Hester Finished and Windows 10 (yup, again!)

I'll post about the fun stuff first.  Hester is all hooked and now only needs steaming and binding.  Haven't decided how to bind it yet but here's Hester, which is a free pattern in the latest issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects.  The design is by Lori Brechlin.

And this morning I am heading back to the Geek Squad with my brand new, not even two weeks old, Windows 10 computer.  Yup, two days ago started getting 'critical errors' at the start button and Cortana ~  those of you who have Windows 10 will know what I'm talking about.  And for those of you who don't have Windows 10, lucky you.

Anyway, I'd get that critical error message and would be told to restart and the problem would resolve itself.  After this happening a few times finally neither Cortana or the start button work.  So an irritating and inconvenient 35 minute trip to Best Buy Geek Squad to get my new computer to work......hopefully.  At least I was able to post a picture.

Update on computer:  having returned from Geek Squad they said they had not seen a problem like this before so after some fiddling with places on the computer they normally check said he was going to go on line to see what other computer geeks had to say about the problem. He returned telling me what I already knew, that many people were having the same problem but no suggestions on how to resolve it.  And worse yet?  Microsoft hasn't figured out how to correct the problem.  Hey Bill Gates, what the h#11 is going on here?

So brought the computer home and all I can do is wait until Microsoft figures out how to fix this and get the Windows Update.

Hope your Friday goes well for everyone.

Saundra

Hester, How Art Thou?

Just like my boy Ben, Hester is feeling a little neglected. What with the computer crash, lost files and trying to learn new Windows 10, drawing patterns ~ well you get the picture.  Here's Hester now.  I'm hooking in mostly #8.5 and this piece is measuring 14 x 18 hooked and don't know what it measured before hooking.  

The background is wool I overdyed eons ago before I'd learned the lesson of 'textures' by Barb Carroll.

Yes, Lauren, I know what you're thinking....."what am I going to hook next?"  I haven't a clue but when relaxing and pulling a couple loops ask myself that same question.  

But before having fun hooking I've several HUGE Polly patterns to draw for someone.  Plus in the very near future there is Cape May Rug Camp and I'm not even close to ready for that.  

Lori, if you read my blog want you to know that I adore this pattern! Thank you for making it available to us in Primitive Quilts and Projects.

Have a good evening everyone and hope you are having a stress free day/evening.  Soon I hope to be at that place too.

Saundra

The Itch I Had To Scratch

Remember when I commented there was a pattern I was itching to hook?  Well, even tho I am still working on patterns I wanted some play time for moi to take care of that itch.  Yup.... still have the second black kitten mat to finish too but had to put Hester on the frame.

I enlarged this to about 13 x 18 and didn't sew the binding on first until I know what technique I'll use to bind or maybe enlarge the background a little.  If enlarged then I'd sew on a piece of fabric around the perimeter so the design would fit on my frame okay.

As far as background color??????  I don't know yet ~ I'll worry about that later.  My go to background is usually primitive black but this gorgeous Hester cat IS black so that's out.

In case you missed the info posted previously, Hester is a free design in the latest issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects and is the design of Lori Brechlin.

I still have another pattern to draw but it is late in the evening, dishes to do so think I'll play for the rest of the evening.

OH!!!!!  Any of my followers going to Sauder next week?  My friend Evelyn Lawrence is doing a class using an adaptation of an antique rug which has a face as the subject.  The class is to let people hook a family member or friend in place of the antique rug's face.  Evelyn has hooked at least one sample of a subject and would love to see her rug as well as students' adaptations. 

No, this year I didn't a sample to send her as I did last year with the Harriet Powers class so you won't see mine hanging upside down this year.  If any of you are going to Sauder next week I'd love for you to pop in her class during lunch or whatever, take a picture and send to me.  I asked Evelyn to do it and she said something like..."since I had my entourage to take pictures for me she didn't have to".

I'm envious of you going to Sauder but in September I'll be at Cape May.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Saundra

Happy HOT August 1st

Oh yeah it was a hot one today and I only cut Ben's back yard with the push power mower and decided to cut the rest of the yard another day. 

Instead, decided to play a little and drew out my next project.  It is a free design in the latest issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects, a design by Lori Brechlin of NotForgotten Farm, the design is called Hester.

Dang, that's right, it was designed to be a needle punch design which is punched from the back.  Oh well, mine will be facing the other way because I'm not redrawing it for hooking.  I have, however, taken a little creative license and might hook the sliver moon in the corner. 

Before drawing it out I contemplated making the cat smaller with more background and have a couple pumpkins in the piece.  But this is a wonderful whimsical fall cat and decided to keep it big. 

The pattern I drew measures 13 1/2 x 17/ 1/4.  And as excited as I am to begin hooking it the the Black Kitten Mat needs to be finish for my friend.  Soooo, boys and girls, if you'd like to join me in the hooking of Hester journey you have time to draw out your design for either punching or hooking.  Would love it if you'd share your progress with me and I'd post our in-progress pictures on my blog and you could do the same if you have a blog.  I think it would be fun to show a variety of Hesters.  Heck, mine will already be different since it is drawn opposite of the picture in the book.

If you don't subscribe and would like to purchase the magazine or get a subscription this is what this issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects looks like.

Have a great evening everyone.  Time to walk my boy and hook a little.

Saundra

Fini, Done, Enda, Finished at Last

Thanks to all who gave me permission to call the Man Cave Rug DONE without having to do reverse hooking.  I really appreciated all the positive comments but one that really resonated with me is what follower Carol (Ticklepie) said to me:  "...they form very nice bookends for the pool balls" just as they are.  So here is the finished front, steamed and bound.

While hooking the rug for my son I'd contemplated different ways to bind or frame the rug for hanging.  One way was to have artist framing like the stretched canvas type.  Yet I want to take this to Cape May for the rug show and didn't want a cumbersome project to haul around.  Plus the fact, maybe my son would want to use it as a rug instead of wall hanging.  Okay, I doubt it but was a fleeting thought.

So, finally decided to do a sleeve for a dowel which could be inserted to provide hanging capabilities or the dowel could be removed for a table or floor decoration.  For sure I'd be able to finally finish this and have it ready to take to Cape May in September. 

And the label is already stitched on too.  YIPPEE, I'm free at last!  And his Christmas gift is done...whew.  Feels good ~ except the back hasn't been steamed since I bound it.

So I'm caught up with binding and rug projects, and I've started the kitten mat for my friend.  Still have a few more labels to sew on hooked rugs but that's a piece of cake.  Now my mind is wandering on what to put on my frame next..... I'm thinking about HESTER, the cat in the latest issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects.  I previously showed you a picture of Hester and it is a design by Lori Brechlin of NotForgotten Farm.

Hope everyone has a great evening and a less humid day tomorrow like we are to experience. 

Saundra

More Hooking List Wants

Oh no, just what I don't need... more rug projects to go on my never ending list of "want to hook" projects.  My Fall subscription to Primitive Quilts and Projects arrived yesterday and I'm in love. 

Meet Hester, a design by Lori Brechlin, which happens to be one of the designs in this latest issue.  You can be sure to see this pattern on my frame this fall.

Another design in the issue which piqued my interest is this design by Stacey West called Moonlight Magic.  Sorry the picture is small but you get the idea.

Actually there are several great patterns in there and even from Maggie Bonanomi and Rebekah Smith, just to name two more.  If you don't subscribe to the magazine you are totally missing out.  Click on the link above to subscribe.  No, I don't get any rebate from this....just a very satisfied customer.

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

Primitive Quilts and Projects

Looking for primitive?  Oh but I do look forward to my issues of Primitive Quilts and Projects and just received the Spring issue today.  You can click that link to see all the great designs offered on the home page. 

While I'm not a quilter (not what I consider a real quilter anyway) and for those of you who think this is only for quilting, you're wrong.  There are many quilt designs, applique and needle punch designs that can be adapted to rug hooking just by the movement of a sharpie and enlargement. 

MY list of 'rugs to hook' is increasing since there are a few in this issue beckoning me...as if I didn't have a long list already.  I love Lori Brechlin's Blue Belle (needle punch design) and Tonya Roby's Simple Days (hooked design).  Blue Birds and Berries by Missie Carpenter is also nice and love her colors.

If you aren't a subscriber you may just want to consider it if you can't find it at your local news stand. 

Have a great Monday evening everyone.

Saundra