Alicia Paulson

Wow! Last weeks postings were so much fun to compile and curate and I'm so pleased that many of the visitors to the blog enjoyed them. Crochet and art is such a fascinating area and I'm hoping we can return to the topic some time soon.

Now for someone who is very much a chaincreative friend - Alicia Paulson. I became first aware of Alicia in my teaching visits to Loop when I saw some of her charming designs for crochet children's clothes. Everything. The colours, the embellishments added up to a very desirable item and then it became available to all when Susan Cropper approached her to design for her must-have book, Vintage Crochet. At the same time, Susan also asked me if I would also contribute to the book and I was very honoured to be in the same arena as such talented names as Alicia, Leigh Radford, Kate Samphier and many more.

Alicia herself is a prolific blogger and I'm very glad that she has put me on her links list as we receive many a visitor to chaincreative from posiegetscosy. Thanks again, Alicia. It's always so nice to get appreciation from fellow designers and bloggers. Posie Gets Cosy is a wonderful landscape of all Alicia's interests and skills, from her sewing, through cooking, to knitting and crochet; and all of this shot in her skillful way, making up wonderfully atmospheric images and colours. Turquoise and rose, sunshine and buttercream. Many of her beautiful photographic shots are available to view on flikr.

As well as being able to indulge a little in her world you can buy her patterns and recreate a little of that vibe. They are all available by PDF and some are free! Hurray!!

As a final sign off, let me leave the last word to Alicia herself. I think it perfectly encapsulates her philosophy and ours. Keep it simple, keep it colourful and, above all, care about the work and it will always be appreciated. That's the recipe of success. Please continue the story on Friday when we share some more thoughts from Alicia with our chaincreative designer interview. On Wednesday will be a reprise of all things chaincreatively beautiful from this month!

'Of all of the crafts I do, crochet is probably my favorite. Though my grandma crocheted, I didn't learn how to do it until I taught myself from a book in 2001. I love to use traditional shapes, stitches, and motifs and rework them in fresh colors and fine yarns. For me, crochet has to be simple and stylish. I don't go in for anything that's too frilly, or too complicated.'