Don't Forget!

Don't forget the Spruce Ridge Studios Open House and Tent Sale!

Saturday June 23, 2012

10 am (sharp) to 2 pm

Rain or shine...although it looks like we'll have a nice day.

(no early sales, please...we will be setting up until 10 am!)

All sales items are under the tents (come around to the back of my house).  Also my studio will be open for your regular rug hooking shopping needs.

I've been digging through my wool closet and finding some great overdyed and as-is finds that will be bargain priced.  There are discounted patterns and sundries too (books and supplies). Some sewing fabrics, buttons, knitting yarns, and other craft-related products.

I'm also selling a few wonderful vintage finds from my travels...a hand-sewn quilt top from Mississippi (all hand stitches), an 1800's sampler (framed), and more!   I'm still searching/cleaning so I imagine there will be many more treasures to tempt you.

Kindly contact me for directions.

PS:  Howell will be having their annual Michigan Challenge Balloon Fest this week-end, so why don't you combine both events and make a fun day for you and your family or friends?!?!!  For more information, click here.

Wool (deal) of the Week

Wool, wool, wool, can anyone ever have too much wool?

I've been rummaging around in my wool closet...and maybe I have just a little more than I can store right now....so during the summer months, I will be posting a Wool Deal of the Week.

Here's how it works:  The Wool Deal prices will be good for one week only, from the time of my blog post.  I will post when the deal ends. The wool will be unwashed, off the bolt, and shipping is not included in the price.  Quantities are limited so first-come, first-served.  Just give me a call during normal business hours with your Visa, Master Card, or Discover numbers.

Here's the first Wool of the Week:

Green-on-green windowpane plaid!  Who couldn't use some more green?  Trees. Leaves. Frogs. Fish. Borders. This would also dye up wonderfully with a wash of golden yellow (making it a softer yellow-green).

$15.50 per yard

This deal expires Thursday June 7, 2012!

Learn To Rug Hook This Summer!

I love the Michigan Fiber Festival.  I have gone to it for many years as a shopper, being a knitter, spinner, and a plain old fiber nut.  I love visiting the sheep and seeing the Angora goat show and just being in the creative vibes with all of that wool and all those textures and colors.  Now it's equally as fun for me being a vendor because I get to immerse myself for 3 days in all that wooly happiness.  I get 3 glorious days to talk about rug hooking all day to anyone and everyone I meet.

Now I get to share my knowledge with you too!

Last year, I had many people visit my booth and I would hear :

"I've always wanted to do this"

"My mother (aunt, grandma) used to do this and I wish I knew how"

"I'd like to buy a kit but I need some lessons"

Well, now is your chance!

I will be teaching a beginning rug hooking class at the Michigan Fiber Festival on Friday, August 17, 2012.  It is an all-day class from 9 am to 4 pm.  You will have the opportunity to learn the art of rug hooking from me...and it's not only for beginners but if you need a refresher, this would be a great class for you!  And if you sign up for the workshop before July 1st, you will save $5.00 off the workshop fee.

Click here for the Festival Workshop Schedule.  You can register on-line or print off a mailable form. 

If you need anything more to tempt you...admission to the Festival is free on Friday with a limited amount of vendors open to sell their products...so you could shop during lunch or following my workshop and beat the crowds on Saturday!
Correction!  I just received my Fiberline magazine and it lists a $3.00 admission fee on Friday (includes parking)...however this is still less than the $5.00 admission fee for Saturday or Sunday!

Mark Your Calendar...We're Doing It Again!

Spruce Ridge Studios

Open House and Tent Sale

Saturday June 23, 2012

10 am to 2 pm

(sale starts at 10 am sharp-no early sales please!)

There will be clearance-priced wool and rug hooking patterns, and craft-related products at reduced prices.  Also vintage, one of a kind, and antique treasures!

All sale items will be under the tent in my back yard.

For your regular rug hooking shopping needs, my studio will be open during the sale.

Visa, Master Card, and Discover accepted.

Please contact me for directions.

 

Join Me For A Wooly Good Time

This is what I brought back from the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival last year!  She is a Finn sheep and her name is Sukka, which means "sock" in Finnish (you can see one of her little white "socks" in the photo).  She is the sweetest little thing you could ever meet.  She loves to be petted and hugged and I am so happy that she is part of my flock.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you buy a sheep there (!) but I do want to remind you that the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival is coming up in one week...

Saturday May 5th  (9 am to 6 pm) and Sunday May 6th (9 am to 5 pm)

Admission is FREE!

The festival is held at the Howard County Fairground, W. Friendship, MD.

My booth will be located in Barn 5, Space 8.

Last year was the first year I attended and let me say WOWZA!  This is Wool Heaven, folks!   We enjoyed every minute we were there!  There is certainly something for everyone....visit the animals in the barns, shop the well-stocked vendors, and see demonstrations.  There are lots of great food vendors too...even though I would not eat lamb, they do serve it there...you will not be sorry you came!  Personally, I am going to try to stay out of the sheep barn this year.....

 

Rug of the Day-Hit and Miss

During my travels last week, I saw this little runner in an antique store.

It was in rough shape and a little pricey for the size, otherwise I would have bought it.  The more I looked at it, the more I realized that this little orphan was a wonderful example of hit and miss.  First of all, I love that there are bright colors mixed in with black, navy and dark gray.  There are also a fair amount of light values mixed in (note the off-white, light yellow, and ecru).  All together, they make this rug sing!  Secondly, this little mat seems to be hooked in fairly straight lines.  However, on closer inspection, you will see that some of the rows take a turn and run into another row.  It's just enough to break up the monotony of everything being straight.

 I took a close-up of the back of the rug to remind myself of how some of the rows were hooked.  In my mind, this is the perfect hit or miss!  A wonderful thing for using up left-over strips....I can't wait to try this myself!

Are You A Copy Cat?

By now, you have probably heard the turmoil going on in the needlework world about the illegal downloading of artwork and charts. If you haven't, I will refer you to Lori Brechlin's blog to read more about it, since she explains it so well.

I do not normally get up on my soap box on my blog, but I find this trend of copying quite disturbing.  So I'd like to address something that is going on in the rug hooking world as well.

Illegal pattern sharing.

Yes, that's right. Did you know that when you purchase a pattern that is already drawn out on foundation cloth, you CAN NOT copy or retrace another one of that pattern?  Not for your own use, not for your friend's use.  If you want to have two copies of a particular pattern, you need to BUY two patterns.  It is not my rule, it is COPYRIGHT LAW.  It has been brought to my attention that certain guilds, groups, and even individuals will purchase a pattern or catalog of patterns, and then redraw a pattern again and again to share.  This is illegal and it is stealing!  So many people say, "well, it won't matter, I'm just doing it for myself and no one will find out."

How would you feel if, on payday, part of your check was missing, or your paycheck was stolen?  Pretty outrageous, right?  That's exactly what happens when you copy another designer's work without paying for it.  Many designers (myself included) are self-employed and depend on the sale of patterns to help pay the bills and buy groceries.  When you copy a pattern, you are virtually denying them the sale of a pattern....another words, stealing from that person.

You wouldn't take $40.00 out of my purse, would you?  Then why would you copy my pattern?  In my eyes, it's the same thing.

You can make a difference by becoming the solution and not the problem!  If you know someone who is copying patterns, let them know it is wrong (or let me know!).  Do not involve yourself with guilds and groups who routinely copy other's works.  Educate and inform individuals who don't know the "rules."

Let's all make a difference!

PS:  for more information about copyright, go to the US Copyright Office website

Rug of the Day-April 12th

I can't promise a rug picture every day but I thought this was worthy of sharing today.  This is September Squirrel, one of my newer rug hooking patterns, adapted from Prairie Schooler Designs and hooked by Emily Leavitt.  Emily says that she made this mat for a squirrel-loving friend.  I love how she made the tail darker than the squirrel body...something I probably would not have thought of but it works beautifully and looks very natural.  I love acorns and oak leaves and Emily's colors are so perfect for creating a fall feeling.

Hooking With Maggie Bonanomi

Last week I attended the Ohio Rug Camp at Punderson State Park.  I was excited to be a student of Maggie Bonanomi!  She has written 5 wonderful books of various stitchery techniques which includes a couple of rug hooking projects too.  I am a huge fan of her style and thought how fortunate I was to have her teach at a rug camp close to me. It was also fun for me to be a student and to be able to hook all day and half of the night!  Here are a few classmates who were hooking after dinner.

Here is Maggie, holding up one of the student's rugs and giving a little talk about the lamb tongue's border.

 In her little demo, she was showing us about using soft browns and neutrals in the tongues.

 I love how she has stacked the browns from light to dark value.  Yummy!

 It seems like I am always somewhere without my camera (!) so I snapped this photo of one of her rugs with my smart phone.  It doesn't come close to capturing the beauty of this antique look-alike.  I swear that if I saw this rug in an antique store, I would have thought it was really old.  Seriously.  She talked about how we can hook wonky to make our rugs look old too.  For those of you who know me (I hook w-a-y too even), I'd have to be alone in a dark room with a glass of wine... but, yes, I will definitely struggle practice hooking this way!

 I don't have any pictures of my rug in progress but I think it is coming along beautifully. Since I have so much going on right now, it may take me a while to complete, but I will post pictures when I do finally finish. Instead, I am posting a picture of a Maggie B. design that I helped color plan when I taught a workshop in St. Louis a few years ago.  This was hooked by Deborah Holden.

Have you visited Spruce Ridge lately?

Have you visited the Spruce Ridge Studios website lately?  It's been refreshed and remodeled and easier to navigate!  I've added lots of new patterns...from Keith Kemmer, Ann Willey, Prairie Schooler, Cindi Gay, and my own original patterns...and there's a couple of new products in the Accessories Section.  Oh! And did I mention that there are 5 brand spankin' new patterns by Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm?!?  Take a peek!

In the coming weeks, I'll be adding more inspirational sample rug pictures to the pattern section, so visit often to see what's new!

Daylight Savings Time Begins!

Isn't this a great clock?  I saw this at a museum in Helsinki when I traveled there in 2006.  I have always loved the whimsy and humor in the design. It made me laugh out loud when I came across it in a room full of clocks and furniture pieces. The Finns have a great heritage of design and innovation.

I so wish that I had a clock like this!  Maybe a rug design???

Enjoy your extra hour of daylight tomorrow!

"Spring Forward" Special!

It's time to "spring ahead" on Sunday and turn our clocks back to Daylight Savings Time.  I, for one, will be happy to gain an extra hour of daylight in the evening.  Somehow it feels like Spring is just around the corner....

to get that Spring feeling started, I am offering a special price on two textured woolens.  They are regularly priced at $20.00 per yard (unwashed), but for a limited time, I will be slashing the price to $15.00 per yard.

I love the versatility of this check!  It is reversible and while one side is brighter, the other side is more muted.  I've used this to hook stars but this would also be great for borders, flowers, wonky houses or chickens.

 This is another great texture with olive green and fushia.  Another perfect wool for flowers, borders, leaves....how about some really funky cats?!?!

Remember, these to Spring Special woolens are $15.00 per yard for a limited time!  Call or e-mail me if you are interested!

Rug of the day-Jaunary 22nd

Thank you for all your kind comments about "Rug of the Day."  I am humbled knowing that I had many readers coming back each day to see what was next.  I am happy that I have inspired you!  Now (sadly) I have to take a break, since I will be on the road teaching for the next two weeks and will have limited computer use.

~~~

The rug of the day is Give Ye Thanks, adapted from Lori Brechlin folk art by Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2007.

This rug is hooked by Susan Pilotto.   Wow!  What a great autumn look!  I love how Susan swirled those yummy colors into the hill/ground. And who wouldn't want to live in that wonderful rustic cabin?  Great job, Susan!

I took this picture at Sauder Village last summer.  This rug is hooked by Barbara Hoffman.  I love the addition of blue...very unexpected and very whimsical.  I also love the red roof and door on the cabin.  The background gives the rug an overall old "antique" feeling.

The third rug is hooked by Jan Adler. Her rug was on display at Sauder Village last year but this is the rug she worked on when she was in my workshop that I taught in Indianapolis in 2010.  The dark background sets off the red and orange colors perfectly.  I love the two-toned leaves!

~~~

Again, these three rugs show the wonderful variety that can be executed with the same pattern...all have the same feeling of autumn and cozy-home-cabin, but still they are all different and contain the personality of the rug maker.

~~~

I'll be back in two weeks with new rugs and new stories!
~~~
PS:  Forgot to post what my secret was (mentioned a few days ago):  My Midnight Clear rug won an honorable mention spot in Celebrations XXII!  WooHoo!

Rug of the Day-January 21st-something different

I taught a great beginner class today!  There were 8 eager learners and they are now on their way to becoming accomplished rug hooking artists.  I talked a little about the history of rug hooking  and the way old rugs were hooked.  It made me a little nostalgic, so I looked up my pictures from the Magdalena rugs that were on display at the Sauder Village rug exhibit last summer.  I'm sure many of you have seen pictures already but I took some close-ups and I think they are worth sharing.

I like to think that Magdalena had a wonderful, whimsical, and very creative imagination.  I think this rug is terrific.  If you want the pattern, Barb Carroll from the Woolley Fox does an adaptation of this rug.  Look at these close-ups:

You can see all types of cool fabrics in there-stripes and dots and prints!  Maybe Grandpa's pants or Grandma's old Sunday dress. Not all of it was wool. The colors are vibrant still, even though more than a hundred years of wear has taken its toll.

I don't think anyone should ever worry about if their hooking is even or not...Magdalena just worked her magic and we love it!

I love this little dog rug too.  The colors are so simple and yet it just speaks to my heart.
~~~~~

PS:  Just in case you haven't noticed, I have posted my 2012 schedule.  Just click on the words at the top of this page and it will take you to a new page with my schedule.  There may be a few more additions, so make sure you check  back occasionally to see what's new.

Rug of the Day-January 20th

The snow is coming down and swirling all around tonight! 

Today's rug is The Stocking Was Hung, a design by Lori Brechlin, adapted by Spruce Ridge Studios (c)2007

This rug was hooked by Rebecca Erb.  As you might expect, I love the turquoise stocking.  Her little doll has such a sweet face!

This work in progress is Janet Kersh's rug.  She was a student of mine at the Star of Texas Rug Camp in Fredericksburg last September.  What a beautiful job she is doing on this rug!  I love the gold dress with the "lace" trim and the multicolored wings.  Her doll has a sweet face too.

This rug was on display at Sauder Village last August and it was hooked by Alicia McLeod.  She used brighter colors and says she "gave the angel the wistful look of a child's porcelain doll."  I think the face is indeed lovely and I think it is wonderful that one pattern can be hooked up in so many different ways.  I think this is another pattern that will be added to my bucket list!

Rug of the Day-January 19th

Brrr....it is so cold and blustery outside tonight!

Today's rug is Midnight Clear, adapted from Lori Brechlin folk art by Spruce Ridge Studios.

This rug was on display at Sauder Village last summer and was hooked by Ann Corazzi.  I love how Ann used sheep curls for Santa's beard.  I also love the tweed that she used for the trim on the coat...it's a great texture!

This is my Midnight Clear rug....one of my favorites!  I have some news to share about this rug later...but here's a hint for now:  you will probably be seeing it at Sauder Village this summer.

~~~

Rug of the Day-January 18th

Another Halloween rug!  

This is Olde Hallow's Eve, a Lori Brechlin design adapted by Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2010

This sweet little mat was hooked by Ginny Westover.  She purchased the pattern and wool kit from me and mounted it on a black board that was cut out in the same shape as the hooked piece.  Ginny has it displayed perfectly!

Here is my hooked version on display in my booth at the ATHA Biennial in October.  My husband is a professional picture framer by trade and he always comes up with creative framing ideas.  He made the gravestone out of wood and painted it with some type of textural paint to make it look like stonework. Throw in some leaves, moss, and a black crow...instant spooky grave!

(I still have a few of these kits available...if you are interested, shoot me an e-mail).

Rug of the Day-January 17th

For all you Halloween fans out there, today's rug is

Sunflower Witch

Adapted from Lori Brechlin folk art by Spruce Ridge Studios

Pat Cross hooked this wonderful witch, whom she affectionately calls Agatha.  I love the purple hat and dress, and the sunflowers are divine! She used a real skeleton key for Agatha's necklace.

Dawn Walczak hooked this Witch. Love, love, love the light purple background!

Lauren Haisley is hiding behind her Sunflower Witch.  I taught a workshop for her group in Libertyville, IL last June and this was her project.  Lauren also used a real skeleton key for the necklace.  I believe she called her witch Wilhelmina.  All I know is that Wilhelmina has a very pretty face!

~~~~~~~~~

Great job and beautiful rugs, ladies!

Rug of the Day-january 16th

Today's rug is Merrie Hallowe'en, a design adapted from Lori Brechlin folk art by Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2006

This beautiful little Merrie is hooked by Melody Bryan.  I love her pumpkin face and the way Melody used purple as an accent color.  Here's a closer look at the face:

Wonderful!

~~~

The second Merrie Hallowe'en rug is hooked by Diane Lestina.

Diane hooked her Merrie as a white pumpkin.  The gold background is unusual and just terrific for this rug!

Rug of the Day-January 15th

I have to be quick with my post today...my husband is down in my studio installing some new shelves for more wool.  He is a gem of a guy!

Today's rug of the day is Lion and Lamb, adapted from Lori Brechlin folk art by Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2008

This is my hooked sample.  Notice that the leaves on the trees start out darker and graduate into a lighter color at the ends of the branches.  I used a golden striped wool for the lion's mane.  So simple to do...just cut the wool, separate the stripes, and hook them in.  The background is one of my favorites:  I took 3 light textured wools and mixed them together in a plastic bag.  I randomly pulled out the strips and hooked them as I pulled them out.  This was a very fun rug to hook!

This Lion and Lamb rug was hooked by Margaret Pittman.  She took a class from me a couple years ago and followed many of my hints for hooking the rug.  I love her addition of quillie circles to the lamb.