This is a 30″x40″ weighted blanket I was commissioned to make for my cousin’s son! It’s designed with a “minky” fleece outer covering, which I lined with flannel, and a removable weighted section for easy cleaning. The weighted section has 20 rows of 15 squares (300 total) and each square holds about 6-7g (or 2tsp) of poly pellets. There are ribbons and loops inside to hold it in place. This T-Shirt Quilt was commissioned in August 2018 by a recent university grad who wanted a way to commemorate his time volunteering by transforming his favourite t-shirts into a quilt! We compromised on design versus cost, and came up with something that worked really well for both of us! T-shirt quilts are challenging because the jersey knit is rather stretchy. I reinforced the seams with strips of cotton. Also, to avoid distorting the graphics on the shirt, I nipped in and put five small lines of stitching inside each square, instead of sewing over them (as I did in other quilts, below.This Toronto Maple Leaf quilt was commissioned in the winter of 2016. It’s double, and was completed entirely on the machine. I think the classic Leaf patchwork motif serves the TML very well!This king-size quilt is entitled “Dragon Tail” (at least for now). It’s a WIP, and the image shows just the top patchwork. Presently, it is sitting on my table, and I’m in the process of hand quilting the details (the person commissioning it decided on a hybrid hand/machine method for finishing: I used the machine to quilt the major lines of the quilt, and I’m doing the detail inside the squares and borders by hand).This king-size quilt (only patchwork top shown, but it was completed in 2013) is entitled “Grandma’s Garden”. It was my first full-size quilt, and I made it especially for my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary. The quilting was finished entirely by hand.This is one of 3 twin-size quilt quilt commissions (of the same design). They were completed entirely on the machine. Though inspired by similar works, the buyer and I worked together to create the ideal “Creeper” design for her family (colour layout and border).This is the first baby quilt I ever made! The finished size is about 5ft square. I found the knot-work design in a free stock-photo, and then worked out a way to re-create it using simple 2×2 blocks of fabric. The colours represent the joining of two families, the birth of a new child, and interconnectedness. At the time the photo was taken, it was just over 9 years old.
This is the second quilt pattern I ever designed! The finished piece is approximately 4x6ft.The finished baby quilt based on the pattern above! At the time the photo was taken, the quilt was just over five years old.
A recent potential buyer asked for a quilt that had a traditional nature theme, featuring blue, green, and white, but positively NO flowers! I immediately thought of the log cabin pattern. We haven’t yet settled on a design, but this is a draft I’m particularly proud of! Imagine you’re laying in the woods on a sunny day, and looking up through the canopy!This is a baby quilt design I created during a brainstorming session. Despite the psychedelic look, there’s logic to the colours’ layout! Though if/when I do move forward with the design, I plan on rethinking the colour layout.
My Knitting
My first full fair isle project! I knit about 5ft, and stitched the two ends together to create an infinity scarf. The design is my own, though the method was inspired by VeryPink Knits’ Color My Cowl project.I made this flip book in response to some trouble I had reading my complicated 1-page diagram. I’m happy to replicate such a book for anyone who commissions a pattern!I was commissioned to knit another fair isle scarf based in the pattern above. My customer chose some stunning colours to go together: dark teal and golden straw.A Hello Kitty toque for my niece! Lots of fun to knit his one!Tardis mittens! Are they bigger on the inside?The palms of the Tardis mittens: no self respecting Doctor leaves their Tardis without a trusty sonic screwdriver or a banana!Tardis Mittens, round 2! The customer loved their pair so much, they ordered more for the whole family! Clockwise from top left: Fourth Doctor with Jelly Babies, Eleventh Doctor with a Fez, Twelfth Doctor with Jammy Dodgers, and Ninth/Tenth Doctor with Cassandra. (The photo was taken before they were blocked)This commission was amazing to create! The yarn was delicious to work with, and gave a cheerful shine to the finished mittens. (It’s 100% acrylic – unfortunately I can’t remember the brand – I’m not a yarn snob: I’ll work within budgets and find the softest, prettiest, or best colour for the job!)I made these mittens for my niece (the originators of the rainbow design), and unfortunately the photo was taken after delivery… they’ve been well loved, well fuzzed, and soon to be replaced since her little hands are growing up so fast!)A WIP shot of a slip case I created for an iPhone5.This pattern is the only item in the portfolio that is NOT my original design. FuzzyJay shared it on Blogspot a while ago (click the image for the link). I’m sharing my piece because I think it’s a beautiful pattern! This WIP is a sampler I made from cotton Bernat yarn, and it was my first attempt at the pattern (and the first time learning many of the stitches required to construct the piece).I love how flexible knitting can be! This “S” was part of a banner I started. Perfect for children’s bedrooms, or personalizing pillows, blankets, and more!My cat Dexter loves my knitting more than I do, I think! He made a bed out of a sweater I made (for myself!) *The main reason I haven’t shared a picture of the sweater is because it’s not finished yet: I sometimes get ‘second sock syndrom’ with pieces I make for myself: I’ve had a hard time completing the second sleeve!
My Crochet
Franklin the Octopus likes to keep warm in this COLD northern climate!YODA!!! need I say more? 🙂A doll I made especially for my eldest niece: made to match her red hair and brown eyes!A doll I made my younger niece for her birthday! She’s got the light brown hair and blue eyes of her pretty little owner! Again, like the yellow rainbow mittens above, I missed the opportunity to get a photo of the doll BEFORE gifting it! But you can see, she’s been WELL loved!A little hat I made my niece… quick and simple, and perfect for fall or spring!Do I do things like this to Dexter because he sleeps on my projects? OR does he sleep on my projects because I do things like this? We may never know… still, he makes one cute pumpkin!
My Painting
Little Lola is a special pup – she was my first dog portrait! I donated a commission to a Team Cat Rescue fundraising auction and Lola’s mom had the winning bid. She was ecstatic with how it turned out! (Through concept to finished product, it took under 5 hours to complete – however because I’m still learning, I spent a lot of time thinking and examining. Official finishing dates were July 20-21, 2019).Johnny and Baby star in this painting I’ve titled “Beauty and the Blep”! I painted these darlings on March 2-3, 2019. They’re long-term fosters with a rescue I volunteer for: Team Cat Rescue. Here’s hoping this painting gets them some attention and a forever home!!I painted this little beauty on February 28, 2019. Maisie is a 3yo rescue I adopted from Team Cat Rescue in the spring of 2017. She’s a sassy little thing with a huge attitude! The painting and picture-inspiration are 100% my own. Acrylic paint, Mars Black and Titanium White, on 11×14″ stretched canvas (with a few random colours mixed in for her eyes and nose).I painted this handsome dude on February 23, 2019. Dudley is a 3yo rescue I adopted from Team Cat Rescue in the spring of 2018. He is my unicorn kitty with a great attitude and lovable nature! The painting was done at a “Paint-Your-Pet” event, hosted by Scratch and Sniff Canine Services in Guelph, ON, and run by Shannon Darch Animates, who sketched out the participants’ pets in advance. Until then, I’d never felt very comfortable with painting, but it was a tremendous learning experience, and all the past study I’d done on colour theory and tonal values seemed to just “click” in my brain!
My Drawing and Paper-Craft
I’ve loved to draw, but hadn’t worked at it in a LONG time. In October 2016, I decided to do my own “Inktober” challenge, whereby I’d draw something every day. I chose mostly animal photographs, but also did a few portraits.
I’m still developing my style as an artist in this medium, so for now, I’m aiming for perfecting certain techniques, and hyper-realism.
“Hamlet”, October 1, 2016
“Henrietta and Duchess”, October 2, 2016
“George”, October 3, 2016
“Petey”, October 4, 2016
“Lizzie”, October 4, 2016
“Mary-Jane”, October 5, 2016
“Frog”, October 8, 2016
“Enchantress”, October 9, 2016
“Face”, October 10, 2016 (My first portrait… I learned a LOT frmo how flat this one turned out. I made HUGE improvements on the next series of portraits!
“Cooper”, October 11, 2016
“Opal”, October 12, 2016
“Chris”, October 13, 2016
“Sally”, October 13, 2016
“B.J.”, October 14, 2016
“Celeste”, October 15, 2016
“Kevin”, October 16, 2016 (My first and only attempt at colour. It made me realize how much I needed “real” coloured pencils 🙂
“Boots”, October 17, 2016
“Jay”, October 18, 2016
“Molly”, October 19, 2016
“Jasper”, October 20, 2016
“Kate”, October 21, 2016
“Mama”, October 22, 2016
“Herman”, October 23, 2016
“Mrs. Potts”, October 24, 2016
“Leslie”, October 25, 2016 (I wish I could have done Leslie Jones justice! if only I could lower her mouth a bit!)
“Pacer”, October 26, 2016
“Spot”, October 27, 2016
“Tom”, October 28, 2016
“Prudence”, October 29, 2016
“Leeloo Dallas: Multi-Pass”, October 30, 2016
“Morticia”, October 31, 2016 (Her missing shoulders were a creative choice! 🙂
October 2016, onward…
“Oscar”, May 27, 2017“General Organa”, December 27, 2016“Hunters”, December 15, 2016“Helen”, December 30, 2016“Gymnast”, October 18, 2016“Suzie Strawberry”, December 15, 2016Here is a stack of recent book binding projects!
My Other Works
I recently acquired a table loom!! This was my first project… a great learning experience. Best of all, the scarf turned out amazingly well at about 10″x50″I’m a tinker. Though my first project with the loom (above) turned out well, I knew I could make improvements. Namely, replacing the tooth-ed beams with smooth ones. The new back beam has nails to hold neat rows of thread and enable me to string up the loom much more simply.My first cosplay! I dressed up as “Codex” from the Geek & Sundry web series “The Guild”. And though I’ve made many dresses for myself in the past, this was the first corset (albeit a soft one with no boning).I made myself this purse in the winter of 2015. The most polished and mature purse I’ve made to-date. (Missing from the image: the straps, which were added a little later).A little patchwork chickadee I made for fun… all he needs is a final home!I made little patchwork samplers for my mom and aunt on mothers’ day in 2014. This is my mom’s (the image shows the WIP)I made little patchwork samplers for my mom and aunt on mothers’ day in 2014. This is my aunt’s (the image shows the WIP)DON’T BLINK! (WIP: The finished Weeping Angel has wings and an angrier expression)This resulted from a trip to the dollar store! The finished pieces are varnished with a water-based acrylic. I’ll be selling variety packs of 48-60 pieces, so contact me if you’re interested!String art! More to come!This is a random assortment of WIPs. Times when inspiration hit, but not hard enough! They’re also times when I used scrap yarn to learn a new technique (like the green/white entrelac near the top right corner. I recently donated this batch to a lovely fellow artist.
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