First Major Snowfall

Beautiful snow overnight...these pictures don't need any explanation.

A Sweet Little Holiday Show

What are you doing this week-end?  If you have plans to be near the Ann Arbor area, make sure to stop by the All The Trimmings Holiday Show at the Chelsea Fairgrounds!  It's this Saturday, December 3rd from

 10 am to 4 pm.

This is a sweet little gem of a show!  Free parking, free admission and free refreshments for everyone.  I find that it's cozy and a fun thing to do on a wintry week-end.  I will be vending there along with other quality "made in Michigan" artists.  There are lots of unique, one of a kind products that are great for gift giving or for your holiday home decorating.  It's hard for me to say which booth is my favorite but the folks with the fresh Christmas greenery are always popular and busy (I always find a fantastic wreath!).  Other items you will find:  Marlene Dusbiber's wood carvings, jewelry, antiques and collectibles, photography, pastels and folk paintings, collectible bears, tiles, textiles, stained glass, bread boards, honey and more!  I've just gotten in some wonderful textured woolens, and I've got some fresh new overdyed wool too.  Along with some woolly items that are hand made by me.

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Chelsea Fairgrounds

20501 Old US 12

Chelsea, MI

www.allthetrimmingsshow.blogspot.com

The town of Chelsea is also having their Hometown Holiday festivities on this same week-end, so come on out and join the fun!

See You Tomorrow?

The Merry Makers Folk Art Show is tomorrow starting at 4 pm.  I am so excited to be a part of this fine collection of artists!!!  This year is going to be spectacular, with a stellar line up of vendors.  Click here to see the line up of exhibitors.

Besides lots of wool, rug hooking patterns, books (including my finishing book), hooks and kits, I will have some hand-made items for sale....lavender sachets, scarves, little wool-stuffed pumpkins, acorn feather tree ornaments, hooked rugs, and one-of-a-kind wool applique pillows.  All proudly made by me and great for gift-giving or a treat for yourself.  Santa told me you were good this year.

See you tomorrow afternoon!

New Members of the Family

Sunday evening our little fiber family welcomed two new members...Alpaca boys!

They look so much alike that I have a hard time knowing one from the other.  However I do know that they are Suri alpacas and one boy is 3 years old, while the other is 4 years old.  They did have names but the alpacas didn't really respond to them, so the previous owner gave us her blessing to rename them whatever we would like.   It is such a daunting decision to pick names!  I feel like first I must be able to tell them apart and then maybe naming them will be easier.

In the meantime, we will need a lot of time to get to know them and make them feel comfortable and safe here on our little farm.  I'm looking forward to some wonderfully soft and silky fiber!

The Countdown Begins (and a sneak peek)!

Just a few more short days and I'll be headed out to the ATHA Biennial in Lancaster, PA.  Not only will I be vending, but I will be teaching and attending the Executive Board Meeting as your elected Secretary.  My noticeable absence from my blog is a testimony to how hard I've been working to put together a unique and wonderful collection of items for my booth.  I've been drawing patterns daily, with an emphasis on fall and Halloween designs.  I've been washing sheep curls and dyeing wool and assembling kits.  Best of all, I've done this:

I have self-published a booklet of finishing techniques for rug hookers.  I taught these techniques at Sauder Village last summer and this booklet is a collection of the handouts that I provided to my students.  There are 5 different techniques in all, in 6 chapters.  All techniques are described in detail with tons of colored picture close-ups. The booklet is spiral bound with a clear vinyl front cover and a sturdy black vinyl back cover.  It will be for sale at the ATHA biennial for the shoppers who visit my booth, however the booklet will also be available for sale to anyone after October 24th.  The price is $18.95 (shipping would be extra).

I hope to see you next week!

Who's There?

Have you seen the latest issue of Rug Hooking Magazine? If you haven't, you are missing my article on quilly eyes.  It features my little owl, instructions on how to make the eyes, and you can even use the free pattern, Who's There.

The colors in my mat are much more vibrant than the picture, especially the background which is a deep purple.  I'll be bringing this little mat to display in my booth at the ATHA biennial so stop by and check out the original.

Click here for a link to Rug Hooking Magazine's web site.

If you have read the article, let me know what you think.  Will you try quilly eyes in your next Halloween rug?

Dressed up Sheep!

For me, the highlight of the Michigan Fiber Festival is the Sheep Costume Parade. I mean, how do they get those sheep to wear those costumes anyway?  I guess you have to chalk it up to the kids.  I think kids and sheep make a good combination.  The kids are creative and the sheep are cooperative.

Unfortunately for an old gal like me, they move too darn fast and it's not always easy to take a good picture.

The Three Little Pigs...note that one has bundles of straw on its back, another has sticks.  I don't know what's up with the third one.

Circus Sheep

Mario Brothers (Mario and Luigi)...my personal favorite of the parade.

Wild, Wild West sheep.

Every parade needs to have a Princess sheep.

Happy Tails To You! (and note that there IS a goat or two in this picture-sheep walk with their tails down and goats walk with their tails up).

I just had to show you this guy too.  I'm told his name is Humphrey and his pen was in the livestock barn with the llamas and alpacas.  He was not in the parade but I think it would have been cool if he was.  I have never been this close to a camel before...and believe me, he was HUGE! 

I'm already counting the days until next year's festival! 

Blog Challenge Girls

I haven't been current on my posting because my life is moving at the speed of light right now...but I do have some great photos to share.

Here are the Blog Challenge Girls at Sauder Village.  We're posed in front of the display of our pieces.  What an honor to have my work in the same room with Patty Yoder and Magdalena Briner!  It can't be any better than that.

left to right:  Maria Barton, Ali Strebel, Kris Miller, Alice Fraizer

When You're At Sauder Village This Week....

Be sure to look for our Blog Challenge projects!  Maria Barton, Ali Strebel, Alice Fraizer and I  will have our blog challenge projects on display there.  I can't wait to see everyone's work...they always look so much better up close and in person!

Leave me a comment if you see them at Sauder and let me know what you think.

Lots of Pictures of the Holland Rug Camp

There are only a few hours left in July before we turn the calendar page forward to August.  I think I love August because it means we are closer to September...which means cooler weather and Fall is on its way!  But I couldn't let July end without posting my pictures from the fabulous Holland (Michigan) Rug Camp.   I absolutely love this camp and hope that I am invited back another year to teach again.  My students are always the best!

First of all, we found out that Fran turned 90 in mid-July.  Well, I must say I would have never, EVER guessed that Fran was 90 years old, or even close to that age.  My, oh my, she is a wonderful rug hooker with a kind and gentle personality to match.  When I grow up, I want to hook like Fran!

 Fran was hooking a version of a Magdalena Briner rug.  Her leaf was stunning!

Here is a general idea of the main hooking room at the Holland Rug Camp.  It's a bee hive of activity!

 

 And now for some of the rugs at the rug show which took place on Wednesday (July 13th):

 Ah Tis Spring, a Notforgotten Farm adaptation, hooked by Sherry Dart.  She hooked this last year in my class.

 Sunflower Witch, a Notforgotten Farm adaptation, hooked by Dawn Walczak.

 Jane Miles hooked Brave Hunter, which is a Barbara Carroll pattern.  Jane hooked this last year in my class.

 Emma's Garden hooked by Judy Malarney and designed by Kris Miller.  Judy started hooking this rug earlier in the spring during a one-day workshop I taught for her rug hooking guild.

 Give Ye Thanks hooked by Kathleen Keithly.  This is another Notforgotten Farm adaptation.

 Dawn Walczak hooked Glad Tidings in my class last year.  This is a Notforgotten Farm adaptation.

Marie McDonald hooked this rug in a class with Susan Feller.  It is Kissin' Wears Out, a Notforgotten Farm adaptation, but Marie personalized it for her anniversary.  What a great idea!

Sheila Murphy Russell hooked this purse in my class last year.  It is a Merry Hooker pattern.

Arlene Johnstone hooked this Keith Kemmer pattern called Red & White Oak Runner.

Kathy Purk hooked this in my class last year.  I believe it is a Diane Kelley pattern.

Marg Talbot hooked this in my class last year.  It is designed by me and it is called Juanita's Roses.

This is Sun Flower, a PJ Rankin-Hults adaptation.  It is hooked by Sue Russell.

 Judy Colley hooked my pattern, Bird of Paradise.  It was on a table at the rug show and I couldn't get a whole picture of it...but I think I like Judy modeling the rug better!

Now here's what I love about rug hooking...I have color planned this design a couple of times as a wide-cut/primitive rug, but Judy's version just blows me away!  It is fine-cut with shading and dip dyes...and equally as stunning this way!  Thanks for honoring my design in such a beautiful way, Judy!
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And now on to the "Throw Down.."

If you don't know what a throw down is...well, it is when all the students take the rugs that they have been working on all week and lay them out on the floor or the ground outside (it was a beautiful day for this), and show off what they have done.  It's always a big highlight of the week for me.

Since we were out in the bright sunshine with a little bit of shade thrown in, my pictures were less than optimal.  Here are just a few of the rugs.  Please excuse the shadow of my arm!

 Smell My Feet (Notforgotten Farm adaptation), hooking by Donna Gardella.

 Herb Angel (Notforgotten Farm adaptation), hooked by Barbara Moran.

Holly & Ewe, designed by Kris Miller and hooked by Sherry Dart.

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A very sweet picture of my class (I love these gals to pieces):

The highlight for the students is the grand prize drawing on Thursday at 7 pm.  Nancy Blair draws a student name and that person wins 10 yards of overdyed wool.  And the winner was:

 Judy Truax! 

I think there was some kind of wonderful Karma attached to my classes here at Holland because my students won the wool prize both of the years I taught!  Quite a thrill for me!  I was very honored to help Judy pick out her wool colors along with the help of Judy's teacher back home in Indiana, Arlene Johnstone.

Judy's fabulous armload of wool!  A good way to wrap up a week at rug camp!

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Wonderful Charlevoix

 I'm looking forward to spending my week-end in Charlevoix, Michigan at the Castle Farms Fiber Arts Festival.  It's Saturday July 23rd and Sunday July 24th.  I'll be located in the West Garden Room (which is in the back hallway), booth #40.  I hope you'll be able to attend too!  Stop by and say hello!  It's a beautiful setting in Northern Lower Michigan and I've heard the weather will be cooler there (low 80's). 

I took this picture last year.  It's really the back courtyard of the complex but beautifully picturesque.  The grounds are perfectly manicured.

This is our booth last year.  The show is indoors and air conditioned!  The building we are in has beautiful slate tiled floors and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling with large windows running the length of the hallway.

I think I've used the word beautiful three or four times in this post!  There's no other way to describe it...you will just have to see it for yourself!

There are so many wonderful vendors selling all kinds of fiber related products.  Buttons, yarn, roving, clothing, books, anything for knitting, spinning, weaving, needle felting, and rug hooking.  I've got a collection of brand new patterns, lots of textured woolens and a few new products.

See you there!

Pictures of Rug Camp

In the beginning of June, I had the pleasure of traveling to Libertyville, Illinois to teach a 3-day workshop.  These girls were not only talented but a lot of fun!  As typical for me, I did not pull my camera out until the last day (too busy!) and snapped a few pictures.  I wish I could have taken photos of all the rugs...but here is a good sampling:

This is Karen Maddi's rug.  It was her design (inspired by Klimt) and her color choices.  I mostly offered my opinion.  This is going to be spectacular, folks!  I can't wait to see the finished rug.

  Carol Waugh was hooking my Liberty design.  She had started this at another camp and continued to work on it while I was there.  Another gorgeous rug and a great color plan.

Betty Miller was working on a new Lori Brechlin adaptation, Lori's Flower Basket.  She revised the pattern, hooking the name and birthdate of her new granddaughter.

 Workshop participants come in all shapes and sizes!

Liz Abel was working on Emma Lou's Antique Floral Runner.  Whew!  This is ONE BIG RUG!  But we got it all color planned and Liz is a pretty fast worker so she'll have it done in no time.

 This is Lauren, busy at work.  She hadn't hooked in a while so she was getting back into the swing of things.

Here is Lauren's beautiful rug, a Lori Brechlin adaptation, Sunflower Witch.  This is turning out fantastic!  Part of my workshop demonstration was hooking eyes...I hooked one eye and Lauren did the other one...bet you can't tell who did which (or should I say "witch") eye?!?

 Some of the rug hookers, busy at their frames.

On the last day of class, there was a house fire across the parking lot.  I had never been this close to a house fire before and it was interesting and horrifying at the same time.  Here's a shot of the firemen trying to break in the back door.  You can see flames in the front; this was a car that was on fire too.

It was a fabulous camp and I was impressed by the hooking abilities of all the ladies.  Thanks so much for choosing me as your teacher!