Goodbye March ~

  

I won't be sorry to see you go.  You came in like a lion and are not going out like a lamb.  36* at the moment, but a cold, damp 36*.

 

I'm almost finished with the pug rug I am donating to Ohio Pug Rescue to raffle off.  The binding is done.  It just needs a label and I'm also going to make a little dog tag stamped OPR.  The finished size is 16 3/4" x 21 1/2".  Tickets are $1 ea or 6 for $5.  Email me if you'd like to purchase tickets by check.  I don't yet have the information for purchasing via PayPal but I will let you know as soon as I do.  I will also be hooking a little paw print mat that will also be raffled.  Many thanks to Louise Tietjen for sharing her pattern with me.

Close up of the wonderful chunky yarn from Ali Strebel.

Mr. Britches is also done except for his label.  This was bound with 100% wool purchased at Joanne's using two strands.

I love the antique bone (?) buttons.

This fun pillow arrived in yesterday's mail from my niece.  I think she enjoys telling everyone her auntie is a hooker.  Thanks Elise :)

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Talented Hookers ~

Great fun at the library the other night.  Heidi even brought me a birthday cake.  How sweet of her!

 

Marsha and Deb are both relatively new hookers and they've each undertaken a huge project.  They are both hooking a 5' x 5' star rug.  They are going to be magnificent when done.

 

Heidi likes her brights and she pulls it off so well.

Don't you just love the quilly details?

 

Another of Heidi's rugs.  This has proddy flowers with quilly centers and some needle felted detail.  I believe this was from a Maria Barton class a couple of years ago at Sauder.

Peggy working on a carpet bag from a Katie Allman workshop.

Jane's heart with many different techniques and fibers from an Ali Strebel workshop. 

Jane's wool applique project from a Donna Bennett (Crows on the Ledge) workshop.  MANY different embroidery stitches. 

Sunny but C-O-L-D here on Ohio's north coast. 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Wednesday???

How did it get to be Wednesday already?  These weeks, months, years are just flying by.  Easter in a week and a half?  I never even got any Easter decorations out . . . sigh.  Maybe next year.  (But I think I said that last year, too . . . lol.)

 

Saturday we celebrated March birthdays.  Here are two of my favorite bad boys, son J and grandson Jake.  Jake is now 10 and getting so tall.  My brother Bill and yours truly also turned another year older, but no pictures :)

 

 

Mr. Britches is coming along.  He is hooking up quickly and I may actually finish (and even bind) him before Easter.  All I have left to hook is background and I enjoy the mindlessness.

 

 

My goals by Easter are to finish and bind Mr. Britches, bind the pug rug, hook and bind the paw print mat and do a little applique bunny mat to take as a gift on Easter.  ACK!  I'd better get busy.  Tomorrow is hooking at the library.  Hopefully I can get quite a bit of hooking done and remember to take the camera out for some blog fodder.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Hooking F-U-N ~

It was a good day hooking with Donna from Crows on the Ledge.  So nice to see some old friends and meet some new.  Of course I didn't take many pictures, but do have a few to share.

 

Mary Ann's antique adaptation was stunning.  She did finish whipping the edges.  It is much larger in person than it looks here.

 

Kaye was working on another antique adaptation.  She always picks THE BEST, dirty old colors.  Don't you just LOVE that face?

Peggy was hooking this piece using cotton chenille.  It gives it a very different look.  

I am so sorry I don't recall the name of the hooker who is working on this piece.  It is a design by Michelle Micarelli and I believe Michelle did all the color planning.  I can't even begin to imagine hooking such a complicated piece. 

 

Win was hooking this sweet welcome rug.

Linda was working on her carpet bag.  Isn't the little bunny too sweet?

 

My hooking partner in crime Melissa just started this Susan Feller fraktur eagle in the morning and by afternoon had much more done.  WONDERFUL :)

Here's the progress I made on Mr. Britches, a pattern by Star Rug Company.  Most of it was completed at the hook-in, but I did pull a few more loops this evening.  For me, that's a LOT of progress in one day.

Many thanks to my new followers.  After all these years of blogging, it still does my heart good to see that follower number grow.  For months it didn't move, but recently it's increased. 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Pug Rug ~

 

 

The hookin's done on the pug rug I've hooked as a fundraiser for Ohio Pug Rescue.  I still don't have details on tickets sales, but I will let you know as soon as I find out.  I'm not sure if I will be reverse hooking the gold diamonds.  In person there is less contrast.  I also want to add a little dog tag to the collar.  I think he came out pretty darned cute. 

 

Sunday I'm heading to a hook-in put on by Donna at Crows on the Ledge.  It will be good to spend a day hooking with friends. 

 

I'm just getting over a nasty case of the flu.  It hit me like a ton of bricks Tuesday evening.  Thankfully I am feeling human again and will be heading to work tomorrow.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Happy St. Patrick's Day ~

 

I know I posted this picture last year, but I just can't resist posting it again.  Those pugs are just the cutest.  You can see more of them at Pugs and Kisses.

 

 

And who can resist this one?   A little pug humor :)

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren



Rebekah Smith Workshop ~

 

The day finally arrived for the Rebekah Smith workshop.  A big thank you to Deb and Pat for hosting this at their beautiful home and a big thank you to Rebekah for having this workshop.

 

Preliminary stitching had to be complete upon our arrival as it would take the day to assemble our sewing books. 

 

Stitchers hard at work . . .

Gluing using Rebekah's "secret" glue.  That's my book in the foreground. 

Showing off our completed/almost completed books.  The amazing quilt to the right was done by Deb's mom, Pat.  That's Deb in the green and her mom beside her.  I want to be like Pat when I grow up.  She is SO talented.  (I'm hiding in the back right.)

 

I didn't quite finish my book in class but did last evening.  The finished project is about 9" square.  Some of my stitches are a little wonky, things are not quite square, but I do love how it turned out.  

 

The heart flower to the right is lightly stuffed and the "flower pot" is open at the top so you can store floss.  The needle flap to the left is only attached at the top. 

A few amazing items were shared.  Cheryl, my tablemate, stitched this amazing block of the month project.  She was not a quilter and I'm not sure if she had previous applique experience, but she did an amazing job.  

Aren't these just too sweet?

Teri hooked/appliqued this fun runner in a Crows on the Ledge workshop. 

 

 

It was so hard to get a picture of these two runners.  They were from another Rebekah Smith workshop.  Teri's is on the top and Cheryl's on the bottom.  I think we have two overachievers . . . lol :)

 

 

Next month I am taking a Maggie Bonanomi applique workshop.  I am really excited about that.  So many projects . . . so little time.  I really must get busy and hook on my pug rug.  I haven't pulled a loop in several days.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

HOPE ~



 

Though much of our snow has melted, it will be a while before it is all gone.  The snow that is left is dirty and nasty looking.  Not pretty at all.

 

Wednesday evening (oh, how I LOVE the evening daylight) I was wondering the yard and came upon these.

 

Snowdrops are everywhere :)

 

Winter aconite peeking out.

Daffodils emerging through the snow.

 

 

Yesterday I spied this.  My first bloom of the season.  Now that made me smile :)

 

Tomorrow is my Rebekah Smith workshop.  Hopefully I will have a wonderful sewing book to share with you soon.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren