In Case You're Wondering.....

...I'm not sick, I'm okay.  Just didn't have anything new to blog about and wanted to get Posies and Stars finished to show you.  It was just taken off the frame so hasn't been steamed yet.  As mentioned previously, this antique adaptation was drawn out measuring 21½  x 21½.  

Now comes the clean up of mess on the sofa, floor and sofa arm rest before I can even begin to think about wool for my next project.  Also a good vacuuming of the wool dust is a must.  The other rug (Lancaster Barnyard) still isn't completely bound so will work on that a bit tonight since there are now two rugs to bind.

As was expected, next month's April rug camp has been cancelled due to the Covid 19 scare so my deposit will be rolled over to the April 2021 camp.

On a previous blog post I wrote about growing my own sprouts.  I used them all up for salads so started another jar ~ this is day two.  The jar is laying on its side and you can see the little tails developing.  

So in about another 4 days I should have a jar which will look like this.

If you would like to do grow your sprouts click on the link HERE.  Matter of fact I have ordered the same jars and tilted framing you see on the web site instead of the makeshift jar and screen I made.

FYI, since I'm the only one who eats the sprouts I only put 1 tablespoon of broccoli seeds in this regular canning jar and it gave me enough sprouts for 3 salads.  If I ate sandwiches I'd have made more since sprouts are fantastic on them too.  I believe those canning jars are bigger so just might grow more next time.

Hope all are well and keeping themselves sane with their favorite activity; mine is rug hooking.

Saundra

Throwback Thursday

It has been about 8 years since I stopped doing artisan shows and while the extra pocket money was nice I don't miss the work involved to prepare, load up, set up, tear down, load up and unload the items back to their place.

At that time I made primitive, whimsical and artsy dolls then began hooking items to sell.  Small mats and purses were among the most popular but did sell a couple larger rugs .  The very first purse I hooked was a pattern from a Kindred Spirits booklet.  I kept the original to use as my 'money bag' at craft shows.

Then used the shape to design others.  Each was lined with a small pocket and snap closure.

Cat purses were very popular so they sold as soon as one was hooked.

Hooked A Scrappy Cat purse with a primitive cat design.

These two purses had a button closure.

I loved this Distlefink design by Lori Brechlin and of course it sold too.  

Two more with button closures.

There were many more purses made and sold over the years and don't have photos of all.  Wow, looking back I sure did hook a lot of purses.

Speaking about purses..... my friend and frequent camp roomie Deb hooked one for me.  I used it for a while but was afraid of ruining it so now it hangs as a piece of art in my home.  It has a purchased twisted cord strap.  Maybe I'll use it when going to April camp so I can show it to Cindy Irwin.  Think she will be impressed with Deb's talent.

Happy hooking and hope the purses have piqued your creative self.

Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

OH GLORIOUS DAY

It is a glorious day after pulling the last loop ~ my next rug camp is just eleven days away.  It was steamed yesterday afternoon and later today will start the binding process.  

It is a design by Lori Brechlin and sold by Spruce Ridge Studios.   
I bind my rugs differently depending on what I think it needs; this one will have a whipped edge using yarn.  Eventually it will hang on the wall in my kitchen over the harvest table but will wait until after next September's Cape May rug camp so it can be in the show.

I have whipped the edge of rugs before which were placed on the floor and didn't like it.  No matter how many strands of yarn you whip with the yarn eventually separated and foundation showed through.  So I don't whip the edge if the rug is to be on the floor.  One rug I've whipped the edge a second time over the first whipping so that makes double work.

Saundra

Throw Back Thursday

Let's go back to 2016 when the Out of Hand Rughookers Group hosted a "Spring Challenge".  The great design was by Kelley Belfast  who was inspired by the spring daffodils in bloom at the time.  There were limited rules and a deadline in order to be included for a prize.  Each of the registered challenge entrants were allowed to vote.

Although I didn't capture photos of all entries here are the ones saved on my flash drive.  There was a bounty of nice prizes provided by Lori Brechlin who is the hostess of the Group.

First rug was hooked by Joanne Miller.  That Honeycomb wool is a great one to have in your stash because it is so versatile.

 The colorful rug below hooked by Louise Budde.

Peggy Skulski hooked the black sheep version.

Below is Gladys LaForge's version of the design and looks like her daffodils were done in proddy. 

 Jean Bartel chose a more neutral color palate.

 Karin Manuel decided her sheep was a grey one.

Below was my entry and I also chose to do proddy daffodils

Anne Donaldson also chose a more colorful wool palate with her sheep standing in a field of daffodils.

Linda Mageske decided to make hers round and have the American flag fly proudly.

This rug below was hooked by Shari VanArt with her sheep standing on a spot where two vine-like flowers are growing.

Thanks to Lori for hosting the challenge and to Kelley for her design.

Saundra

Misc. Chit Chat

A few days ago Lori of NotForgotten Farm inspired me to cut Forsythia limbs from my barren bushes and inspire sunlight to bring spring into the house.

In the space where my sweet boy Ben would sit is the encouragement of spring and sign of life.

After the last two days of 70 and 80 degree temperatures look what I found this afternoon..... Yup, a fully bloomed daffodil.  That poor thing will surely whither as the temps are getting colder before the slight warm up this weekend.  BUT IS evident spring is on its way.

Remember the Nielsen ratings question I asked about a few days ago?  I have NEVER been asked to participate until recently.  

Must admit it was fun to record but will be happy to put these diary's in the mail TOMORROW!!!!!!!

Saundra

Back to My Rugs

By now you are all probably thinking...woman get this theme over with! Yet it was a request from a couple followers and must admit it is giving me time to work on this humongous Gossip rug and do yard work.

In 2011 I hooked a Karen Kahle pattern called Home Tweet Home since I like birds, have many bird houses and several feeders.

And another version on my harvest table.  What a difference an angle of the photo and lighting makes.

Was on a Karen Kahle theme that year because I also hooked her Tea Cozy.  I love the design and did make it into a tea cozy thinking it would sell at a show.  Now I wish that I'd been brave enough to make changes to shape and design like I do now.  I'd have made it into a mat with a border, maybe a tote?  But an upside down tote won't work now.

Sometimes you just need a little something small to work on between projects.  I'd purchased an old seat/stool decided it needed a pad so hooked this Star Hit and Miss chair pad for it.  My intentions were to make it smaller than the seat so some wood grain could be seen.

That same year, as a gift for sweet Barb Carroll me and my friend Deb each hooked a 'rubber ducky' chair pad for an 'inside' celebration to go with her outside rubber duckies.  Took this picture of it on my antique rocker at home before presenting it to her.

Here are the rubber duckies in Barb's koi pond.

And sweet Barb graciously hung them in her classroom.

That was the year I hooked two of E.S. Frost Sheep rugs.  One was hooked in a class with Lucille Festa and the one with the scrolls was hooked with Barb Carroll.

That was also the year when Yahookers was having their Sincerely Jane Rug Challenge based on the antique quilt by Jane Stickle.  Our efforts were published in a past issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.  This one I worked on a block at a time whenever, but did get it finished by deadline.

Also hooked Polly Minick's design Boy Pulling Wagon.  This photo shows a cool patriotic tape measure style rug binding which Polly gave me.

And last but not least was a design by Lori Brechlin of NotForgotten Farm of this cat in a shoe.  It was a design in one of her booklets.

Happy Sunday everyone.

Saundra

A Chat with Lori Brechlin at the Farmhouse

That is a name we are all familiar with whether you do stitchery, needle punch, hook rugs, make dolls or do embroidery ~ Lori does it all.  Lori was inspired by and admired the antique rugs she saw in homes growing up in Connecticut, and loved them from an early age.

Lori is mostly self-taught but has taken a few classes along her woolly path.  She began hooking at age 21 and hasn't stopped ~ she just turned 54.  Hey, she provided the age so figured it was good to say.

Her pattern ideas are inspired by anything that looks wonky, naive and untrained...the more folky the better.  Lori says, "I love cats, well all animals, so I like to include them in my work."

She prefers 'off' colors ~ orange-y reds, green-ish blues...purples of every shade, black, mustard, yellow...ok, Lori admits she loves all colors!  I fell in love with the Nantucket Broom Ride below and was excited when it was offered as a rug pattern.

Below is another photo showing Lori's off colors and it looks just yummy.  Love the colors as well as the design.

The people who influenced Lori when she ventured into hooking were Peggy Teich, Barbara Brown, Polly Minick, Edyth O'Neill and Barb Carroll... wow, that is certainly great company in her circle of inspiring people.

When first starting to hook Lori said her biggest hurdle was finding the right equipment!   As most of us, a crochet hook and burlap was all she had. Then she haunted thrift shops for wools to use and with the wonderful internet, she was soon on her way to her textile addiction! 

Lori says that as far as a light bulb moment ~ that happened when she realized each one of us hooks differently...."her loops don't look like yours, your loops don't look like hers and that is ok".  When she realized that she could be free and happy with the process of hooking, it was then she relaxed and began designing her own rug patterns.

At NotForgottenFarm she creates art, conducts classes, sells patterns and supplies for all textile addicted folk.

She will hook anywhere ~ inside or outside, in a chair, on the sofa ~ in the kitchen, garden, patio, porch....but says she can't do anything in a car.  Lori gets dizzy-sick when trying to hook in the car.   Music is an accompaniment to her hooking process.  She likes classical, jazz and big band music; or sometimes will be entertained with crazy sci-fi movies on the "boob-tube".

A little known fact about Lori is that she did illustrations for the Holly Berry Hill catalogs which was a company managed by two gals from California, Dee Foust and Nichole Sayer.   

I have hooked numerous designs of Lori's either from one of her booklets or purchasing a pattern from Spruce Ridge Studios.  Okay, so this blog post is supposed to be about Lori only.  But now I've got to share just one of Lori's designs I've hooked.

Above is Nantucket Broom Ride hooking pattern which Kris Miller adapted from Lori's art work.  I hooked this design in a class with Kris and we both love how it turned out.  If you want a rug pattern based on any artwork of Lori Brechlin please contact Kris Miller of Spruce Ridge Studios.

Thanks Lori, for your willingness to participate in this 'getting to know you' endeavor.

Saundra

An Interview with Elaine Allerton

YIPPEE, my first responding volunteer; thank you Elaine for participating.  What a better way to welcome March than introducing rug hookers to one another.  We see the names posting on Out of Hand Rughookers but it will be nice to get to know one another on a more personal basis.

Elaine lives in Ontario, a Canadian neighbor.  I'm sure everyone will enjoy these rug photos you shared with me and your rug hooking journey.

Elaine said her friend wanted to learn how to hook so she went along for the ride ~ that was 1995.  Elaine said "what a ride it was!"  She cannot believe how much joy and wool she has welcomed since then.

Above is her own design and was the first rug she hooked.  WOW, she certainly put me to shame on the first project.

The inch mat is an original design by Elaine which she has named "Year of the Rooster".  Nicely color planned too Elaine, the pop of yellow surrounds the rooster and focuses in on the subject.

She loves primitives but says her style changes back and forth to bright landscapes where she can use wool, wool yarn, sari, and wool sweaters to give the rug lots of texture she enjoys so much.  The primitive rug above is called Harvest and is a design by Lori Brechlin of NotForgottenFarm.

The landscape design above was hooked by Elaine and is a Block of the Month by Deanne Fitzpatrick.  If you tap on the photo you will be able to see the various textiles which Elaine incorporated into the rug.

Her winter hooking spot is the 'hooking room' listening to music or audio books.  In the summer she sits outside on the deck to hook and listens to the sounds of nature.  

Elaine says she "....has been inspired by so many hookers ~ including my work".  Ah, I paid her to say that last part, lol.

Am so glad my friend Shari inspired me to do this segment on my blog as I'm totally enjoying seeing people's work and learning more about the people who follow my blog.  What surprises me is the response; you won't believe some of the great hookers who have happily responded to yesterday's post.  Will take them in order of response so hang tight as you will each be featured.  This is fun and can't wait until tomorrow to showcase the other wonderful hooker.

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

p.s.  If the link on the word HERE isn't working for you then go to my proile page and choose to email me.

Stubbs Rug Update

One would think I'd be more than halfway done hooking my rug but sadly the trainer still hasn't been started.  But today started designing my grandson's new Christmas Rug and have pulled wool before it is on linen.

For those who may be interested, the dimensions of my rug is 22 x 48. And if you're wondering what that star is all about in the top left, it is not part of the design but rather the spot used to hook a #9 cut star someone asked me to demonstrate.  Figured may as well use the linen on my frame.

Just visited Lori Brechlin's blog and admired her stitchery.  Her post has inspired me to show you a relic I stitched back in the 70's.  And...it is a piece of clothing, lol.  Stop back to see tomorrow. 

Have a great evening, sheesh, January 2, 2017.  Wonder how many checks I'll have to change the date on before I remember what year it is?

Saundra

How about a Rug Show

I've been like a slug this morning sitting at the computer looking thru old rug pictures saved on CD's and moving them to a flash drive as a back up.  After my computer crashed and lost all the photos saved in my 'pictures' thought it might be wise to have backups to save photos I like to refer to.

Some were from Cape May 2008 and some I just saved were antique rugs.  So maybe I'll show you the Cape May rugs first and another day will do the antique rugs.  This first one is a Lib Callaway design.  

Can't read the label on the lion rug but I think it may be a Bev Conway design.

The dog and cat primitive is by Lucille Festa.

In the spirit of Halloween is Merrie Halloween in progress at the 'throw down' at Cape May 2008.  Love the colors

This is a picture of me in 2008 holding the pattern Eat Crow which I started with Patsy Becker.  

Below is a Bev Conway pattern  of chickens on eggs.  That is the way the rug as designed.

I hooked that design too but wanted to do my own thing and have the chickens sitting on straw nests instead.

Here is a design by Lucille Festa named Moon Over Vermont which also happens to be one of the patterns in my stash yet to hook.  Love the way she hooked the sky giving energy to the home.

 Below is a rug which was being worked on by my friend Evelyn Lawrence.

Home on a hill with heart shaped outlined scrolls.  

An antique adaptation of a dog and pup by Evelyn Lawrence

 Aother hooked by Evelyn of a chickens runner.

 Cute bird mats.

 Horse rug by Lucille Festa.

There are many more photos I haven't gone thru so will have a diversion for you away from the bordom of my rug updates.

Well kids, I'm growing mold under my butt so I'd better get off the computer and be more productive in some way.  Should work on cleaning up some leaves and want to pull some loops.  Which will win????  Even I don't know yet .

Saundra