Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

Mosaic in South Los Angeles

by

img_0135

This piece was created by Jose Robelo

It’s so inspring to see glass enrich the lives of people who wouldn’t necessarily be exposed to it. A really wonderful organization called Piece by Piece is bringing glass mosaic and other techniques of how to create with glass to low-income and homeless people. They are teaching the techniques as well as how to sell and market their work. I recently went to a class in South LA to see what was up. It was incredible. I saw the most amazing work! The fish mosaic pictured above was one of the pieces I just fell in love with. Another piece with a parrot as it’s focal was just awesome. 3D and everything…

This was created by Hugo Sulecio.

This was created by Hugo Sulecio.

Please excuse my hand. I love this piece! So cool. The story of the founding of the organization can be read on their web site at http://www.piecebypiece.org. I was enlightened about Piece by Piece by my good friend Leigh Adams, who teaches with them as well as a number of other facilities and schools. Through her I was able to donate a bunch of my scrap glass to Piece by Piece. Now it’s being used in ways I wouldn’t have necessarily have used it for. And the good thing is that I keep making more scrap for them. I will post updates and other information about this great group every now and then. There’s so much good to say!

Read These Next

Have you read?

Stitch Your Favorite Fruit on a Sweater

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.” 

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them. 

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits. 

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves. 

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit. 

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy. 

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]