Finis ~

Rebecca Hall is a little reproduction sampler from Pineberry Lane.  Measuring about 6" x 6", it took me way too long to stitch.  I tried to stitch a little each day and it took me 6 weeks.  I will add it to my stack of other cross stitch pieces that I've done nothing with.  

The Crooked River Rug Hookers, an ATHA guild, will be having its 2nd annual Hooktoberfest this October.  This year's theme is Happy Fall, Y'all and members have been asked to hook little mats for door prizes.  I hooked the little crow last year and it was just sitting in the closet.  The pumpkin was started a couple weeks ago at rug camp while I was waiting my turn with the teacher.  Even though not really "fall", and I'm not sure what to call it, the larger mat was fun to hook and hopefully will be appreciated by the winner.

Springtime in Ohio is arriving slowly.  My daffodils this year have been spectacular.  More flowers than I have ever had.  I still have not begun the flower bed cleanup.  Hopefully soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

Happy Easter ~

 Easter decorating 

in the dining room 

Vintage Easter ~

Mom's ceramics ~

My favorite Easter piece ~

The bunny at the back left was painted by moi in 1977 :)

A gift from friend Linda, aka Primdollie Koch on Facebook.  Her attention to detail is always amazing.

The long bunny is also the work of Linda and momma to the right is a gift from friend Bobbie.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Happy, happy Easter to all.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

Leave it to (a) Beaver ~

One pleasant evening at rug camp, I decided to take a walk.  There is a paved sidewalk running parallel to Lake Erie.  I am talking with DSO and suddenly spot this.  I was all excited because I have never seen a beaver in person, so of course I try to take some pictures.

As I'm getting closer (perhaps 5 feet away ~ not too smart on my part), it suddenly lunges at me.  I am not a screamer, but let out his horrible scream and tell DSO the beaver charged at me.  Truth be told, I probably scared it more than it scared me.  Then my phone went dead.  Seriously???  I finally realized my battery totally died.  Knowing how he worries about me, I'm thinking my sweetie believes I have been attacked, so back to the lodge I head as quickly as possible to plug in my phone and give him a call and let him know I'm not dead.

All's well that ends well and it sure does make for a good story :)

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

Tricia Travis Class ~

Tricia Travis was my teacher at the Great Lakes Rug Hooking Retreat.  That is her on the far right.  If the name sounds familiar, her business is Country Gatherings and if you are a member of ATHA (Association of Traditional Rug Hooking Artists), she is the current president.  Tricia is just sweet as can be.  She is probably best known for her postcard rugs, rugs she has adapted from antique postcards.  They are WONDERFUL but most of them need to be hooked in a narrow cut and that is just not me.

The pattern I chose to hook is Antique Floral, designed by Payton Primitives and sold through Heavens to Betsy.  At the rate I am going, this rug is going to take forever.  This is all I accomplished in almost 4 days of hooking at camp, hooking until 10pm ish the first three days.  I feel like such a slacker.  The pattern size is 20 1/2" x 47" and I'm hooking it in a 8 1/2 cut.

I signed up for Tricia's class because I was told she had a wonderful way with color and I was not disappointed.  I love how it is coming along and it is all color planned.

A bit of progress I have made since coming home.

The center of the padula flower is antique paisley.

This is the pattern I was originally thinking about hooking in class and changed my mind a couple weeks before camp.  When I saw it in person, I knew I want to someday hook it.  I have only bought two rugs kits ever.  One I never hooked and I ended up selling it.  The other was one I bought from someone, not the original seller.  Of course that is not yet hooked :(  This kit did come home with me because I absolutely loved the colors.

I really need to attend PA (patterns anonymous).  I had Betsy bring this pattern to camp for me.  Another design by Payton Primitives, it is just a great scrappy rug.  I have more patterns than I can possibly hook in my lifetime and the wool to go with them . . . lol.  It's a terrible problem to have :)

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

Great Lakes Rug Hooking Retreat ~

Rug camp was held at the Lodge at Geneva-on-the Lake, Ohio.  Put on by Anne Bond and Nancy Stowers, it was a first class camp.  The camp's theme was flamingos.  I am not big on costumes, but many were very creative.  Here is a sampling.

There were seven teachers at camp.  Here are some of the rugs of Anne Bond.

Gail Dufresne has a very funky style.  These are not something I would normally hook, but I love these fish.

Cathy Stephan of Red Barn Rugs has so many wonderful patterns.  I've had her twice in the past so decided not to take her class.  On top of being a top notch hooker and pattern designer, she is just sweet as can be.

I will share my class in my next post.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

Back to Reality ~

I got home from the Great Lakes Rug Hooking Retreat yesterday and have been nonstop busy since.  The escape to hookerland was wonderful.  I have much to share but no time this evening.  The day was spent unpacking, running errands and even mowing the lawn.  I also made some jewelry for tomorrow's hook in, but not as much as I would have liked.  Thankfully the car is almost packed.  I feel that tomorrow evening I will finally be able to breathe.

I will stop back soon and share camp with you.  Bear with me.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Puleeze ~

Just a quick hello before I finish packing for rug camp.  Yes, I leave in just a few hours, but before then am having son and grandson over for lunch.  I guess I will never learn to pack ahead.

Yesterday a hook in was held in Ann Arbor, MI, at the Washtenaw Community College.  Always a top notch event, this year did not disappoint.  But really?  Political correctness has gone too far.  There was a men's restroom and next to it was this restroom which obviously used to be the women's.  At first glance, I thought it was the typical family restroom, but check  it out.  Do I really want to be sharing the restroom with a man?  I think not.  The men had their own and I would like the same.  'Nuff said.

A few pictures of our booth.

Sweet bracelets, some of them made from old suspender buttons.

Necklaces made from the tiniest of quillies.

A sampling of rugs from the show. 

Must get packing.

Thanks so much for stopping.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren