Design a bag

Have you seen this bag? Click on the picture to see more - but please make sure you are sitting down safely first. Who, on their right mind, would pay that much for one?????? Anyway, it sparked a bit of interest on my Facebook Page and now we are having a competition. And before you say, I can't crochet so I can't enter - you don't need to crochet it.

The "Design a Bag" competition is for you to do exactly that - design a bag.

You don't have to be a designer to enter, you don't even need to know how to crochet.

All you have to do is come up with a design and sketch it.

Then post the picture in the "Design a Bag" album.

Your bag can be any size, any shape, any colour. All I ask is that you use DMC Petra to design it. This is my favourite thread to use - and I have an enormous stash of it!

I have 30 of these 3 inch felt squares and if you can use these as well, that would be great. If not, it doesn't matter. I also have a stash of denim.........

I have asked a few of my friends from the Crochet world to help judge. We won't be judging on technical merit or how well you present your entry. We will all be picking our favourite 3 and those picked the most will win.

They are - Claire Montgomerie, Zoe Clements from love:crochet, Irene Strange, Ros Austin from Scarletdash and Cara Ackerman from DMC and, of course, me!

Rules:

1. Closing date for entries is March 31st, 2012.
2. One photo/sketch per entry so that we don't get confused - and some of us get confused easily. You can make this a sketch, a swatch or a combination of both. You can pin a swatch to the sketch and scan or photograph it or use a photo editing program to combine photos.
3. you may enter as many times as you wish with different designs.
4. The winner(s) will be chosen by a panel of judges will get a copy of the finished patterns.
5. I will be selling the finished pattern on my website and, by entering, you are giving your permission for me to do so. Your name will be included as the designer - unless you request otherwise.
6. I may also use some of the designs in later patterns and, by entering, you are giving your permission for me to do so. Your name will be included as the designer - unless you request otherwise.

So get your thinking hats on and your crayons out!

I am please to announce.......

.......That I have finished my Clematis pattern. And I am even more pleased to announce that it didn't take as long as I thought it would. I am not going to post loads of picture here but if you click on the link above, it will take you my site where you can see more.

About that Clematis.............

After being featured in Issue 26 of Inside Crochet, I have had lots of requests for the Clematis pattern. So I thought I had better get on and write it. It isn't a quick project as it will include the frame, stems, leaves, fluffy heads, six different flowers and three differnt buds. Well, if you are going to do something, best do it properly.

The original one was quite large and has attracted a lot of interest. The new one I am making for the pattern will be a lot smaller, the bamboo poles are about 40cm long. I have also crocheted the stems rather than luceted them as it is meant to be a crochet pattern.

I have also changed the colour of the leaves. I thought the new colour would look better but until I see them with the flowers, I am not so sure. I am hoping to have the pattern finished and up for sale by the end of the month. In the meantime, I will keep you updated on my progress.