Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Freeform Crochet ~ My New Pug Doll!


Happy Wednesday everyone!

I am so excited to show you the new project I just finished!

It is my NEW Freeform Crochet Pug Doll!

I have been learning more about the art of Freeform Crochet!
 You work from your imagination and never a pattern!

It is a completely free flowing, evolving process that unfolds magic right before your eyes!

I loved every minute of making this doll for my personal Pug Art Collection, and I cannot wait to create more wonderful things from this relaxing and exciting way of crocheting unique fabrics!

I began my lessons in an online Freeform Crochet Class taught by Myra Wood on Craftsy.com

It is a wonderful class and easy to follow her instructions, method and tutorials.

Her class is a platform for taking the Freeform technique and making it your own.

The class is not about making the stitches she teaches in the sequence she would make them, but just how to make the stitches from your own hand and see how they evolve with the turn of your fingers.

The first step was just to create some centers...


The you organically grow each piece by adding more details around each piece.

There is no pattern, counting or rules to follow.

The only rule of thumb to try to accomplish is to allow enough give in the unfolding shape to lay as flat as possible so it does not bunch or curl as you go.



Here are some of these rounds a few rows later. :)

These are called "scrumbles" and are small abstract shapes that you attach together and continue building upon to form a rich, wonderful fabric in any size or shape you want!

You can make wall hangings, bags, pillows, pin cushions, scarves, sweaters, dolls or anything you can imagine with your fabrics!



Here I am piecing the together.

This process is called "scrumbling". :)


These are the two pieces of fabric for the front and back of my pug doll before I crocheted a bit more on these bigger pieces to fill in some of the open areas that I wanted to be filled to form the body.




After I got the larger scrumbles to the size and shapes I wanted, I sewed them together leaving the top, bottom and two places to sew in the arms on the sides.

I made the head, arms, legs and tail from scraps of felted wool sweaters from my stash.

I cut them without a pattern and sewed and stuffed them and then attached them to the 3/4 sewn, stuffed body.

I finished stuffing and closing up the body as I attached the limbs.


The I pulled out more wool pieces and started cutting pug face shapes without a pattern to form the features of the pug!

This is where the real magic popped for me.

My pug doll came to life right before my eyes as I glued each piece of felt down, one layer on top of the next.

I did this in the same way that I made my collaged fabric pug portrait wall hangings earlier this year.



Ta DA!


My Pug Doll is complete!






I just adore how he turned out!

There were many times during the project that I was not sure how it was turning out.

That is the point you just need to have trust, faith and excitement for the project that it will be even more wonderful in the end than you ever imagined!

The push through the feelings of doubt is part of the process and it is very important to stop and rest from it when you start feeling it is in any way overwhelming or stressful to you.


Check in often with yourself and pay attention to how you feel...


If it feels FUN then it is the right time to keep creating!

If you feel tired or tense or overwhelmed then time to go and play with the pug!  

:)


Ta DA!

My new pug doll now lives with some of the other Tunisian crochet dolls I created from the fabric I created in a different craftsy class I took on Tunisian Crochet!

I had so much FUN making my new pug doll!

I cannot wait to see what I create next in this wonderful new medium of creating!

What FUN things are you learning this Summer?

Please leave me a note and tell me all about them!

I cannot wait to hear!

xoxoxoxox
Melissa



3 comments:

Samantha said...

Aw I love it! And you!

Sketching with Dogs said...

Absolutely wonderful! Love the combination of the neutral wool and the bright vibrant flowers. What a unique fun way to use your crocheting.
Lynne x

Tweedles -- that's me said...

Its toooo cute!!! more magic from auntie missy!
love
twee