Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Round 5: Who Done It & Who Won It???

Can you believe that Round 5 has come to an end?  We started this round early because we gave our challengers the Moorish Motif to design with (not as simple as a basic stitch pattern).  Motifs can be fun to use and we hope that you enjoy all the crochet patterns that have come from this challenge.  Some of the designs are connected as you work them, others are joined after you make a certain # of motifs and others are used as accents.    What a great variety!  Now,  Are you ready to find out who the designer was behind each project?  I think you'll be surprised on some of them.  Some of the designers went out of their normal color pallet, so it was fun to see all of you guessing who done it!


The Reveals

First up, we have Jennifer Hatch from Hatch-ed With Love 
She designed the beautiful "Garden Of Grace" afghan.  This was done in memory of her grandma and aunts and looks so soft and squishy and cuddly. It will be a great comfort to her with such a wonderful meaning behind it.  This Afghan crochet pattern can be worked to any size.  Perfect for baby shower gifts, wonderful as a throw for any room and would be lovely as a bed covering.  Which ever you prefer, add a fun splash of spring to your home with the Garden of Grace!


Challenger #2 is Donna from Articles of a Domestic Goddess.  Donna is the creative mind behind the "Wings of Spring Toddler Empire Dress"  She did a fantastic job and I know several little girls who would LOVE to wear this dress! Size 2-4T is included in the eBook and she is working on other sizes for her individual release. 
The beauty and style behind the Free Spirit Trio is none other than our Heidi from Snappy Tots! Getting to spend some time with Heidi, this is SO her.  The Vest is something that I could see her wearing and I would absolutely add it to my wardrobe.  It's simply beautiful.  With the option to have a belt alone, the vest and a headband, you're sure to use this design for many family and friends!  The belt is 4" wide and can be worked to your desired length.  Her headband is 2" x 29" without the ties and the amazing vest is sized Teen/Sm Adult. 



How would you like to work up a baby shower gift that would WOW everyone?  Amanda from MNE Crafts came up with this awesome Butterfly Garden Baby Playmat.  I would have loved to have made my own as I had each of my girls.  What's even more fantastic?  She's included a graph to help you make a Bee mat so that you have an option for baby boys too!  Genius. 



 


Don't you just love the crisp clean look of the "Cute Little Accent Skirt" from Stacey over at Busting Stitches?  It would be so easy to whip up a few of these lovely skirts in different colors.  Add a pretty colored fabric underneath to play it up a little and your set!








Ponchos seem to be a Huge hit right now.  I've seen a lot of new poncho designs in the past month and even my daughter found a poncho that my grandma made me when I was a little girl and she's been wearing it around.  She'd be thrilled if I made her this bright and cheery Marly's Morish Poncho from the lovely Christine of Chris Cross Crafts.  It's a perfect fit for this motif!
Rebecca from Desert Diamond Crochet is the creator of the sweet little On the Wings of Spring Picto-ghan.  I love that you can create your own scene with all the options she's added.  You could make one for several babies and they would/could be all completely different and all amazing.  Can you picture this hung over the rocker in the nursery?  Great job!

 
Tutu?  Did you see the Whimsical Tutu?  Yep, it's adorable!  Think of all the options for this fun design from Amber of Knotted Notions.  I love the colors she chose giving a calm fairy feel to it.  What if you change the colors?  It would be so cute for little flower girls to wear at weddings.  Maybe some fairy costumes will be made for Halloween this year.  I know my youngest would wear it non-stop if I made her one!  This design is customizable, so have some fun with it. 


 

 

The Winning Designs


And now for the Winning Crochet Designs! 
This seriously was a tight race for votes and our challengers were all on the edge of their seats waiting to hear what YOU liked the most.  Thank you all for voting!



 


Congratulations to Amy from Knit Pick N Crochet for winning the Fan's Choice with her Butterfly In Bloom tank design.  The design itself and the photos are just stunning!  This is a great design for the season and we can't wait to see all the project photos that our fans take when they make one.

Our Judge's choice winner was not an easy task.  Each Judge had to rank each design based on the use of color to show the stitch, the actual use of the stitch, the most creative and the best over-all.  We appreciate each of them for taking the time to vote!  Jennifer from Crochet by Jennifer, Ann from Glamour4You, Lacey Lady from Misty Makes, April from Cuddle Me Beanies and Sonya from Blackstone Designs

Congratulations to Becky from Grammy's Creations for winning the Judge's choice!   The colors that she chose I think threw everyone off!  Not her normal color pallet, but pulled together amazingly.  So fun and So unique.  Great job Becky. 

 

eBook Release

Isn't that all exciting?  Even more exciting is that you can now grab ALL 10 designs + 4 bonus designs in 1 great place!   We love being able to offer you a fantastic book where you can use the same stitch over and over to create an amazing selection of projects.  

https://sowl.co/BcLni
Enjoy the Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Moorish Motif/On the Wings of Spring eBook for only $5.95!


Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Reveal #10

Design #10

Here is what the Designer had to say:


Transform any little girl into a stunning princess with this unique and one of a kind crocheted tutu dress! Let her shine and glimmer like the star she is! Perfect for a flower girl, birthday party, dress up play, or even a photo prop, this design is truly ideal! It is very easy to adjust to fit any size model, even an American Girl Doll! It works up fast and is super easy to do. In no time at all, your little princess will be spinning with glee in her Whimsical Tutu Dress. 


Battle of the Stitches
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Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Reveal #9

Design #9

Here's what the Designer had to say:

Looking for a cute comfortable spring/summer top you can make 

all on your own? Butterfly in Bloom is the perfect fit and is easily

 customizable just by changing the size of your hook or the weight 

of your yarn. Made using motifs as it’s all around structure, you 

can easily make them smaller for a more fitted look or larger for a 

looser look. Layer it over anything you’d like – a camisole, a 

t-shirt, a dress, or make it longer and wear it as a bathing-suit 

cover up. 


Battle of the Stitches
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Vote for your favorite on the 

Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Reveal #8

Design #8

Here's what the Designer had to say:

Bursting Spring Wings
As the brutal cold of winter lets go, gravitation to warmth, with bright vivid color begins to influence our thoughts.  This design captures elements on trend as well as the retro mementos we can all relate to.  Asymmetric lines, drop shoulders, open airy construction all call out to the young in us while the worsted weight cotton yarn offers weight to hold some of the remaining cold at bay.  As the season progresses, the cotton fiber will offer a wicking away quality making this the perfect pop for wear after a day at the beach or poolside.  Add this layer to your wardrobe and Burst into Spring.

Battle of the Stitches
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Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Reveal #7

Design #7

Here is what the Designer had to say:

This picture frame “on the wings of spring” blanket finished size is
for a baby/toddler blanket, lapghan, or wall hanging.  The Moorish Motif is used throughout to create a bright & cheery spring picture.  The border is done to resemble that of picture frame.  Motifs are stacked to create beautiful blossoms.  Small motifs are used to create delicate butterflies, and a mixture of large, medium, and small motifs are used to create leaves in the trees. 


Battle of the Stitches
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Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Reveal #6

Design #6

This is what the Designer had to say:

She will feel like she is in her own personal garden every minute she is wearing this poncho.  Created making 18 motif squares in bright spring colors that will remind her of flowers even on the rainiest days.  With a little butterfly pin that can be placed anywhere on the poncho, or leave the butterfly off.  She will feel like she has wings like the butterflies playing in her poncho.


Battle of the Stitches
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Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Reveal #5

Design #5

What the Designer said:

Spread your wings with this boho looking trio.  Make the belt separate or part of the vest.  Bring the look together with a simple hair tie.  This set is very versatile.  Wear it with anything from a skirt to jeans and shorts.

Battle of the Stitches
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Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Reveal #4

Design #4

What the Designer had to say:

This beautiful Butterfly Garden Baby Play Mat is just what you'll need for the sweet little girl in your life! The butterfly mobile offers a lovely arrangement of soft toys for your baby to look at and bat around while she lies comfortably on a flower play mat made of miniature flowers.  If you have a special little man in your life, a bumble bee version is also included so that you can make one of these adorable creations for a little boy as well.


Battle of the Stitches
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Vote for your favorite on the
Battle of the Stitches Website

Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Reveal #3

Design #3

Here's what the Designer had to say:


Cute little accent skirt.  It can be worn over another skirt or lined to be worn on it's own.  Very easy to work up.  Make it in on color or combine a few.  Either way, it is sure to be one of your favorite pieces to jazz up your day.



Battle of the Stitches
www.battleofthestitches.com

Vote for your favorite on the
Battle of the Stitches Website

Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Reveal #2

Design #2

Here's what the designer had to say:

Wings of Spring Toddler Empire Dress and Headband Set

“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children.
One of these is roots; the other, wings.” – Hodding Carter

This intricate dress pattern is easily followed and utilizes a multitude of techniques using Baby Bee Sweet Delight yarn. The final masterpiece is elegant enough for the church pew but also light and airy enough for Easter egg hunting in the spring sunshine. The matching headband completes the set and helps to bring together the motif flower embellishing both pieces.


Battle of the Stitches
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Vote for your favorite on the 

Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Reveal #1

Woo Hoo!  It's time to reveal the designs that our Round 5 Crochet Designers have created.

Each designer was asked to create a new crochet design using the Moorish Motif as their Focus stitch and centered around the theme "On the Wings of Spring". 



Design #1

What the designer had to say:
I chose to design this blanket because spring makes me think of flower gardens and all the colors coming back to life after the long cold winter.  To me, the motif looked more like a flower!

The blanket can be made with any number of motifs for any size.  It can also be positioned into a placemat, table runner or use just 1 motif and add the border for a coaster.  The last round of each motif is joined as you go so there is no sewing necessary.  The border goes with the flow of the motif and uses the same stitching to add the finishing touch to the whole design and bring it all together!


Sunday, March 15, 2015

Battle of the Stitches Round 5 Sneak Peeks


Round 5 Begins


The Battle of the Stitches Crochet challenge Round 5 is well underway!  Our theme this round is "On the Wings of Spring" and we're in for a fun variety of designs from our Challengers.  Check out all the colors they used in their patterns as we share a Sneak Peek into what they're working on. 














eBook Giveaway


Woo Hoo!  How exciting!  Any guesses what each one will end up being?  Some of these are tricky and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you see the final reveals next week.
Comment on this blog post and we'll giveaway some of the Round 5 eBooks on April 1st to random winners.  The more people who comment, the more eBooks will be given away.

Crochet Pattern Kit Giveaways

If you love a chance to win some prizes, hop on over to our website and get entered to win 1 of the 11 crochet pattern kits our challengers are offering.  Each kit includes a pattern from the designer along with the supplies to make the project.
http://www.battleofthestitches.com/round-5-giveaways-and-prizes.html

Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Rocky Road Crochet Stitch Challenge Link Up

Battle of the Stitches Round 1 eBook
It's been a year since our FIRST EVER -  Battle of the Stitches Crochet challenge.  Wow!  That went fast!!  Were you there?  Do you remember all the crochet designs from the challenge?  We used the Rocky Road crochet stitch with Mother's Day for our theme and our challengers came up with some pretty amazing designs that they would love to either give or receive as a Mother's Day gift.

One of the wonderful things about this challenge is that the creativity just starts to pour down on the designers an in every challenge, there have been a BUNCH of patterns designed afterwards using the same stitch.