Welcomed Guests

I have finished hooking my Welcomed Guests rug!  This is a design that is adapted from Ann Willey's artwork and sold through Spruce Ridge Studios.  Every time I drew up this pattern, I knew that I wanted to hook it for myself.   I loved the whole process of choosing the colors and I really sped through my actual hooking.

If you remember from a previous post, I decided to let the rug tell me what colors to use.  That can be a bit risky at times because I feel like I am going to "hook myself into a corner" and not be able to figure out how to fix it.  In other words, I worried that without a pre-decided color plan, I might end up choosing colors that didn't work harmoniously in the end.  However, I think I was triumphant this time in making it work!

One thing I learned from this rug:  Even though I thought I was choosing  bright colors outside of my usual color palate, the dark background calmed everything down and made them work.  If I had chosen duller, darker colors, they would have been absorbed by the dark background and not had the same impact.

And believe it or not, the thing I struggled with the most was choosing the right textured wool to hook the hair on both people.

The greatest joy is when you are able to learn something new or different from your hooking! What did you learn from your last rug?

Just A Sweet Little Story

Once upon a time (in May of 2011), I was vending at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  A little blonde haired boy came into my booth with his grandma.  He was looking at all the rug samples that were hanging up on my display.  "Excuse me," he said, "could you tell me how much the cat rug costs?"  He pointed to a hooked sample of Lori Brechlin's design, Binx.  "Oh, honey", I said, "the rug is not for sale.  It's a sample so that people will see it and want to make it."  Before I could barely turn around, I heard him say "Grandma, will you make that rug for me?"  How sweet, I thought, and his grandma did indeed buy the pattern.

Now fast forward to just last week.  I received an e-mail and a picture from Cooper's grandma.  She had finished her hooking and Cooper is proudly holding his new rug.

Cooper's grandma says that he is her biggest fan and loves her rug hooking.  He often watches her hook and suggests where she should put each row of wool.

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I always smile when I think about Cooper coming into my booth and asking about the cat rug.  Isn't it amazing how little things like that leave a big impression in your heart?

Small Treasures

I have recently found 4 out-of-print stitchery booklets authored by Lori Brechlin from Notforgotten Farms.  The booklets contain charming little folk art drawings that are great for punch needle, applique, embroidery or rug hooking.  I have included with each book a half yard of weavers cloth suitable for punch needle so you can trace out your own design and get started right away.

 Each book is $18.00 each (price includes the weavers cloth) and shipping is extra.  Please contact me if you are interested.  First come, first served...I don't think these will last long...they are very charming and much sought-after!!!
 The Harvest Tyme and Spring Tyme booklets have been sold...thank you!

If You Hurry....

I know I am late posting this information but there is still time if you act fast!

 Holland Hook-In  Sponsored by Tomorrow's Heirlooms/Nancy Blair

Saturday November 10, 2012

Haworth Center at Hope College

225 College Ave.

Holland, MI  49423

$25.00 per person includes morning coffee, snack, and lunch

For more information/to register, call Nancy Blair at 616-895-6378 (call right away so she can reserve your lunch!)

Vendors include Spruce Ridge Studios, Heavens To Betsy, Tomorrow's Heirlooms, Visions Of Ewe.

~~~

This is the first annual event and I must say that I am beyond excited!  The city of Holland is a wonderful place to visit, shop and eat.  Lots of unique stores and restaurants.  Haworth Center is a beautiful venue and I will guarantee right now that the food will be excellent!  There are only a few spaces left to attend this hook-in so call Nancy now.  See you there!

 

Spooky Friends at Ghoultide Gathering!

I am so lucky that I live about 50 minutes away from the Ghoultide Gathering show.  It was a chilly gray day in Michigan but it didn't stop the crowds of shoppers from attending this fantastic Halloween show! 

Here is my dear friend, Lori Brechlin from Notforgotten Farm.  Her booth was prim perfect and not many items left for sale by the time I got there.

(we laughed at how un-photogenic we were!  But who cares when you only get to see each other once a year!)

 Here is the booth of friend Lori Ann Corelis.  That's Lori in the top hat. Her sweet creations always make me sigh with delight.  Can you see the item just to the right of the lady in the blue sweatshirt?  It was a dead bunny in a coffin!  It was actually pretty cool and not as macabre as you would think...and after all, it is Halloween, isn't it?!?! 

 On the way home, I picked up a couple of white and gray-green pumpkins for my front porch.  Fall has arrived in Michigan in all her splendor!

What's On My Frame?

As the days get shorter and darkness creeps earlier and earlier into the evenings, I have caught the bug to sit at my frame again!  I am working on an Ann Willey pattern, Welcomed Guests.

I have loved this pattern since it first came out.  I am doing something a little different with this pattern.  I am letting it speak to me and tell me what it wants to be.  I know, a little weird sounding, isn't it?  But originally, I thought of a light background.  The more I hooked, the more I realized that the rug really wanted a dark background. It might be that I am influenced by Ann's original work of art.  Still, a dark background just seemed like the right thing to do.  Another departure for me is the "brighter" leaves and veins.  They are not how I typically hook leaves, and yet I kept having the feeling that this is the way they wanted to be presented.

I am just about to start working on the face of the woman on the left.  I want to take my time with her and let her develop.  Once the face is hooked, she will have her own personality and things will start to get exciting!  I am not so sure if I like her hair yet, but she has given me permission to play around with it a little and we'll see what happens!  

So far, I am really having a lot of fun with my hooking!  I'll keep you updated.

Wonderful Cape May

 I love September for many reasons.  One reason is because the weather starts cooling down.  But one other big reason is because once September rolls around, it's time to go to Cape May!

Look at this charming hotel!  It's the Chalfonte and it's where we stay for the week and also where the classes take place.

Many rug hookers choose to hook right out on the porch.  The weather was gorgeous this year and the porch and rocking chairs were a popular spot.

I am usually too busy teaching to take many photographs.  On Wednesday, Norma and Linda (camp directors) set up a wonderful rug show.  I must have been so enthralled with the gorgeous rugs that when I got home, I discovered I had hardly taken any photos of the rugs in the show.  Here are a few of the ones that I did take a picture:

 This incredible piece is hooked by Char Lough. She was in my class last year and when she said she wanted to hook moss, I really wasn't sure how I could help her or what the end result would look like.  We did talk a lot about sculpting wool strips and hooking with alternate materials like Ultrasuede and yarns.  I had nothing to do with how magnificent this turned out since it was all Char's ideas and hand work, but I am still mighty proud to see the end result of Char's vision.  PS:  the leaves were Char's afterthought and dropped on the piece after it was on display.  They really add to making the moss look realistic.  Bravo, Char!!!

 This rug was hooked by Kimberly Maggion and depicts her dogs.  I love this charming rug.

Jo Ann Hendrix hooked this lovely pictorial of the Chalfonte Hotel.  I love this rug because it so closely depicts the rug camp.  This rug also appears in the current issue of Celebrations (XXII).
~~~

We always do a rug "throw-down" on Thursday afternoon. This is another favorite activity that I look forward to.  It's fun to see all the lovely rugs in progress!  The sun was really bright so there are a few pesky shadows and some of the colors might not be exactly what you would see in person.

This is Tom (Lori Brechlin adaptation through Spruce Ridge Studios) and he is being hooked by Betty Ann.  She was actually hooking a custom (larger) size and got quite a bit of hooking completed.

 Brenda Henry is hooking this mermaid rug.  You might not be able to see how soft and lovely the colors were turning out.  Very watercolor and sea-like.  Brenda also wanted a white-haired mermaid and I like how she looks.

Janet Reid is hooking this very whimsical Vermont Folk Rugs pattern.  I love the grinning orange cat!  The smile was done with "beading" which is hooking with two colors at the same time.

Here is another Tom rug, being hooked by Joanne Delaney.  It is a gift to her son who lives in Texas.  She has modified the pattern because he is a "crazy-fun" person.  I love the cowboy hat and the bright colorful feathers.  After all, everything is bigger and brighter in Texas, right???

Here is Pear Tree, a Lori Brechlin adaptation, available through Spruce Ridge Studios.  Kimberly Maggion is working on this wonderful rug.  She's using one of my favorite colors: teal!  I love to mix orange with teal.  The pears were sinking somewhat into the background, but we opted to put a pop-out line around the pears and now they look great.

Nancy Norton is hooking this antique adaptation.  I love the way her flower pot is coming out.  She used soft pink and a purple/brown texture.  The overall feeling of the rug is soft and old.

Polly Reinhart is hooking a Keith Kemmer pattern, Pineapple Scrolls.  Her colors are very old and soft.  The pineapple is spectacular in person.  She added tabs to the end of the pattern and added quillie circles inside the tabs.

Rebecca Erb was hooking Cindi Gay's Annie's Flower Power foot stool.  Wow! I love the blue green/rose/brown color combo!  Rebecca sat out on the porch and got a lot of hooking done.

Here is dapper Mr. Pumpkin Thyme, being hooked by Susan Thomas.  Great colors, and I love his cute little face!  What an expression!

Here is a picture of the rug throw-down.  There were a couple of student rugs that I did not get pictures of (much to my dismay) but you can see them at the far right of this picture.  Phyllis was working on Blue Basket Antique, which is quite a large rug, but she had gotten a good start.  Pat was working on a floral design with a colorful bird.  We were using brighter colors for both flowers and bird and it was turning out to be a very happy rug.

Here is one last picture to tantalize you...sun rise over the ocean on the beach at Cape May!  I am not an early riser but I will make an exception to get down to the beach to see this!!

Houdini Lives Here

There is never a dull moment around here.  Never.  Ever.  Between the goats, sheep, dogs, cat, and alpacas, there's always some sort of surprise going on. Most of the time, it's something that makes me laugh.  Imagine waking up in the morning and discovering that Quinn, the alpaca, was on the wrong side of the fence!

I can't even explain how it happened.  All the gates were closed and locked.  No breech in the fencing.  My only guess is that he jumped the fence.  What a scary thought.  That means he could probably jump the fence any time he wanted to and just leave.  However, I do believe I know his motive.

He LOVES the sheep.

 Quinn has decided that he is a sheep guardian.  Now, alpacas are not known for their guardian abilities but Quinn doesn't know that.  He really thinks that the sheep are his own responsibility and he is serious about that.  How else can he perform his guard duties except to get right in there with his flock.  The sheep look pretty comfortable with him too. I considered mixing them all together except that the gate on the alpaca pen is not sheep-proof.  We'd have sheep running all over the neighborhood.

So poor Quinn had to go back to his side of the fencing.  I saw him laying out there today, with the sheep directly across from him on the other side of the fence. 

 Looks like we'll have to ask Farmer Ken to work his magic and come up with a way to make the gate sheep-proof.  Otherwise, I have a feeling that Houdini will strike again!

Meet Hope!

 Here is my newest fur baby, Hope.  We adopted her from a wonderful lady who also happens to be a rug hooker.  She rescued Hope from a kill shelter and fostered her for 2 months.  My son drove down to North Carolina to pick her up for me.  She has been adapting nicely to our family and gets along perfectly with our lab, Jack and our cat, Reilly.  Hope is a one year old Great Pyrenees/Husky mix with THE most beautiful ice blue eyes you have ever seen. She is not very sure about all of our farm animals yet.

Two large dogs means double the dog hair on my floor...but it also means I get a double dose of love.  Jack and Hope give me kisses in the morning when I wake up!

Wool Ewe Be Mine (and a secret!)

I have finished Wool Ewe Be Mine!  I love the way it came out, especially the quillie circles in the fleece.  Sometimes the simplest color plan turns out to be the best.  There's just 6 different textured wools used in this sweet little mat but I think it makes a big impact.  A perfect example of "less is more."

I actually need to give this little guy a good steaming and then I have to decide what type of finish to use for the edges.  Whipped with yarn?  Crocheted edge?  

Hmm.

 Shhh, it's a secret!  Don't tell Lori Brechlin but this is one of the models I will be sending for display at her 4th Annual Gathering Of Primitive Friends show on September 15th.  You can pick up this pattern or choose from a selection of others I will be sending for her show.  Act surprised like you didn't know it was going to be there...*wink, wink*

Lost And Found

I am searching for the person who shopped in my booth at the Michigan Fiber Festival this past week-end and lost some of their purchases.  Your bag was turned into our booth so please contact me and I will reconnect you with your goodies!

I Am An Olympic Junkie!

Despite all the work I still have to do to get ready for Sauder Village and Michigan Fiber Festival, I have been captivated by the Olympics and have been watching it every night.  I just can't help myself...I love the Olympics!

  I think my favorite is the swimming.  I was on the swim team in high school but I was never good at the competitive part.  I swam the backstroke and I used to love to swim laps in practice.  And a bonus to being on the girl's swim team meant that we could be lane timers for the boy's swim team!  Yes, I was a lane timer and we used regular stop watches to time the races....none of this high-tech stuff was even imaginable at the time I was in high school!  

Of course, I can't just sit still when I am riveted to the television, so I have been hooking away with abandon.  I am really loving my little mat just as much as I am loving the Olympics.  Just a couple more nights and I should be done.

  This is Wool Ewe Be Mine, a Notforgotten Farm adaptation.  I think it is just the sweetest little mat and it has been a joy to hook.  I hooked the background in straight lines and made it look a little like old white-washed boards.  I almost never complete the outside portion of a rug before I do the middle, but I was so carried away that I just kept going until the whole outside border was completed.

I will probably make the curls of the sheep little quillie circles.  I have not totally decided yet but that is what keeps popping into my head when I look at this.  Sometimes you have to let the pattern talk to you and it will let you know what it wants to be.

If you would like to order this pattern, or purchase the same wool I used for it, just let me know!

And just one last question....are you an Olympic junkie too?

And The Winner Is.....

Oh My!  I have to say that my husband took his judging very seriously and it took him quite some time to come up with the winner.  Rest assured that he considered each and every entry and even after he had the names narrowed down to the top three, he still took plenty of time before he gave me his decision.

 So without further ado....

 

the

winner 

is

......

(wait for it)

...

...

....

....

...

LAMBKIN

Congratulations Saundra P !!!

Your wool will be in the mail soon!

 

Thanks to all who participated.  I appreciate all of your comments.

For those of you who are interested in buying this kit, it will be available for sale after my class takes place at the Michigan Fiber Festival.

What's In A Name?

Here is a sneak peek at my exclusive project for the beginner class at the Michigan Fiber Festival.

 This was a great little project to hook and I'm excited for my students because I know they will like to hook it too!  However, I have a little brain freeze when coming up with a name for the pattern, so here's where you can help!

Think of a name and leave it as a comment here on my blog.  The winner will be picked by my dear hubby and you will win 1/2 yard of the background wool as my "thank you" for the name suggestion.  The contest will end on July 25, 2012 so put your thinking caps on!

The background wool is one of my favorites.  A brown/green plaid with hints of red and blue.  Not too dark, not too light...just right!

 I will announce the winner on July 26th.

By the way, if you are interested in taking my beginner class (and hooking the sheep kit) at the Michigan Fiber Festival, click here  to sign up for the workshop.  You only have until August 1st to sign up (no registrations will be accepted after that time).

PS:  Submit as many names as you like.

Come Visit A Castle

Yes, we do have a castle here in Michigan! 

This is the view from the back...can you imagine what the front looks like?!?

Come join me in Charlevoix, Michigan for the Fiber Arts Festival at Castle Farms.  I will be bringing lots of new wool and patterns, hooks, books, and other one of a kind treasures that you can't live without. I will also offer a used Frasier cutter and a couple of nice rug hooking frames.

The festival takes place Saturday July 28 from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday July 29 from 10 am to 4 pm.  Admission is $5.00.  This is a gem of a show in a lovely Northern Michigan resort setting.  Come visit the festival, then explore the surrounding area.  There's lots of great places to eat and shop... or visit the Lake Michigan shore line, the most beautiful lake shore you will ever see.

For more information about the festival, click on this link.

See you soon!

Alpaca Bliss!

I'm learning more and more about alpacas all the time.  The latest?  Heat stress is fatal to alpacas!  Fortunately, my alpacas are doing fine but I'm trying to find some creative ways to keep them cool in this blistering heat.

First I bought a wading pool, thinking they would lay down in it...nope, it's just a big old water bowl to them.  So I got out the garden hose.

Quinn loves being squirted!  He turns around and around so we can get all his body parts wet.  Quinn is usually the shy and reserved guy, so this surprised me!

  Willie is not sold on the idea of getting wet.  Curious...but not convinced.  See him in the far left hand side of the picture?

 Here's Farmer Ken, setting up the sprinkler for them.  He also set up the tent for shade and a fan is running next to the barn.  I think we have done everything we can possibly think of, to cool them off.  I'd say this is alpaca bliss on a hot summer's day!

I hope you're staying cool in your neck of the woods!

Happy Independence Day!

OK...Just one more sale wool!

I promise I won't tempt you any more...I just found one more plaid...

This one has already been washed and divided into fat quarters.  There are 10 fat quarters available at $4.00 each (that's half off my regular price).
 SOLD OUT!  Thank you!
 

 Orange Halloween plaid.  I have seen this hooked up as a witch's dress.  It could be another great border for a Halloween rug.  Just $4.00 per fat quarter...and it's all ready washed and ready to hook!

The last of the Sale Wools...

I thought I'd better post the rest of the Tent Sale woolens right now.

Lucky you!  The rest of these wools are priced lower than the previous posts.

Again, I will fill orders based on the time received by e-mail or phone.  There are limited quantities available.

 Large black/beige/red plaid.  This is a great candidate for over dyeing.  I have done reds, oranges, and antique black over this plaid.  $8.00 per yard!

 Plum and gray plaid. Soft and old looking. Use as-is or over dye (red or purple would be nice).  $8.00 per yard! Hurry!  Only 1-1/8 yards left!

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Wow!  All the wools below are an incredible $5.00 per yard.

Quantities are extremely limited so don't wait!! 

 Gold/Black/Red plaid.  I have hooked baskets with this one.  Nice border color too. Sold out!  Thank you

 Brick texture.  This is a little thin but washes up nice.  I have hooked stars and flowers with it. Sold out!  Thank you!

 Blue plaid.  Nice colors.  It is a little coarse so I would recommend a wide cut for this.  Another great border.

 Copper windowpane plaid.  I love this, you ought to feel how soft it is!  It might have some cashmere in it.  This wool is a little on the thin side too, but I have hooked stripes in a cat with this one.  Hurry!  Only 7/8 yard left!

 Purple/red/green plaid.  This is an oldie but goodie.  I've hooked flowers with it.  Another thin one, I would probably wash this wool in hot water.

Primitive pumpkin plaid.  Really more like a rust color.  Just a wonderful wool if you are looking for primitive and old-looking. SOLD OUT!  Thank you.

Three More Sale Wools

Here are three more wools from my tent sale.  All are good for stash building.

Limited quantities.  I will fill orders according to the date/time of your e-mail or phone call.

 Brown/Black/Blue plaid.  A great wool for borders or to mix with your other antique darks for a phenomenal dark background.  Also good for horses, cats, etc.  $10.00/yard  SOLD OUT!  Thank you!

 Brown/black stripe.  Here's another fantastic wool for an antique look.  It is discreetly reversible.  Terrific for that dark look in Halloween rugs...not too harsh, just old looking.  $10.00/yard SOLD OUT -Thank you!

 Turquoise/beige/cream plaid.  I see this hooked up as waves in an ocean.  There are so many other uses for it too.  How about a sheep?  Or a lovely background?  This wool appears thin but will shrink up quite a bit so a cold wash on gentle cycle is a MUST!  I have over dyed this as well.  $10.00/yard