Large Shell Doily

Hello friends...I came across this really pretty shell doily on Ravelry called the Gemstone Doily, by Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.  I liked that it uses worsted weight yarn, giving it that not so dainty appeal...

I used some leftover bamboo yarn from another project and made mine larger by adding a few extra rounds and the blue trim.  I had to modify the pattern slightly for the extra rounds to make it lie flat...

I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out...I plan to use on a round pedestal table that we use in the basement beside the sofa...the table top is a pretty painted blue colour, which peaks through oh so prettily.

And, here we are again on my dining room table...



Crochet Art

Hello Friends...

Just wanted to share some crochet projects that I'd turned into wall art this past year.  It really couldn't be easier!  All you need is your motif...I think flowers are great, a hot glue gun, artist canvas and/or a shadow box.

This was my own improvised motif...I made this one awhile back and unfortunately did not record the pattern, otherwise I'd share it.  I used some craft acrylic paint in a cream colour and brushed on two coats before hot gluing my flower to the canvas.  Needless to say, allow paint to dry before gluing your motif.



These flowers are Motif #41 from Edie Eckman's "Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs" book...I  joined them into a doily like design and then glued them to the painted canvas.  You could also cover your canvas with your choice of fabric and then glue your design.

This particular flower is Motif #1 from Edie Eckman's "Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs" book.  Here I simply glued the motif to some card stock and framed it up in this shadow box from Ikea....gotta love Ikea!

Crochet Inspiration

Where do you find inspiration for your crochet projects?  There are so many wonderful online resources out there, especially with all the great blogs, Flickr photos, pattern sites, etc.  I'm always looking for inspiration in books, magazines, nature, flowers, art, fashion, home decor, even my children.

I was recently flipping through some issues of my Canadian House and Home magazine and they are filled with great photos and ideas for home decor and crochet inspiration:

I love these cable sytle baskets:

The circular motifs on these pillows can easily be translated to a cute crochet pillow:

 I've always been a big fan of framing fabric or paper...I love this framed doily:



Who can't reisit the romantic feel of this garden:

Spring Has Sprung, At Least Indoors...

Hello there, spring has finally sprung, at least it has indoors in my home. It's been a pretty cold and snowy month of March in my corner of Canada...(Toronto). Let's hope all the snow melts this weekend and we can look forward to some tulips popping up in the garden. For now, we'll have to enjoy these lovely tulips indoors. Hope your weekend brings lots of springy warmth and sunshine.

Welcome...What's In A Name?

Hello out there...this being my first ever post, not sure if there is anyone here yet. I am writing with the intention that someone will read this one day...So, welcome to my little slice of the blog world. Here is where I share all that inspires me, my passions, what I hope to accomplish and any useful tidbits that I have gathered along the way, that I deem useful and fun to share.

Speaking of passions, you will find posts about crochet, yoga, home life, family, books, eating, caring for the environment, design, my favourite things, lifestyle, and everything in between.

Modern Grace...the name I've chosen for my blog and my crochet shop, was inspired by my Grandmother, Grace (which is also my middle name), who was a very talented knitter and crocheter. I have some experience knitting, as a girl, but I always wanted to learn to crochet. I just thought it was so cool the way they put those holes in the piece...how did they do that? Long story short, about 6 years ago, I decided I would teach myself, with Debbie Stoller's amazing book, The Happy Hooker...could crochet really be this easy? I've never looked back, I've learned so much since and just keep learning. Crochet is so simple, with really just a few basic stitches and variations on those. Simple is so beautiful...just as my Grandmother was. Take a look at some of my creations over the past few years..