After crocheting so many things for others, I decided it was about time I crocheted something for me.  So, I went to work, and this is were my inspiration led me.

I had a general idea in my head on how I wanted the overall look to be, but I didn't know how it was going to look until I was done.  With this project, I had gotten used up one skein of yarn, only to find out that I had made it too big.  So, I had to rip it all apart, and start from scratch.  It is never fun to do that.  However, luckily, I got the size right the second time and the rest of the set went off without a hiccup.

This set includes a top, a bra to wear underneath, a purse, and two hair accessories (snood and scrunchy) to interchange.  Personally, I think the snood is more fun and elegant looking!

I used one of the different shell stitches for the top, the diamond stitch for the purse, and single crochet for the bra.  This project took me about a week, if you don't include the initial mistake.  I made this in September of 2011.

Tapestry Crochet is a clever technique that allows you, the designer, to create your own fabric - so to speak anyway.  This works by method of carrying yarn as you sc, so that you are working with 2 or more different colours in the same project without having to cut the yarns whenever you want to change the colour.  You can carry as many yarns as you like. The fewer you carry the easier it is.

If you are going to work in rounds, the only thing you would have to learn is how to carry the yarn.  If, however, you are going to create flat pieces, not only do you have to learn how to carry the yarn, you have to learn to single crochet (sc) backwards!  Or you could learn how to sc with your opposite hand (I tried to attempt it, but it was way too hard for me to get my left hand to do what my right hand has been doing for years!)  

Also, depending on how you sc, you may have to train yourself to loop the yarn in a different way.  Now it is not really necessary, but it affects the slanting of the deign.  I tried to teach my mom.  Though she could do it, it was just too time-consuming for her liking.

Anyways, back to this project.  This is my first attempt at Tapestry Crochet. I carried 1 yarn, which means I was working with 2 yarn colours at the same time.  It took a little practice, but I was able to catch on really quickly.  For the main portion of the bag I working in rounds, and the strap was worked as a flat piece.  I only just recently took pictures of this bag completed, but luckily, I had snapped a quick shot of the bag as I was working on it.  Yeah!

I have since changed the way I make the shoulder bags because I found with this one that working in rounds makes the bag stretch down too much, and working the strap by the full length causes the strap to curl.  Check out my other post on Tapestry Crochet Shoulder Bags, or check out the Tapestry Crochet Top I made for my brother to see how I have perfected this technique.