What To Hook Next

As I'm close to being done with Hester, I've been wracking my brain to decide what to hook next.  Briefly thought about hooking some more flower pins to take for sale at Cape May but that thought passed quickly.  

Also thought of hooking Lucille Festa's Hobo Joe even tho I am presently hooking Lori Brechlin's Hester, a fall design.

And lately have also had neutral monochromatic thoughts and would like to experience that.  So I went thru the antique rug photos I've collected and thought I'd post a few.  Okay Kim.....FYI I'm not on any 'medications' of choice, lol so maybe these photos will make it on the blog.

There are a couple of these rugs which I find interesting and would be fun to hook.  But still I don't know what is going to be on my frame next.  What I REALLY need to do is clean this pig sty of a house and trim some limbs on some of my bushes.

Time for some yogurt and fresh blueberries and sit with a hook in my hand after.  Enjoy your evening everyone.

Saundra

Old Rugs to Show and Tomorrow for me

It will be so nice to go back to what my 'normal' used to be.  The last two weeks has really stressed me out and think I've had a headache for that long too. No, I don't take anything but .81 mg of aspirin as my drug of choice is wine which I'm drinking right now after a hard day.

Since there is no more to show you on Hester (been drawing out patterns and master paper patterns) so think it is time of a vintage rug show.  Maybe some of these have even been seen before before but they are always a joy to look at.

Okay, I've reached my level of stress for today.  Since trying to post from 7:30 til now just to post just this one photo I'm calling it quits.  At least this one showed up after many tries.  Some tries were Internet Explorer and other on Windows 10 so not sure which is the culprit and not playing nice.  That's yet another hurdle to scale.

Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.  Can you tell moi is totally stressed out?  Tomorrow I'm having my 'roots did' and hairs cut so really need this pampering time.  Believe me when I say people who see me will appreciate that effort.

Hope you have a good evening and tomorrow.

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

Order for Patterns and Computer

Oh my.... as if my situation wasn't bad enough learning how to use this new fan dangled Windows 10, I get a wonderful big order for some Polly Minick patterns and my Computer doesn't support my printer.  It is from my printer that I enlarge pattern designs and nothing happened this morning when trying. 

Finally I did some googling and learned all I needed to do was download a new driver from HP.  HUH?  ...that's all?  But do you know how long it took me to research and find this out and THEN learn how to do it?  Anyway, here's what's on the menu for drawing first, Lady Liberty and Sam patterns.

And the others are huge too: Mermaid, the pattern Crossed Flags which is in Polly's book Victory Girls, and Sand pails Gifts from the Sea.  That lady certainly does go in for big projects but guess that makes her happy and we ALL know we are happy when we're hooking.  Plus she is making me happy because I can make a few pennies to spend on more wool and help pay for rug camp.

Hope you have a good evening everyone.  I'm NOW finally going to sit beside my boy Ben and hook.  He feels like an abandoned dog and it breaks my heart to hear him cry when he wants me in the room with him.

Saundra

And So it Continues

Yet another 35 minute ride to the next state over to return the new monitor since the problem was a dead PC and my old monitor still works fine with the new computer.  Since I'm still struggling with learning Windows 10 decided to buy this book to help.  Hey, I was really able to post a picture this time...yippee.

Anyway, I looked thru 4 Windows 10 'how-to' books: Windows 10 for Dummies, Windows 10 for Senior Dummies (I actually fit in the title), and another called My Windows 10.  But the one I purchased actually shows a visual of what I will see, and in color.  Since I'm a visual learner decided to get this one.  

Will give myself another half hour on the computer and then I MUST sit near my boy Ben as he has felt neglected this last week.  He wants his mommy back.  He's happy with my hooking because at least I'm sitting by his side.

Hope you have a good weekend.

Saundra

Hester's Hat

You don't even want to ask me what I think of Windows 10 because all the functions I did on Windows 7 is null and void. That would include posting to my Blog and tried to upload a picture of Hester the way I've done for a couple years. Nope; didn't work.

I tried sending a picture of Hester to me and opened in iPad. That is a long story too because making an update on iPad when the post was made on windows just doesn't work either. Which means I'm making a whole new post to show a picture of Hester in progress.

If anyone computer savvy would like to mentor and help me thru this process of learning Windows 10 from Window 7 I'd be grateful. Okay, let me get a picture of Hester.



Must say here that I've hooked more since this photo was taken. And, considered changing Hester's Hat from what I hooked to another color like purple. But I don't ha e an issue with Hester's Hat.

Saundra
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sensory Overload and Hester

I've been frazzled ever since last Friday when everything began to blow up with my computer, out of printer ink, two trips to Best Buy and spending money like I had some.

But thank goodness at least I'm able to type with two hands on a keyboard..... during my work life, I was an admin assistant to corporate presidents and corporate lawyer so this two fingered tapping isn't for me.  It is nice to post a comment on my new Windows 10 PC even tho I still don't have it mastered....far from that.

Well we can totally forget about my posting a picture of Hester because even tho I went thru all the motions, cropped the picture with the Paint program on the new !#N#& computer, I cannot get it to download in this post and then couldn't exit from that page.  So I think it is time to get off this machine, feed my boy who is exhausted after his vet visit and I'll sit and hook to soothe my frustration and reduce my blood pressure.  So now you know how my introduction of a new operating system is going.

Have a good evening.

Saundra

One Kitten Two Kittens

Finally finished my friend's Black Kitten mat even the binding. It was also made with squared corners whereas I wanted mine rounded.





Here you can see both mats together. On mine I did the Betsy Reed primitive edge and figured my friend wouldn't get that whole primitive worn out and repaired look so did the traditional cotton rug binding on the back.





I haven't learned how to crop photos on my iPad yet, actually feel fortunate that I'm able to post on my Blog with it. My new computer with Windows 10 was supposed to arrive this morning but it has been delayed at another UPS facility. Am hoping that I will receive it today tho even if not this morning as I was told.

Happy Tuesday everyone. Oh dear, guess I also don't know how to reduce the photos either on my iPad. Sorry everyone.

Saundra
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Computer was DOA

Yes, sad but true that the PC died on the way home from Best Buy yesterday. Went back today to see why it was acting so weird after the Geek had no issue on his table yesterday and decided the problem was the monitor. Today there was the same continuing issue of attempting to start up but shutting down within seconds. They even cleaned the dust from inside, reseated the motherboard, and a few other things. Nope, DOA.

So, the new one will arrive Tuesday, OMG and has Windows 10 and a completely new computer system and layout to get familiar with. As I'm NOT computer savvy lets just say I'll be out of my element and stressed all week.

Plus the fact that I was LATE in doing an external download of a lot of my documents. Yes There are some saved on flash drives but should have been more thoughtful of losing data and saved. Oh well, water under the bridge.

On a happier note ....on rug hooking, my mole came thru with flying colors (thanks Jo), since this is only my second post from iPad I'll keep it simple and just post the Domestic Zoo pictures. These were being hooked in Jayne Hester's class and know one of the hookers is Marketta but not sure which one she is hooking for sure.


Must say whoever adapted the pattern to draw raccoons and animals seen in their yard is awesome and the hooker did a magnificent job as well. Me thinks...Thats what Marketta was hooking but please clarify if I'm wrong.

My hope is that one day I'll take a class with Jayne Hester. Have a good evening everyone, Ilm all computered out.


Saundra
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Held hostage by my Computer

I'm so frustrated that I almost didn't take this time to try and post on my iPad and have failure here too. So if this gets published you'll at least know At least I have a heartbeat while my computer may not.

Took the computer to Best Buy Geek Squad and told them the monitor went grey, and had no start button icon or error messages...nada. I shut the computer down thinking/hoping when I turned it on again all would be good with the world. HA! Not so lucky. So didn't know if the problem was my computer or the monitor.

Geek plugged in my tower and my icons came up so there was a pulse there. He checked a couple things out (sadly I didn't take the old monitor) and said he didn't see any problems with the computer. I purchased a new monitor and since this scared me decided to FINALLY buy an external hard drive, a 1T.

Brought the computer in, connected all the wires as well as the new monitor. Turned on the PC and within 3 seconds and without even a full boot it shuts itself off. A second later it tried to start up again and failed.

I called Geek Squad and talked to the guy who helped me. He couldn't understand what may have happened in that 30 minute ride while my computer was Sitting in the seat secured with a seatbelt. So tomorrow I'm taking everything back to Best Buy and have them figure out what the problem is. Sure hope I haven't lost everything anyway, and sure hope I don't have to purchase a new computer.

Well let's see if I can successfully publish this and I'm going to sit and hook to get my Blood pressure back to normal.





Here is a picture from a section of my Magdalena Farm rug. Hope your last couple days has gone better than mine.

Saundra

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

It's Show Time

Yup, when in doubt on what to post, do a rug show.  Actually soon many hookers will be posting lots of newly hooked rugs from the Sauder show so the boards will be buzzing for sure.

This rug is very easy on my eyes and could almost be hypnotic; nice color combination.

Below is a Shaker knitted mat and while it is knitted could easily be hooked and would make for an easier hit and miss.  Well, at least I find hit and miss not so easy to do but think this one is very doable and might try it during the winter when nothing else is ready for the frame.

The hands rug below was listed as from Maine, 1888.

The abstract below was stated as being a rug hooked mid 20th century after Joan Miro Spain, France 1893-1983.

The birds, floral with hit and miss was hooked around 1860 using wool, cotton and silk on linen and sold for $11,500 so it must still have been in good shape.  You notice it was not hooked on burlap so that may have helped in the longevity.

All I know about this below is that its an early shirred rug.  Quite a beauty too and for the intricate edge think it is in dang good shape.  For sure I wouldn't want to bind that edge. 

This is a polychrome and pictorial American hooked rug 19th-20th Century. Perhaps otherwise known as a 'memory' rug.

I can fall in love with the most simplistic pieces.  Here is a boy walking his dog in the winter moonlight.  I love it!!!!!!

Okay, there's only 8 rugs here but give me a break as I really want to get back hooking and finish the Black Kitten to move on to Hester.  Isn't that boy and dog cute?  Hey you out there..... if any of you decide to hook it please let me know as there may be a challenge taken on and we can duke it out.

Have a great night, I'm envious of all you Sauder students, hope my mole's identity is not blown, lol (Evelyn won't care she will play with it anyway), and Lauren girl ....have fun tomorrow.  Hugs.

Sleep well my dearies.

Saundra

Contemplating a Design

Sometimes I am like a dog with a bone who can't let go of it.  Since posting this in-progress rug design (Moses and Moe) by Glenna Bailey of Wully Ram Studio my brain has been working overtime.  At first I was going to order this pattern then remembered my grandfather had a miniature donkey and I had a picture of that.  Plus, I had a horse as a teen and remembered pictures of me and my brother on the horse named Richie.

I only searched thru one old photo album and found these, which I scanned together, but there could be more photos.  L to R is me as a teen, my 5 year younger brother (Joey), and pop-pop.

I showed Moses and Moe, my photos to friend Evelyn and told her of my plans.  She suggested I remove myself from the horse and hook him rearing up and hook a barn wood background, that way it could be hooked in all neutrals.  Problem is that photo is very blurry and cannot get the detail of Richie's face.  Yeah, I know, it will be primitive anyway, right?  The photo with my brother is more clear but less action going on.  The photo with pop-pop has possibilities too. 

Then I took the photo with me and cropped off the car and you can see how blurry the photo is.

So, guess I'll continue to think, plan and look for the perfect picture.  Evelyn did tell me I was "persnickety".  I wrote back saying, "Moi? persnickety?"  And she said yes because she's heard me and knows I've pulled out loops and rehooked.  But this is a project for the future as there are plans for Cape May so it is still on the burner simmering.

Wonder if my blog pals are giving Evelyn lots of entertainment and hope my mole is going to come thru with photos.  Her identity isn't even known to me so think she is safe, lol.  I'm envious of you folks at Sauder and bet you are have a fabulous time.

Saundra

Just a Wee Bit More to Go

I see there's a new follower who just joined my blog; thank you and hope you enjoy the read.  If you're a newbie and have questions I'll be very happy to help you, just write and ask.  For fun, after reading this post you could type in topics of interest in the blog's search engine.  That is located at the top left of my blog just above the Domestic Zoo photograph.  There is a red square with a white letter B and beside that is an empty search engine box.  Type your topic and hit enter.  If I've written about it, it will show up.  Moving on........ 

This little Black Kitten Mat (an antique adaptation) is a little closer to be completed and I'm looking forward to working on Hester again.  Particularly since this is the second hooking of the same design; thankfully it is a small mat.

For you new followers, below is the antique from which the design was drawn.  I'm not sure if the angle is representative of a chair pad of that shape or if the angle of the photo is in perspective from the angle of the photo taken.  But I wanted mine rectangular ~ mine measures 15 x 17.

Yesterday was a good day and a bad day.  I'll give you the GOOD DAY first.  I had a Polly Minick Moby pattern to ship to Western Australia and had never shipped there before.  So I packaged it up, weighed it on my grand father's antique scale to estimate shipping costs for the buyer. 

Continuing...just happened to have a Customs Document I'd acquired somehow and went to the post office.  Much to my surprise it is really easy to ship to Western Australia, particularly if it is a flat flexible envelope.  Were it a box then I'd have had to use a customs document and the buyer may have encountered extra fees.  But the pattern shipped first class, and yes the cost is still VERY costly but not the trouble I was encountering and thankfully the shipping was the buyers responsibility.

The BAD DAY part was my HP printer 6600.  Did you know it will NOT print in black and white if there is an empty color cartridge?  HUH? is what I'm sure you're thinking. 

'Tis true and I was totally ticked off.  Even tho there were cartridges ordered from HP last Thursday (cyan, yellow, magenta and black) they aren't to arrive until tomorrow. But I want to print a black and white shipping label.... so went thru the motions of usps and payed for postage thru my PayPal account.  Guess what, won't print because I'm out of magenta ink.  The cartridge is on it's way BUT the label only has until midnight of the day to ship to print out the label. 

I know what you're thinking and I did too.... I pulled out the cartridge, shook it, tapped it and slid it back in.  Nope.  Won't print as Magenta cartridge needs to be replaced.

Okay, the $15.99 Magenta XL is on it's way but I had to go to Walmart and buy a regular Magenta cartridge for $10.99 in order to print the label.

Would you explain why a printer wouldn't print in black and white if a color cartridge is empty?  And surely the printers can be programmed to let the person choose FIRST if in color or B&W before saying it won't print. So that is why my day was bad yesterday and why only a couple loops got pulled.

Okay, I'm calm now taking a deep breath and am ready to pour a glass of Pinot Noir.

Have a great evening everyone and hope my next post will be an update on Hester and the finished Black Kitten mat.

Saundra

The Cat is Back and Mystery Solved

Had fun pulling a few loops on Hester to get that out of my system but really do need to finish the mat for my friend so it is back on the frame.  This is a small piece so could easily be done tomorrow if I'd just hook and not stop to watch what's happening on the TV.  Goes to show I can't chew gum and pat my head at the same time.  Here's the cat mat now.

And the mystery hooker of the piece below has been identified thanks to a couple followers....thanks gals.  The designer and hooker is Glenna Bailey and she has Wully Ram Studios.  She named this design Moses and Moe.  She doesn't have a web site but if you would like to contact her you may reach her HERE.

Drew another pattern today so tomorrow is shipping day for a few items.  Hope you weekend was wonderful and for some it is back to the salt  mine and for others it will be check travel and check in at Sauder.

Speaking of Sauder... for those of you who know me or Evelyn we have this playful banter that has been ongoing for many years.  I sent her a link to the blog post where I mentioned 'having my entourage take pictures of the rugs in her class'.  She said, "I think they give us DO NOT ENTER signs.  To that I responded, "That's okay I've got a mole inside". 

So Jo, don't know if your friend reads my blog but you may to let her know the inside joke. I tried to write you personally buy you are a NO-REPLY blogger so couldn't send.  Well, I could type it and send it but you wouldn't get it....would go to a dead letter box somewhere in cyberland.

Hope your day tomorrow is great and I'm envious of all you Sauder participants.

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

Mini-Rug Show

As I was busy today didn't get many loops pulled but the Polly patterns were shipped so that is good.  Since there's nothing new worthy of sharing thought I'd treat you to a couple antique rugs and two newer ones.

An oval with penny circles in the center, blooms in the corners and hit and miss background.

Hexagons and Diamonds.

An oval with hit and miss free form in center. 



A farm and family rug which looks like embroidery but think it is hooked in directional  style hooking.  Almost reminds me of a Granny Donaldson design.  Nice rug but oh my that directional hooking would drive me crazy from boredom I think.  So I'd have to hook it in the outline and fill. 

Okay, now to what has been making me salivate like Pavlov's dogs. The next two rugs are what I WISH I could achieve. Below is a picture Ali Strebel posted a while back on her blog.  I've just written her inquiring who hooked it and was there a pattern. 

Okay, heard from Ali, the rug is a design by Anne Wallace from a photo of her grandfather.  OMG, is that a wonderful piece of history and family heirloom or what?  Anne, fantastic piece of folk art!!!!  I'm envious of your talent.

And would you take a look at this!!!!!  It appears to be a work in progress and I adore it, wish I owned it.  No, ....wish I could achieve this look and then I WOULD own it.  Incredible!!  I'm envious!  This was found on Pinterest with no name, sorry.  I'd definitely give credit to whomever it is doing this beautiful work.

So if anyone knows who is hooking this rug, please let me know .  Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

I'm Whaling Today

Yes, I'm a busy girl working with the whales today.  Polly contacted me to draw out a couple patterns for someone.  Naturally I was very pleased to do so since I'm her 'authorized' pattern artist and have been drawing for her for the last 14 years.   Polly has retired....well, she comes out of retirement on a rare occasion to do a Semper Fi fund raiser.  But people still want her patterns and so she has asked me to draw them for her.  One of the patterns I'm drawing is the Whale Game Board.

The second pattern going to the same person is Moby Dick.  Gee, I wonder which she will hook first?

And so I've another linen to prepare for the second drawing so better get busy. 

Have a great evening everyone.  Hope your evening goes....swimmingly, tee hee.

Saundra

What Does It Take To Call It Fun?

This isn't the original title I'd given my post but while walking Ben thought about what my post was really about and changed the title.  For me here are the items which would determine if I was having fun hooking or not:

Style/Subject ~ Definitely Primitive hooking for me.  I most favor antique adaptations since that is what pulled me into the hooking bug.  But sometimes whimsy wins out.  One day I want to do a landscape and a memory rug but those will need to meet the following criteria with maybe the occasional exception.

Wool strip size ~ for me it would be nothing less than #8 and preferably #8.5 & #9.  Yes I've hooked ONE rug with #3 for my departed Rotties but no more narrow cuts unless it is the center of an eye or center of a flower.

Wool color ~ I prefer earthy and olde colors.  Not particularly fond of bright colors although I did hook Ali Katz in bright for a specific purpose and that was fun.  PLUS, it was hooked in wide cuts so that helped.  Not fond of flat colors anymore either, but use them on occasion as I've a fondness for textures as that lends itself to primitive old rugs.

New on the Frame ~  AH.... now that is the one that has me now.  Don't ask if I'm having fun yet....'cuz I'm not.  As much as I enjoy the subject matter and antique adaptation this isn't new on the frame.  It is the second time hooking this design, one right after the other.  Yes, it is for a friend so I'm a bad girl for saying I'm not having fun.  Since just finishing one am itching to start something new.  Here is what the second Black Kitten Mat looks like as of this moment.

This a shot of the one I just finished with Betsy Reed's primitive binding compared to the one  in progress which will have a traditional cotton rug binding.

Now back to that fun part ~  I'm itching to put something new on my frame to hook before going to Cape may.  A few months ago that something was to hook Lucille Festa's Hobo Joe, below.

But, as you know I've become enamored with Hester, a free design in Primitive Quilts and Projects, which is a design by Lori Brechlin of NotForgotten Farm. 

Not sure about you other rug hookers but my excitement level can bee fickle and flit from one design to another in a flash ~ just as with Hobo Joe and Hester.  But, who knows, since these are small maybe I'll be able to hook them both before I leave for Cape May in September.

In other news..... I just noticed this will me my 1002 posting.  Dang, for a long time I watched the numbers to make that 1000 announcement but I missed it.  Well, that's me... a day late and dollar (or two) short.

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

Good Intentions

I have worked for almost an hour, maybe more, constructing my blog post and Blogger is NOT cooperating.  Out of frustration I will NOT finish my blog post tonight as the hour is getting longer. 

Had good intentions so hope you will stay with me.  Here's a picture of Ali Katz.

Hope your evening has gone better than mine.

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