Chit Chat Smorgasbord

Are you ready for Sam the Tax Man?  Notice the 'man' is fat on his greed.  I had my taxes done last month and received my return from the Fed and State already.  So April 18th is the deadline unless you've asked for an extension.

On Monday I had a dermatology appointment in Maryland and it so happened the state was still selling tax free gas for their one-month one-time event.  I had 1/4 tank of gas so filled up and it cost me $52 plus change at $3.639.  In Delaware the cost per gallon was $3.899.   Yet, it wasn't American gasoline at all ~ we used to have American gasoline when we were energy independent until 2 years ago.  Gee, wonder why that is??  Okay, off my soap box now.

Remember me telling you I couldn't get the blade off the Fraser 500?  Thought about shipping it back to Fraser and have them do it for me then happened to remember my neighbor's father owns Seaford Machine Works.  So grabbed the cutter, the #5 blade (the cut for my camp project), instructions, hex wrench, some wool and off I went.  

Luckily her dad was there.  I explained what my problem was with removing the blade and he proceeded to remove everything and anything which I've never had to remove to replace a blade before.  Then the spring popped off the bottom which prevents the wool from getting jammed.  OMG, now I'm getting nervous.  But thought...worse thing is that I'll box up all the pieces and ship everything back to Fraser.  I asked if he wanted me to leave it there and he said he'd call me when it was ready.

He asked me where it went and I wasn't sure because I'd never taken the whole thing apart.  But did know at one time my wool was jamming and had to send the cutter to Fraser and he said the spring was out of sync.  But my neighbor's father was able to get it working and took a photo of the spring and how it should be ~ UH, just in case this happens to you.

I'm back in business and was quite happy her dad was able to help.  I asked what I owed (because I'll bet he worked on it at least an hour) and he said nothing.  Now I've a #5 to cut the wool for Mother's rug.   If I ever get time to hook.  Cut some grass yesterday and today will cut the rest of the yard. 

Sharon has shared her rendition of Dancing Rabbits frolicking around some decorative kale.  Thanks for joining in the hook-along Sharon.

I promise the next blog post I do will be a photo of my mother's profile.  Meantime, happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Maryland Shores Rug Show

For those of you who may not know the April rug camp teachers are all McGowan Certified, therefore the majority of the rugs you're about to see would be McGowan designs.  Also most would be fine cut.  After I started attending this camp they did change the rules so that now anyone's pattern may be taken to this camp.

The first two rugs appear to be a wide cut and wonderfully hooked by Cheri Reid. Cheri usually hooks huge rugs. 

Am unable to see the name of the hooker in the photo which is the case with several pictures.

A geometric.

And even an applique.

Below is a pattern named "A bag full of Goodies" and hooked by Linda Panella.

The Notre Dame Gargoyle design hooked by teacher Anna Knap which I'm sure many of you have seen in RHM.

Another by Anna below.

This Circles in Circles rug appeals to me.

Was surprised to see a design called Daleview Farm designed by Polly Minick and I drew a number of these patterns for Polly before she sold the business.

Betty Burbage hooked this sweet dog below.

Notice that hooked key and key hole in the geometric?  Cool isn't it?

Pam Brune hooked the Heart designed rug.

A beautiful fox hooked by Peg Dutton,  the photo appeared in the latest ATHA magazine but her name wasn't mentioned.  The pattern is offered by The Wool Farm.

Oh my, what a beauty and I forgot the name of the hooker.  LOVE IT!

Another huge rug with wonderful colors and sadly the info is too blurry for me to tell who hooked it.

Loris hooked this Cindy Irwin pattern then the hooking is given back to Cindy and she has her contact put it in the purse design chosen by the hooker.  This is very nice....

..but this one is wonderful !!!!!!

 

It's been a long time since I've seen the name Potted Pear or a finished rug by that name; wish she would bring back her web site.

The sheep's head and horns were done Waldoboro style and flowers proddy.

The geometric is done with nice soft colors.

Last, but definitely not least, is the wedding dress designed and hooked by Cindy Irwin.  Notice those delicate flowers and buds cascading down the front of the skirt?   Click on the photo for it to enlarge so you can see the detail.  That is the technique Cindy taught us in the event we wanted to make some to display in our home in a vase.

Yeah, I know you want to see what I've accomplished on my mother's profile.  But have been occupied with doctor appointment,  laundry, well, you know just life moving on and little time hooking.  

Happy hooking, maybe some of you are doing some of that 😒

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

 

Maryland Shores Rug Camp first couple days

Arrival day and a look outside my room at the Atlantic Ocean, and the ocean is calm.  

A look around the room with Loris tending the camp store (The Wool Farm) and in the foreground to the right is Heather, my next table class buddy. 

Photo  of Jeanne Benjamin's class with Jeanne standing in rose top in the background and sweet Sue my table mate in foreground.

Here is Cindy color planning a section of Sue's rug.

Progress on friend Pat's rug who was in Jeanne's class, it is an Old Tattered Flag design if my memory serves me right.

Cindy demonstrated how to make a needle felted bloom....

..which would then be attached to the flower and stem.

Cindy also gave each of us a kit to make sunflowers with seed beads, a piece of wool and stem.  It is double-sided and Sue took a break from hooking and made one in class.

Just realized I didn't get a good photo of Cindy but want to tell you about her upcoming HOOKED ON FAIRYTAILS event October and held in Lancaster, PA.  Click on the link and check it out.

I thought that Mary, my neighboring table, was just a normal person in class like the rest of us.  HA.  Come to find out from Cindy she is McGowan certified!   Mary said it is much easier for her to critique someone else's work than it is to see issues in her own rugs.

Next post will have photos from the rug show.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Honey, I'm Home.....

 Van unpacked but not the suitcase.  Sat down to pull a few loops on my camp project (will show a photo in a future post).  Thought I'd get my #5 blade on my Fraser 500 but couldn't get the bolt loose so removed the pressure screw on the Bliss and couldn't budge that bolt off that blade either.  It has been years since I've changed blades on them after purchasing my Townsend.  

Checked to see how much the #5 cartridge is and it is $198.  Holy moly.  Guess I could cut a #10 with my Townsend cutter and use a pair of scissors to cut in half.  No way I'm spending $200 for a blade I'll never use again.  At camp I borrowed Cindy's who was kind enough to bring the 3, 4, and 5 cartridges.

This weekend I have a Dancing Rabbit pattern to draw and ship on Monday.  I'm so out of it as I didn't sleep well last night, actually no nights so will sleep like a baby tonight me thinks.  Having fun is exhausting.

There's so much of camp I want to share but those will happen over the course of a few posts.  While perusing Cindy's wool stash I saw two rolls of overdyed background wool and could not believe the price.  Here is the primitive black bundle.   $50 for 2 yards of DYED wool.  I use a lot of primitive black backgrounds.

There was one more roll of very pretty wool but wondered how I could use it.  Unfortunately every time I lifted my head from hooking there it was taunting me.  There are a few different pieces of wool overdyed this color ~ some plaid and some mottled and will all work well together.

Cindy knows I'm a wide cut Primitive hooker so asked her for an example of how I could use it.  Well wouldn't you know she just happened to have a photo of the gorgeous monochromatic rug.  Immediately I went over and grabbed that roll of wool and one day will hook an antique with this color scheme.  

Actually I've hooked this pattern named Heritage.  It was my first camp rug with my very first teacher Mary Lou Bleakley who was the organizer of Rugs by the Sea before Norma and Linda took charge.  Here is what I hooked and had the teacher dye the wool and color plan it for me.

And as if I need one more strip of wool to come in this house this is a lucky 'being in the right place at the right time' sorta story.  The woman who was selling her odds and ends (something I should be doing) told Loris she was not taking home any of the wool so if anyone was interested it was up for grabs.  And no, I didn't take all of it, just these that fit me.

Well kids, at least this is a shout out but there is so much I have to tell you but have chores and responsibilities here too.  Must say it was fun to see friends again and to find out numerous people really do read my blog; it was uplifting, thanks to all who venture here.

Saundra

www.woodandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Wake Up Day

Drew a last minute Dancing Rabbits pattern this morning and will stick it in the mail on my way out to rug camp.  Also cleaned up that rats nest which always occurs around the place where I hook so it will be clean when I return home from camp.  

I should be able to get all the background hooked by the end of today ~ hopefully.  Meanwhile this is what Blue Bowl of Flowers looks like now.

Am looking forward to seeing some friends and capture the thrill of rug camp again....maybe I'll have that once I get there. One thing for sure is that I'm excited to finally hook the sepia image of my mother as a youg woman.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Dancing Rabbits Update

Dancing Rabbits photos are becoming less frequent but arriving nonetheless.  Karen sent me her finished version and the chocolate bunnies are sweet...pun intended.

Denise sent me her finished piece and makes me wish I'd not hooked my rabbits so white.  

I recently sent out a few more patterns so there will be another wave of rabbit photos to share soon.  So make note hookers, I'll be at rug camp next week so any photos which are sent to me next week will be shared once I return home.  

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com