and in the beginning

...there was a sewing machine!

Okay, so this post technically isn't about my sewing machine, but since I finally got it up here in Boston now, I've been just bursting at the seams (pun intended) with arts and craftsy ideas so I figured I might as well document my mad sewing/artsing/craftsing bursts somehow. As my first submission to the internets audience, I present my hand-crocheted (as opposed to hook-crocheted) doily rug! It's made out of some kind of cotton rope that I got on a HUGE discount at my fabric store.

The inspiration rug:

SOOOO adorable, I'm crazy in love with lace and doilys and the flower design! My dorm room next year is linoleum (yuck), so I've been looking for creative ways to make it nicer. I wanted this the second I found it. However. This rug is going for $600 bucks, plus shipping on Etsy (here). Eek.

My version:

Sorry for the crappy picture, it kind of looks yellow/shiny in this picture, but I promise it's a nice cotton-y white in real life! I'll get around to taking a better picture eventually... Slightly thinner rope, and it's a tad smaller, but hey! For 15 bucks, I'll take it! Took me about a weekend to make. Don't know why, but I've always found crocheting oddly relaxing, so it was a good weekend, with a pretty cool outcome!

I've got a couple projects in the works this week... And there's leather involved!! ;) Stay tuned.