13 is definitely not an unlucky number

13 packages arrived in the last delivery, coming in from:

Mary Myers from Drake, CO, USA
Margaret Barry, Syracuse, NY, USA
Gillian Walker, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
Yolanda Madsen, Southampton, MA, USA
Susan Campbell-Wright, Point Cook, Vic, Australia
Tracy O'Brien, Isle of Wight, UK
Karen Stevens, Malanda, Qld, Australia
Karen Lynch, Kureelpa, Qld, Australia
Alison Raybould, Birmingham, UK
Natalie Coates, Totnes, Devon, UK
Lynn Hall, Glass House Mountains, Qld, Australia
Janice Neal, Kambah, ACT, Australia
Ming Zaleski, Springfield, VA, USA

and here are the photos:

This first one is of Mary's work; she and Margaret (whose photo is next) tell me that they are old friends who only recently discovered each other again through their mutual interest in crochet, so it was a nice coincidence that their pieces arrived together even though they live in different parts of the USA.  I am going to join their pieces together in the artwork, too. Mary's textural piece is beautiful, with it's stylised sun, sparkly yarns and added beads.  It is about 36cm (14") wide.

This next one is Margaret's work.  It is a large and lacy piece, measuring about 70cm (30") across.  Margaret has added beadwork to her crochet motifs, both on the surface and for all of the 'bars' connecting the pieces,  an unusual and fantastic way to do the joining (and because all the detail isn't going to show up particularly well in the main photo, I am also adding a closeup of one of Margaret's beaded motifs).

 

 

The next photo is of the beautiful scrumble sent by Gillian.  She has added an assortment of interesting freeform crochet flowers onto a knitted section to create a most gorgeous garden.  I love the bullions, particularly those done in silk, and the tiny peace sign, too.  A very pretty piece, this one measures 30cm (12") across.

Yolanda's piece is next, and she has crocheted a beautiful sprial flower.  It has lots of surface interest in the centre, created with crochet crab stitch, and around the border she has added a most interesting freeform edging.  This piece measures 28cm (11") across.

Susan has crocheted some great freeform motifs (3 large and 3 small), and then surrounded with detatched buttonhole stitch bars to create a really beautiful and very lacy piece.  Like any of the other really open pieces, this one will be earmarked to go low down in the finished artwork, where it doesn't have to support too much weight.  It is about 38cm (14") at its widest point.

Today we have pieces from 2 different Karens, and this next photo is of Karen Stevens work.   She has made some small scrumbles, plus a very floral letter 'W' for our flower power sign.   It is going to look fabulous with the other letters that have arrived so far.  I can't wait to see the words eventually spelled out in these freeform letters.   The W is about 25cm (10") tall.

And now we have Karen Lynch's work.  She made a lot of floral motifs, 10 in all, but was concerned that her pieces might be a bit too stiff and heavy  because she has crocheted most of them using off-cuts of stretchy lycra fabric...but I love the effect and think they will be great to use near the top of the piece, to help support the weight of everything else.  To give you an idea of scale, the rectangular piece at the top measures about 25x18cm (10"x7").

Tracy's lovely sunny yellow peace sign is next.  I think that Tracy probably has a yarn stash that rivals my own, as about 8 or 9 years years ago when she was living in London I gave workshops at the yarn shop near Heathrow that she and her partner Jo owned.  This is a beautifully textured scrumble, the sort you just have to pat! It's mostly crochet with a little bit of knitting, and measures 23cm (9") across.

 


Alison has created fantasticly freeform flower which she says she made from 'mishsapen' motifs that she once thought didn't quite make the grade.  But that was before she became a freeformer and realized that things in nature and art don't always need to be perfect and symmetrical.  I am so glad Alison hung on to these pieces; they have certainly found their niche as the petals in her new and pretty creation.  It is 20cm (8") across.

Natalie tells me that the piece she has sent is her first ever scrumble, but I can tell you that seeing it up close you would hardly believe it.  She has done a fabulous job.  Great colours, interesting stitches, and a very good balance to the design.  It will make a really nice addition to the artwork.  Natalie's piece is close to 33cm (13") across.

Lynn has made another peace sign, a big bright one, together with a fluoro flower and a few other little freeform crochet shapes that are sure to come in handy when I am looking for a few gap-fillers.  The green leaf-like pieces have been crocheted from cut fabric.  The larger piece is about 40xm (16") across.  

Janice's contribution is an interesting mix of fine-weight wools and mesh novelty yarns, some of which she has knotted on the surface.  A very tactile piece with an unusual combination of both colours and textures.  I like the addition of the little star beads too.  This one is just over 40cm (16") wide.

 

and the final piece this time has been sent by Ming Zaleski.  I have long admired Ming's work, ever since I first saw some of her crocheted full-size figure sculptures on the net.  She has sent a dozen fantasy freeform flowers, all twists and curlicues.  Just great.  The largest of the yellow ones is about just over 17cm (7") long.

OK, that was a bit of a marathon post, but perhaps only the first of many. 

I just want to add that lots of people have been putting little 'flower power appropriate' bits and pieces on their packages, such as stickers and brightly coloured tape.  

I most definitely appreciate the trouble everyone has gone to (and I'm sure you have put a smile on the faces of a lot of postal workers too), but I decided at the start that unfortunately I wouldn't have time to document all these little extras...

...but I am going to make an exception, and finish today's post with just one, because I feel it is another interesting coincidence, arriving hot on the heels of Gabrielle's 'Janis' flower motif from yesterday...so here is a bonus photo, of one of the stickers that was on Margaret's envelope.