Easter Display

This is the little vignette which has been displayed on my sofa table for the last week or so.  The rabbit and carrot was made by me several years ago but after seeing Julie's (Primitive Heartstrings) think mine might undergo extra stitching to give it a new look.

The hooked mat is Mr. Cottontail, a design by Brenda Gervais of With They Needle and Thread.

Also, notice the wonderful Running Bunny applique pillow behind the hooked bunny mat which I was lucky enough to score in a 'giveaway' hosted by Julie last year ~ thanks again Julie.

As the saying goes....'when it rains it pours'.  Three days ago I began to notice extremely hot water coming out of my shower and spigots.  Called a plumber yesterday and he was able to get here this morning.  And, should be no surprise to me that I need a new water heater.  

Do you know how much water heaters are???  Expensive.  Do you know how much a plumber's labor is per hour?  Expensive.  He is still here at noon and arrived around 9:30 and don't have his bill yet but will be sitting down when I get it.

Oh, and the bulk of the trees are still in my yard.  OY!  LIke I said, "when it rains it pours".

Saundra

Where Were We??

Oh, now I remember...... 2008 I had my very first class with Barb Carroll.  Kinderhook Basket was the rug design chosen for the class.  Barb owns the original and patterns can be purchased from Woolley Fox.  I LOVE this rug and remember the class with Barb fondly.  After that class purple became my friend.

That year Karen Kahle's Small Flowerbox was on my 'must do' list and hooked it at home.

Was still doing dolls and small projects so for the fall show hooked Wytch Pulling Pumpkin design by Lori Brechlin.  It is a pattern in one of her booklets and  of course it sold quickly.

The rug below which I named "Olde Gals" was adapted from a quilt pattern and hooked it in a class with Bev Conway.  I wanted to  make the nylon hose look a little wrinkled and drooping at the ankles but didn't think I could pull off that look.  Figured it would look like a blob or women with fat ankles so just hooked the seam  up the back.

That year I hooked another Polly Minick design called Patriotic Sandpails.  Photo taken outside on my deck in the sunlight so is a little washed out.

At Cape May in another class with Bev I hooked Herb Angel, a design by Brenda Gervais.  Her hair is a red and orange yarn.  OMG I have YARDS of it left.  The huge spool was purchased around 1980 when working for Sunset Designs, a needlework company located on Crow Canyon Rd, San Ramon, CA.

Well kids, I've got work to do and want to get some hooking time in too so will continue with the next year's rug later.  Happy Hooking and where is spring????

Saundra

Lucky Winner....Me

Much to my surprise I was the lucky winner of Julie's Giveaway.  It arrived yesterday and was wrapped beautifully with some fresh lavender.

And when the prize was revealed it looks prettier in person than on her blog.  Will save a view of the front for later...first the back has aged pillow ticking for the country look I like.

Her crossed stitches on the edges are perfectly done (everything she does is with perfection).

The front is an aged tapestry which has easter flower colors and of course the applique brown bunny with blue ribbon.  If I'm not mistaken, think I detect a mild clove scent on the pillow.

Naturally I had to make a proper place for the bunny pillow for Easter.

On my sofa table it is nestled in between a velveteen bunny left over from my craft show days and a hooked mat named Mr. Cottontail, a design by Brenda Gervais.   

Thanks for your generosity Julie, it will surely be treasured.

Saundra

Spring Toward Easter

Well at least it felt spring-like today but tomorrow and the rest of the week will be different.  However, Mr. Cotton Tail is bound and on my sofa table along with a primitive bunny and my grandson's photo.

For those of you who would want a closer look at the rug, here it is.  If interested in hooking your own it is a design by With Thy Needle and Thread, called "Mr. Cotton Tail". 



Thank goodness I'm all caught up on my binding tasks.  Yes, the last few have been small projects but still so easy for me to put those on the back burner too. 

Worked a bit more on Shadow girl's jacket for her box of ashes and when assembled will take a picture.  Just hooked one of the paw prints today so still 3 more sides to hook.

Have a great evening and hope spring is closer to you than it is to us here in Delaware.  We are several degrees below where normal is for this time of year.  Okay, maybe not today but tomorrow we will be maybe 20 degrees below normal once again.  Hey, as long as it isn't snowing (uh, we might get some of that too).  Oh well, eventually June temps will be here I'm sure.

Saundra

Small Pieces are Wunnerful

While I've never hooked a room size rug, I have hooked somewhat larger pieces than the ones you've seen me post of late.  But it is great to do a small mat sometimes.  What makes it best is when time comes to bind the dang thing as it is a small 'thang' to bind.  This 14 x 14 guy is done and I'm in the process of binding it now.  Finished picture coming later.

And the Magdalena crow I showed you the other day is already on my sofa table.  So there's something great to say for small pieces.

Since I'm busy binding Mr. Cotton Tail tonight will show you the finished piece later AND tomorrow I plan to work on my son's rug before moving on to 'the next rug on my frame". 

Hope everyone has a great evening and all have signs of SPRING in their yards and hearts.

Saundra

Mr. Cotton Tail Update

Worked a tad more on Mr. Cotton Tail, a Brenda Gervais design, and think he will be ready to display and enjoy before Easter.  Am also hoping he will be the incentive for me to clean up wool dust bunnies. 

All of the flowers, stems, jacket, backpack, grass, and most of the border have been selected from my worm baggies.  I did cut the tan check for the bunny and some primitive black to go with the other black leftovers.  But hey, I use a LOT of primitive black since that is my 'go to' background since it really makes colors pop.

Oh, I forgot to mention the dimensions of my Mr. Cotton Tail is 14" x 14".  Some time ago when this needle punch pattern was purchased from With Thy Needle and Thread I asked if there was permission to enlarge her NP designs and hook them and was given permission.  Sometimes you ask a designer and they say no so I leave those designs alone since there's already so much eye candy out there to enjoy and hook.

AND..... guess what!!!!!!!  There will not be another 'panic attack' with nothing on my frame when he is done.  I've already enlarged and drawn out an antique adaptation which is ready to throw on the frame in a millisecond.  Will share that in a future post.

Lately I've had a few new gals write me with typical newbie questions which ALL of US had when we began.  Just to let you newbie readers know, it is okay for you to write me and I'll try to help. 

I'm not claiming to be an expert and will only give you my thoughts based on my experience.  You could ask 10 seasoned hookers the same question and you may get a few same but also some different answers.  Frankly I learn something new each time I'm around hookers and going to camps.  We are never done learning but know too it is a struggle when newbies start out..... I WAS A NEWBIE TOO.

Had the HVAC guy here today AGAIN. for the new furnace which also had to have a new blower installed...remember that?  Something came loose in the new blower so it sounded like a lid on a pot of boiling water flopping up and down.  Yes, had heat but could not sleep last night because of the racket. 

I'd just gone to bed when the furnace came on; there was no TV playing, only heat.  Ben went wacko barking since he thought someone was trying to break into the house.  Knowing what it was I coaxed him into the bedroom and closed the door.  Even then, each time the blower came on for the furnace I could hear it in the bedroom the other end of the house.

Uh, you do remember me saying this was my NEW FURNACE, right?  The one which needed a new blower installed after only 3 weeks old?    And now this issue.  Is the word LEMON coming to mind? 

Hope everyone has a great evening and my hope for me is that I get a great night's sleep and no more issues with a new paid for furnace.

Saundra

Rain Rain GO Away.....

....come again ANOTHER day.  Like when all of us need it in August during a drought.  Before I show you a picture of my back wooded area thought I'd show you Mr. Cotton Tail.

As you can see the border decision was tan/gold.  Since the background is a primitive black anyway, the tan/gold border softens the piece and frames it nicely.  Yup, I like it and am a happy hooker.

Now my backyard.... I live in a low area, unfortunately.  The snow has melted and the rains began last night and then poured today.  During the rain I tried to capture the ducks which gathered and chose my spot to procreate but it was raining too hard to even see what kind of duck.  There were both Mallard pairs and Wood Ducks ~ beautiful specimens both. 

Anyway, this was my back woods yesterday when it wasn't raining. 

And a shot to the right of that area.

Just imagine what has accumulated back there since.  Yeah, the frogs singing enchanting songs to their mates and the ducks gathering is pretty.  But after this, when the heat begins to increase...... UH, guess what!  Yup, mosquito's.   I've not already warmed up here yet thinking about the future infestation.

Ben is whimpering like a baby wanting his "mommy".  He always wants to be in the same room as me and I figure if he wants to be with me SO BADLY then he will come to me in the computer room as he does frequently.

Have a good evening everyone. 

Saundra

Outside Edge ~ Border Decision

Am slowly working on Mr. Cotton Tail  (a design by With Thy Needle & Thread) and as I was hooking the border wondered if perhaps the outside edge row should be replaced.  The top you can see mostly an old gold/brown outer edge and swags.  Then wondered if the outer edge were black would the piece looked more framed and make for a nicer mat so hooked a section on your left but that didn't seem to help me.

So decided to lay a piece of dark wool on top of what had already been hooked to see for myself without having to pull loops.  AH, first glance at this sent a 'like' signal to my brain.  Then when I scrolled up to look at the photo above am able to see that as a viable alternative as a border frame.  Oh my.... decisions decisions. 

In a class with Eric Sandberg I remember him saying, "hook what you know".   This has come in handy in many a scenario.  That comment or thought comes in handy when at a rug camp you have a question for a teacher but she or he hasn't yet made rounds full circle.  IF I hook what I do know it will give me something to do and accomplish more on my piece without interrupting a teacher with a student who also needs help.

With this bunny mat, I will continue to hook 'what I know', which is the whole inside, because once there is more accomplished inside that border decision might be easier to make.

As always, I welcome everyone's thoughts.  There's no right or wrong, just a matter of taste..... or as with the 'dress gone viral' a matter of blue and black or gold and white ~ a matter of what the eye sees.

Have a great evening and hope your snow is melting there as it is here.  However, that is causing yet another situation with flooding; particularly since now there are to be a couple days of rain.  This is what it looks like now.  A series of photos taken of my back yard and woods area.  That woods area is supposed to be dry but unfortunately I do live in a low lying area.  Hell, all of Delaware is a low lying, flat land area.  That white in the background is still now on top of unmelted ice.  Inside Ben's playground you can see muck because it is so full of water.

 Yup, more water.

So friends..... once the rain developes you might see future pictures.  After all, we here in Seaford have suffered TWO 100 year floods within 2 years of each other and hope this isn't the 3rd.  Bridges were washed out and travel to a local grocery store just one mile from me took forever to get to because of the detours due to flooding.  But guess as long as I have heat, running water, some hooking and Ben for comfort I'll be okay.

Have a great evening.

Saundra