The Delightful Neverending Birthday

Hey, call me conceited but think I'm a rather likeable person and believe my blog is entertaining if not helpful to newbies.  Yet I never thought my mailbox (both snail mail and email) would have a continuing influx of birthday wishes ~ but they have.  

Because of the abnormal amount of mail (and a sweet gift from Cathy) I knew who the 'recruiting' culprit was ..and you know too....Lauren.  I wrote her one day I received cards and accused her of recruiting people to send me birthday wishes.  She pleaded the 5th.  Next day I emailed more guilty charges against her and again she denied any association.  

Just now I emailed Lauren and told her I had evidence of her guilt and she cannot deny it.  I received a card from sweet Joanne H. who doesn't have a Facebook account nor does she do email.  Yet I received a sweet card from her ~ hmm, how would she know my address???  

All good things must come to an end so this might be the last of the cards.  The cards and birthday wishes from all of you have been fun as has the faux fight with Lauren.  You'd never believe who sent me that tall green card in the back with the male eye candy.  Hey, I might be 80 but still enjoy that eye candy as well as rug eye candy.

Below is the sweet primitive wool wreath Cathy made me.  I love it and have it hanging on the door to the computer room so I can see it several times during the day when walking in and out.  Thanks Cathy.

The rug on the table with the cards (first photo) is an antique adaptation I offer named Cherries and Candy Stripe.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Mission Accomplished

Accomplished what I'd set out to do in making a primitive silver feather tree.   There's no lovely Merry Christmas wool applique as Jo Wick showed on Facebook but used my "Cherries and Candy Stripe" antique adaptation I hooked a year ago.  I'd forgotten just how much I love this rug.

The Santa is one I made a few years ago but he didn't sell before retiring from doing shows.   Kinda like this guy so decided to keep him. His stick tree, boots, clothing ...well everything is homemade ~ well the sheep made his beard.

And Kim (Glass Half Full) sorry to disappoint for an expectation of a "....Mona Lisa caliber tree", lol.   Here it is in the bowl I showed in an earlier post.  The base of the tree was pushed into a foam base and covered with scraps of warm and natural.  Was going to brush the pieces of shiny metallic into the trash but decided to sprinkle those on the top of the warm and natural.

A few of you wanted step by step instructions of what I did.  But honestly wasn't sure how it was going to go until I just dove in.  Below you see what each long stem looked like.  So what I started with was two long stems side by side and twisted them together.  Then would cut sections so the fluffy part would be at the end.

Then placed the stem where I wanted the limb, twisted around the center section and moved down lower on the trunk.

As usual, this was a 'fly by the seat of my pants' sorta project.  But for me it worked to have a small primitive silver feather tree....thanks to Jo Wick's beautiful vignette.

Have a great evening everyone.  And now back to binding Red Lion and still have a few more loops to pull on the other rug.

Saundra

Rugs, Rugs, Rugs

Saved a few vintage rugs to show when I needed more time to work on my project.   

The first one looks like a story rug to me which isn't organized in sections but rather like puzzle pieces.  It was hooked in 1889 and I see initials which could be CMS.  It may even be a wedding rug since it has mingled hearts in the center, fish for Christianity, doves, lucky horseshoes, an eagle on top left, stars, cross, etc.  Quite an interesting and busy rug so bet the hooker didn't get bored.

Below is a 1900's Pennsylvania penny rug using wool and homespun according to the auction house.

Below is a primitive pot of flowers with bird images and diamond shapes at border edge.

Per the auction house the rug below was hooked by Ms. Goetz and was found near Clifton Ontario.

The rug below has colors which look rather good together but not something I'd probably hook...unless I was trying to get rid of those colored worms.  Sorry, no provenance on this one either but was on an auction site. 

Isn't the rug below cute?  Two kids sitting on a fence looking and the animals.  No provenance on this either...sorry.

Not sure if the piece below is a framed mat or pillow but am guessing mat.  For sure I'd get bored with so much border but think it is a lovely dainty piece for the center motif, love the scrolls and neutrals. 

This dancing rug makes me smile... can almost hear the music.  While I don't particularly care for directional hooking (due to boredom) the wide open and softness of the background makes you feel like there's only the couple there.  The music is in the background but the man and woman are the objects of their affection.

Obviously the piece below was hooked in 1935.

 The dog piece below was to have been hooked between 1890-1920 in Vermont and was hooked with yarn.

Oh do love the rug below.  It sorta reminds me of the antique rug  I replicated and named Cherries and Candy Stripe.

Okay, so as not to keep you wondering..... here is what the antique Cherries and Candy Stripe looked like.

And this is my adaptation of that rug which I offer in pattern form.

Okay kids..... gonna fix dinner then sit and hook for a while.  Gotta get my hooking in for the day.

Saundra

Moving On

Cherries and Candy Stripe is bound and on my harvest table, finally.    Soon I plan to add it as a pattern on my web site.  My grandson gave me that little bird house he painted for my birthday 3 years ago and I love it.  I told him it would not go outside as I wanted to see it every day.

Then after getting heat in the house yesterday and excited about what I'd hook next had a fleeting thought of taking a mini detour.  Thought I'd like to hook this Polka Dot Heart pattern since next month is Valentine's Day.  It is one of the designs I drew for Polly Minick for her hooking class in France last year.  But since I didn't have any blue and white herringbone wool to pull off the pillow ticking look had to change my plans.  Poo!

This is the latest book by Polly Minick which has Polka Dot Hearts and  several other free patterns as well as a DVD included.  Click on Polly's link if you wish to purchase the book.

Then it was back to plan "A" ~  hook Hannah's Hen by Woolley Fox.  I've pulled wool for the hen but what I've hooked so far looks too dark to me.  Went to my worms and found a lighter texture which you see draped across the left.  Now I'll have to see whether mixtures work or go all lighter. 

Please forgive me for not responding to each of you individually when you comment, as I'd done in the past.  Blogger is no longer sending me the comment notification even tho I've updated the e-mail address over and over.  I've sent Blogger messages of my issue and inquired on the internet as to the fix but no help.  Each of your comments is special to me and I do read them; but responding is made more difficult by not getting the notification.

Thankfully I have heat and the house is warm.  Just in time for the snow and chill down on the east coast.  Have a great evening and be warm.

Saundra

The Big Chill is Over

Thank gawd about 4:50 today the heat was turned on.  At one point today there was only 1 degree difference between the outside temperature and the inside temperature.  And that was in the office which probably had a little overflow from the living room space heaters I had on.

I'll spare you all the drama (for me) during the last 4 days but when the fire alarms went off shortly after the serviceman turned on the heat I was about ready to leave the house for fear of an explosion.  Ben was let outside but he stood looking at me as I'm sure he was concerned for my safety.  The HVAC guy told me there was no problem, that the brand new furnace was burning off the oil that was on the equipment at 'fire up'.  Thankfully that dreadful sound stopped but in no record time as far as my ears were concerned.

Right now at 6:05 p.m. the inside temperature is 60 degrees and I feel like I'm in Florida.  Guess after 4 days of the big chill my body 'sorta' began to adjust to the new (temporary) norm.  Must say it will be great to wash my hair tomorrow as it has not been washed since last Friday ~ that night in the wee hours of the morning is when the heat stopped.  No way I wanted to have a wet head of hair with bone chilling temperatures in the house.

So $2,595 less savings now I'm ready to 'chill' emotionally and get back to my wool.  Just think of all the wool I could have bought with that money.  Anyway..........

The Cherries and Candy Stripe antique adaptation is almost completely bound and after another steaming tomorrow will be on my harvest table.

This is the back side and as you can see there is only a bit more to stitch down on the binding. 

And think I'll take a night off from hooking anything new tonight, as I'm too emotionally spent after these last 4 days.

Have a great evening everyone and hope you manage to stay warm.

Saundra

Close to the Finish Line

Well, maybe not the final finish line for the binding part.  But all that is left now is the candy stripe and one corner on the antique adaptation Cherries and Candy Stripe to be hooked.

For such a small mat it seems to be taking me forever to finish this piece.  Maybe because I want it on my table so badly but also dang dentist/doctor appointments.  Oh, add in the ice laden roads so longer travel time to and fro.

Tomorrow I've another dental appointment in the morning AND an allergy test in the afternoon.  More on that tomorrow.  Amazing the changes the body and immune system makes thru the years.  I just might be allergic to a an item on the healthy food chain.  Hope it isn't so.

Have a great evening everyone.  My boy Ben is to my left side snoring and his feet are wiggling.  Hope he is having a nice dream.

Saundra

Good News, Bad News

The good news is I cleaned my room....sorta.  Not as much as it needed but good enough for now.  There is still a lot of wool I need to use to make room for that sitting elsewhere. 

BUT, that small clean up enabled me to draw out another Domestic Zoo as I just sold one and like to have one on hand ready at all times.

The bad news is that Cherries and Candy Stripe isn't done yet.  Knowing today would be rainy needed to do some leaf raking yesterday ~ there's still many more man (woman) hours of leaf raking to clear around my home.

This is as far as I've gotten on Cherries and Candy Stripe.  I'm so looking forward to finishing this as I want to clean my kitchen and put this on the harvest table.  Loving how this is turning out.

Have a great evening everyone and please be kind to one another.  Kindness is contagious.

Thanks to all my followers who keep reading.  I love getting posts but for some reason I'm not getting the comments sent directly to my e-mail.  So unless I go to my blog and check the comments don't know what was asked or commented on. 

All comments and questions are welcome.... newbie or older..... there is NO stupid question.  Trust me when I say I've asked all of them.   So, if you have a question you can find my e-mail and ask a question or post it on the blog. 

Saundra

Honey's Are You Bored YET?

Today I made some wonderful turkey rice soup (left over broth) and salad greens will be my dinner.  Am definitely looking forward to the soup.  Okay, you know what I'm having for dinner now on to my hooking.

Sorry if my updates on the same project over and over gets boring.  But since my daily life is redundant all you have to do is send me a post HERE to give me suggestions on what you would like to see me write about.  Actually have been thinking about doing a dye project with wool and recipe that Betsy Reed mentioned at rug camp this past November.

Okay, here comes the boring part.  This is what I've accomplished thus far in hooking Cherries and Candy Stripe. And, it is for my harvest table  NOT the floor so am using a compatible colored cotton fabric binding.  The dimensions of my piece is 13.5" x 34.5".

Either planning or by accident on placement of color, this is the original antique I am replicating.  The original was 30" x 75".  But I DID choose to do a dirty darker light than the gold as the alternate stripe in the original.   Remember tho, SHE used what she had.

Have a good evening and hope you are staying warm.  Oh my but the wind chill will get ya!

Warm Wool Snuggle Hugs.

Saundra

Update on Cherries and Candy Stripe

This mat should be further along than it is, I really have had a hook in my hand a lot too.  Problem is I've watched some movies which were so interesting that unless you watched (not just listened) you missed something important in the movie.  So I had to keep looking at the TV, sometimes rewind and watch again since what happened next didn't make sense.  Yup, I'd missed something in the video not the audio.

Oh, another reason more isn't hooked is that I'm also working on the binding of Olde Ducks so share my time a little here, a little there.  Here's my accomplishment so far.  Oh my but I'm getting the look of a worn blotchy antique that I like so much.  This is going to be awesome on my harvest table.

And already have decided what to hook next.  That's where some of my time has gone too.....looking thru my stash of patterns to decide what is next.  So I've chosen Hannah's Hen (a Woolley Fox design) as I've had that pattern for a few years now. 

There were other designs in the running but some I'm saving for either May class with Barb or for Cape May in September.  Besides, I've measured the pattern and there is a special place on the wall in my kitchen where it is destined to go. 

Today was rather balmy but that is about to change drastically; it will soon be in the 20's at night and my stage 2 more expensive heat will kick in. 

Have a great evening.

Saundra

New Year's Eve

I plan to entertain myself this evening at home working on the current project ~ Cherries and Candy Stripe.  Still a way to go so it won't be done in 2014.

If you want to see the original antique from which this was adapted just scroll down to previous posts.  And, yesterday's post has a run down of the rugs I hooked through this past year.

Happy New Year to all my cyber pals and please be safe this evening.  I will welcome in the New Year behind closed eye lids.

Saundra

Project Update

Today I've felt like a slug sitting and hooking while watching and enjoying shows recorded on my DVR.  Okay, yesterday I worked outside and was exhausted so deserve today.

This is my update on the antique adaptation "Cherries and Candy Stripe" and I'm really having fun with it.  Not only am I using some of my left over strips (and yeah making more I'm sure) but getting those old looking dirty colors in there to give it age is somewhat of a challenge but also FUN!!!!!

In the original antique (pic in a previous blog post) there was a gold stripe along the border in places but I've chosen to use beige....actually an over dyed wool to replicate dirty wool.

If you double click on the picture you will see dotted lines on the linen.  That is what I've put on my design to know where the off-colored wool goes to give it the antique look in the background for that blotchy look I so love.

This is such a fun and relaxing journey for me and hope you are enjoying it during this calm and peaceful holiday season.  Also wish each of my internet friends a happy and healthy new year as that is coming up next.  Oh my.... already?

Saundra