Still blooming ~

Our fall has been an incredible one.  Usually by now the furnace has been running for weeks.  I don't like to be cold, but so far have not had the need to warm up the house.  I just finished mowing, probably for the last time in 2026.

I am amazed at the flowers still blooming.

Sweet alyssum

Lantana

I wish I had saved the tag of this petunia. 
It has been an incredible bloomer all season.

Bacopa still hanging on!

A lonely geranium

My burning bush in all its glory.

Back to vending stuff.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

I must be slower than molasses ~

I have been working for weeks trying to finish up loose ends for Saturday's vending.  I need to have the car loaded tomorrow eve to leave Friday morning.  I have worked non-stop today and still have many things left on "the list".  Somethings gotta give 😟.  I think I am getting too old for all this stress . . . but I have no one to blame but myself!!!

A few rugs (well, maybe more than a few!) to share from the Fall Fling.

Isn't this rug just wonderful?  The hooker used some coloring book pages and ChatGPT to design this.  Perfection!  I know people are using AI for help in designing, but at this point I haven't a clue how to do it.

Not a hooked rug, but English paper piecing.  WOWZA!!!

Now for a few more rugs . . . 

Yummy  primitive colors.

This is just a small sampling of the talent!!!

Time to get back to work.  "See" you next week.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Three day adventure **UPDATED**

Thursday ~ bright and early ~ the adventure to the Fall Fling in Eaton, Ohio had begun.  I am the furthest north.  The first stop was about ten minutes south, the second another half hour south, and the third another hour south to pick up the last two hookers.

Our first stop was a quick one at Buc-ee's.  We were all ready for a pit stop!

From there we stopped at what had to be the worst antique mall in the Midwest.  This mall was HUGE but you could about count the number of true antiques on your hand and they were crazy priced.  Between the five of us, a vintage Fiesta plate was purchased for $7.  

** To clear up the confusion, Eaton, Ohio is very near the Indiana border.  Only about 15 minutes to Indiana. **

Our next stop in Indiana was at the Uranus Fudge Factory.  What a hoot.  It was just fun to walk around and read all the signs and t-shirts.

We stopped at one more antique shop (once again a word I use loosely) with no purchases made.  Our third antique stop in New Paris, OH was a bit more successful.  Here is my big purchase that I am most happy with.  A vintage 1950's hard-plastic candy container made by Rosbro Plastics of Providence, Rhode Island.

At the hook in, I won a door prize.  Lucky me!!!  Three quarter yard  pieces of beautiful hand dyed wool and a pattern from Chrisi of Rustic Eweniques.  Chrisi is scheduled to teach at our guild next April 😀

Will share some rug pictures in the next post.

Today, unpacking my suitcase, I found this appliqued pumpkin tucked inside.

Look at that perfectly stitched face.

After about a half hour of texting and everyone denying they had made it, I was given a hint that perhaps it was from a southern Ohio friend.  I immediately knew it was a gift from super stitcher Deb.  She does the most beautiful applique I have ever seen.  Thank you, Deb!  You truly made my day.

Back to packing up the Halloween.  UGH!  Why am I such a glutton for punishment?  Still trying to get a few things finished up for vending at the antique/primitive show on Saturday.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

31 years ago today ~

DSO and I met . . . through our mothers if you can believe that!!!  After all these years, we are still "dating" and we still like each other. Why rush in to anything???

With the true love of his life Ernestine . . . lol!

Tomorrow running away from home with four other hookers (including hooker partner in crime Sue) to the Fall Fling in southern Ohio for a couple days of hooking fun.  (Am I packed at 9:00 pm?  Close but not quite!)

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

You'd think I'd learn by now ~

SIGH!  A couple of months ago I couldn't find my rusty stars.  After days of searching they finally turned up.  My mind told me . . . label a box "rusty stuff" (bells, safety pins . . . had trouble finding those, too . . . , stars).  I'm guessing you figured out I once again did not listen.  I have been searching for the stars for days.  Finally broke down and ordered more on Amazon so I'm guessing I will find them soon.

I am still trying to finish things up for vending in two weeks.  I just need to tell myself enough already!!!

I had this punch needle piece "not fully finished" for years and found I had the perfect little drawer to put it in.

Also finished up these two trees on hide stretchers.  They will look so much better with a star at the top . . . lol!

A memory that popped up on Facebook.  Hard to believe this was 11 years ago.  Geez, it's probably been 4-5 years since DSO sold the airplane (that he built in his garage!!!).

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Oh, we are having the most glorious fall weather in northern Ohio.  I wish it could stay like this until spring!
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Day Trip ~

DSO, Ernestine and I went on a day trip to Kinzua Bridge State Park, 4+ hours from home.  The Kinzua Bridge (or viaduct) was a railroad trestle that spanned Kinzua Creek in McKean County, PA.  When built in 1882, it was billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World.  It was 301 feet tall and 2,052 feet long.  In 1900, the bridge was dismantled and rebuilt out of steel to allow it to accommodate heavier trains.  It stayed in commercial service until about 1959.    Excursion train traffic was halted in 2002 due to the condition.  The State hired a contractor to rehabilitate the bridge, but on July 21, 2003, an F-1 tornado with winds calculated at 94 mph, partially destroyed the viaduct.  Eleven of the twenty towers still lay in the valley below.

This is what we went to see.

And this is what we saw 😁.  Nary a leaf on the trees!  (A friend who was on hour and a half away said color was at its peak.)

Oh well, oh hell.  We were a week and a half too late, but it was still a good day.

A few miscellaneous pictures.

Looking out from the visitors' center.

The height of the viaduct in relation to the Statue of Liberty.

The bridge supports today.  They never removed them from the valley floor.

My hooking accomplishment on the drive.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Selvedge trees ~

Betty was asking how I made my selvedge trees.  So easy I'm almost embarrassed to show the process.  As they say, so easy a child could do it    . . . lol.

Here's the template for the size tree I made.  Six trees can be cut out of a sheet of foam core from Dollar Tree using this size.  It doesn't matter if they have the white or black.  The foam core is not seen.

My selvedges are not as wide as Saundra and Robin thought they were.  Most are about an inch wide but it's fine to use varying widths.  Choose your selvedges as you go or plan out ahead.  

Wrap a piece of brown wool around the "trunk" and glue in place.  I use tacky glue.  I leave the wool just a bit longer than the foam core so as not to see the white center.

Glued to the back.

Starting at the bottom run a bead of glue.  Leave a little overhang and lay the selvedge in place.  Be sure to keep it level.  Keep adding selvedges as you work your way to the top.  You will be gluing each selvedge.

If you want a very straight tree, use a rotary cutter to trim.  Some people were wrapping each selvedge to the back and gluing but I chose not to do that.

Use scissors if you don't want it as perfect.  Glue felted balls if desired and a star at the top.  Both were bought on Amazon.  The felted balls were a little pricey IMHO.  

The backs.

My mantra!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren