Braided Bugs 2023
Pam Rowan of Maine braided this "Shrek-a-pillar" caterpillar. Her grandkids thought the face looked like the cartoon ogre, Shrek! With button eyes, wire antennae, and large pipe-cleaner legs...sweet!
Janet Corueil of New Jersey braided this Spotted Lantern Fly. She included articles on the destructive nature of these invasive flies. They are strikingly pretty despite their awfulness! Janet braided the body, and beaded the wings and red lower wings to create the spots. She sewed the lower parts of the wings with hand-dyed wool. Beautiful work.
Bobbi Mahler of Maine braided two bugs: a Lady Bug, and a Red Bug. Both have carefully pieced backs to introduce the black spots, pipe-cleaner legs, and glue-on eyes. The bottoms are padded and lined with black wool. Cute!
Debbie Ellis of Maine needle-punched the base of the basket, then added needle-felted dragon flies. The bottom and sides are braided of ombré wool. A dainty and detailed basket!
Yvonne Iten-Scott of Ontario made this butterfly. Look at the mesh wings with scraps of sparkly fabrics. Wire stiffens the wings, and Yvonne braided along the wire edges. The body is braided, and button eyes sewn on. Wonderful!
Marjorie Corrow of New York braided this beautiful butterfly rug. She purchased the hooked center, and braided row upon row of coordinating braids. A big and beautiful rug!
Christine Manges of Pennsylvania braided this centipede. It has 15 legs on each side braided over wire to make it stand up, and wire antennae. Its black poison claws curve around the sides of its head. A chevron pattern made with a 4-strand braid down the back of the centipede implies the many segments to the centipede body. Creepy!
Cathy Winship of Maine braided this Orb Spider. A large wire wreath frame stabilizes the web, with a characteristic zigzag shown in the web. The spider's abdomen is braided from yellow and black wools and the head is a 6-DC center. Black beads form the multiple eyes. Note the egg sack at 11:00 amid the garden flowers. I would not want to encounter this size of spider in real life!
Jenn Kiarsis of New Hampshire made this quillie and braided butterfly with donated scraps in about 5 minutes, and it remains one of my favorite Rug Challenge Bugs. The hot pink plaid makes wings of beautiful colors, and the eyes and antennae are simple pins that she had in her braid box.
Debbie Ellis of Maine braided this yellow and black and plaid basket onto which she sewed buttons in the shape of bees. Look carefully to see the black wings. Notice the perfect and repeating slash pattern on the sides of the basket.
​
Peggyann Watts of New York braided this scary spider with its beady yellow eyes. The plump abdomen is made with two 9-loop centers, and I'm not certain how she managed the head, thorax, and many legs!
Lucinda Harrison-Cox of Virginia braided this butterfly out of silk ties. She left some of the tips on to form wing elements. Mother of Pearl buttons decorate each wing. The antennae are pipe cleaners. Very pretty!
Jenn Kiarsis of New Hampshire braided this cute combination: a Honey Bear and a Bee Hive! The bear is braided, with quillie ears and felted face; the stolen honeycomb is in his arms. The beehive is braided, with felted bees stitched onto the hive.
Rita Capella of Pennsylvania braided this lovely butterfly. It has a 9-loop center head, a center black braid for the body, and matching braided wings. Black outlines the wing shapes.
Mary Hibbard of New York took a different approach to the Rug Challenge: she bought cottons with images of bugs all over them, and braided an oval runner! While the bug images are hard to make out in the complexity of the braid folds... it also probably means that Mary will get more use out of her project than many of us! (What can one do with a centipede???) Smart!
Christine Manges of Pennsylvania got together with Rita (see two bugs above) and also braided a butterfly... but they ended up having somewhat different "takes" on how to make the 4 wings. Christine here: I think I like Rita's better.
