yos all by themselves, either in the same yarn and color of the item you intend to sew them to or in contrasting colors or even texture to the item they will be embellishing.


Make your yo-yos as follows:


Leaving a tail at the start, ch 4, sl st to form ring.
Ch 3, work 16 dc in ring. Sl st to join rnd. Fasten off, leaving long tail.

Continue to make your yo-yos until you have the amount you have decided to use according to the kind of effect you want to achieve (an overall effect of adding them randomly all over the garment or bag, section embellishment, by just adding them in rows or just to a certain area of the garment or purse.)

Attaching your yo-yos:


Thread a blunt needle with one of the tails you left over and use that tail to sew the yo yo tothe garment or purse. Fasten off. Do the same with the other tail. You can sew the yo-yo closely to the garment or bag or leave bit of the yarn hanging for the yo-yo to have mobility.


Have fun with yo-yos! You can use them to embellish the front of a top or even the edges of a scarf. You can add them to the edges of a wrap or pile them up to form almost like a faux fur-like "collar" for a cardigan or sweater.


Variations:


You can make yo-yos in eyelash yarn, so that they'll have the feel of moving, round fringes!


Hope you enjoy trying out these ideas!


This is a beautiful time of the year, when humans beings stop and think of others. This is also a verylonely time of the year for many. If you can, stop and make something beautiful for someone who is alone in the world, someone who has been forgotten by people but not by god and you will be greatly blessed!


Rendezvous in Space!

Embellished Crochet Academy Lesson 2: Rick Rack

Last week, we used Puff Balls to embellish a bag, tote or garment that needed a little "more" after it was finished. This week, we will try our hand at rick rack. Rick rack can be very useful, you can use its valleys and peacks to "hang" a lacy ruffle, you can use it as is to just edorate around your bag or garment without having to unravel a single stitch to sproce things up.

Here's a simple rick rack you can make, which is very flexible and can be used in various decorative ways:

With yarn of your choice and H hook, ch 3.

Work 3 hdc in 3rd ch from hook. Ch 3, make 3 hdc in 3rd ch from hook. Rpe until you have the desired length.

How to use it:

You can sew this rick rack to your bag or garment in various ways, using it as is, or you can bead it or sew a decorative pearl or button to each "peak" of the rick rack.

You can make 2 rows of rick rack in contrasting colors of yarn or thread (depending on the project and the time of the year) and sew them with the peaks either facing away from each other of 1 up, 1 down, or all facing one another. This rack rack is very, very flexible and you can turn it easily in whatever direction you like.

You can sew it either forming two horizontal rows around a bag or the front of a grament, or two vertical rows.

You can also sew them in a V or U shape or form a half square, leaving the top opened and fill the inside with beads or buttons of any size. Even giant buttons look good.

You can also form a heart shape or a diamond with it. Simply, pin it down in the shape you have in mind and sew in place. If you form a heart, for example, you can eaither leafe it as is, or fill the hollow center with beads or buttons.

This will give a fresh look to your a favorite pattern for a bag, tote, purse or garment.

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Precious Thought:

" 'I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil.' This the message that, in the light from the cross, may be read upon all the face of nature. The heavens declare His glory, and the earth is full of His riches." Lift HIM Up, 255.

Embellished Crochet Academy Lesson 1: Puff Balls

Embellished Crochet—After The Fact Embellishments: Puff Balls


This course is for those who have a favorite pattern that they can make in a jiffy, almost with their eyes closed. A pattern they love and would make over and over again, if only it didn’t look the same! There is a solution to that and this course offers you many ideas you can apply to your simple patterns to spruce them up and give them a different touch, taking from the that “sameness” that has stopped you from repeating them till now! But it is not restricted only to bags. The embellishments you will learn can be applied to a variety of crocheted items such as tops, cardigans, shawls, hats, and many more! As many as your imagination and creativity lead you to use them on. Once you have learned these embellishments, you can work out your favorite patterns and just embellish them at the end.

So let's assume you have just finished a tote bag using your favorite pattern and you want to make it look different. Puff It! This is especially fun if you are making two or more of the same pattern and want to make each bag turn out different.

Let's Puff It Today- You already made your bag, (have not lined it yet) top, beanie, beret, scarf, or cardi, but you want to add "something" to it, so let's "puff" it!
You can make tone on tone puffs, or use a variety of contrasting colors, or you can make all the puffs the same color but of a color that contrasts beautifully with the bag or garment. You can also use a texture (novelty yarn,funfur, eyelash yarn, frisee or boucle yarn of your choice)or you can make them in pure wool (even if the original purse or garment is in acrylic yarn)and needle felt them before you add them for a different effect.

Materials needed:Yarn of your choice
Finished purse, tote, bag or garment
Blunt needle
Scissors

Make the Puff Balls as Follows:

With yarn of your choice and H hook, ch 3.
Work 5 dc in 3rd ch from hook, leaving last loop of each dc unowrked on hook, yo and pull yarn through all loops on hook. Move all the dc towards the back to form a ball, turn the puff around and look below it. You will find what is rest of the foundation loop where all the dc where made, insert hook there and make a slip stitch. Fasten off, leaving long tail to sew your puff with.

Repeat this procedure until you have all the puff balls you want to add to your bag or garment. When you have all the puffs you want done,thread a blunt needle with the tail you left when you finished each puff and sew them to the bag or garment one at a time where you want them.
You can scatter them all over your project or place them only at the bottom or center of it. For example, if you are using them to embellish a beanie or beret, you can crowd all your puffs aorund the center top of your beanie or beret. It you want to use them to embellish a scarf, add to the bottom ends of it. If you want to dot a purse, bag or tote, you can use them all ovedr or just down the front in a vertical line, around the bag on a vertical swath, you can use them only at the bottom on a thick row, you can also use them to worm a pattern linke a zig zag. The uses are as endless as your imagination!
If you want them for a cardi or top, you can place them at the bottom and edge of sleeves, down the front, as a horizonal line around, dotted all over, and in any way you want it!
You can use the tufted feel by making your puffs of funfur. Follow your creativity!





If you wish to contact me concerning one of the lessons of the CAL, please do so using the form below:

Name:
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Comment:

If you would like to contribute your photos to the Academy, use this form to let me know and I will sen dyou an email address where you can send me your pics, for me to post them with your name, and whatever info you would like to add.

Precious Thought:

"Let the tenderness and mercy that Jesus has revealed in Hiw own precious life be an example to us of the manner in which we should treat our fellow beings." ---My Life Today, 235.

Announcing! Embellished crochet Academy

Many of you have told me how much you love my bags. Thank you for your kind words and support. I have been thinking for a while how I could share with my supporters something that would enhance their efforts to make beautiful bags (and I will also be doing it in such a way that you can also enhance THE REST of your crochet as well: tops, hats, shawls, cardigans, etc.) And I have decided to come up with the Embellish Crochet Academy. This will be a school-type of sharing. I will post an embellishment techinque that you can use in your bags or to enhance the appearance of a favorite garment pattern so that the same will not be the same, same old ever again!