Happy Halloween ~

~ Happy Halloween ~

 

In years past, I've probably shown most of my Halloween collection.  I really haven't added to it, but thought I would share once again.

 

The following ceramic pieces were all painted by my mom.  They hold a special place in my heart.

Atop the jelly cupboard.  (Reproduction samplers hooked by moi.)

Dining room cupboard ~

Vintage paper mache ~

 

Though it's my least favorite and probably the newest, I got the mache Jack on the left for only $4 at a garage sale many years ago.

Vintage tin noisemakers ~

A fun hooked rug purchased on eBay years ago.  I have no idea of the pattern designer . . .

. . . the tag on the back.  I wonder if she's still hooking.

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

New Old Cupboard ~

 

 

Just a quickie to show you my latest purchase - a new to me old cupboard.  Circa 1860, it now resides in my hooking room.  I desperately need more storage for all my wool and such :)

If you are ever in the Brecksville, Ohio area, stop by Western Reserve Mercantile.  Teri and hubby have wonderful antiques ~ AND ~ wool and hooking supplies.  It doesn't get much better than that now, does it?

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Just Because ~

 

 

This just cracked me up.  I'm not a sommelier at all.  Most of my wine comes from a box :)

 

I think I'm pretty easy going and when I have a give-away my only rule is that the winner contact me.  Because my previous give away winner did not contact me within three days (I actually gave her 5), Denise is my new winner. 

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

Fall from Above ~

What a beautiful fall day! 

I washed and put storm windows in the doors

(4 of them - not a hard job but one I hate) and managed to wash a few other windows, too. 

Not fun stuff but nice to have done.

 

For fun we went to view the fall foliage from above.

My handsome pilot :)

 

The pictures do not do the foliage justice :(

 

Corn maze

 

Eke and Zeke is bound using orange wool ~

my favorite way to bind

(though we know that binding is not a

favorite chore of most hookers).

 

  

Sunflowers ~ all eight of them are D-O-N-E.

I know, there's only 7 in the picture ~

one is already residing in SC.

 



 

I'm not sure you can tell,

but they are lightly stuffed with snippets

and it worked out very well. 

I had no problems inserting the spring.

 

 

 Another weekend is coming to a close . . . sigh. 

They pass much too quickly.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Congrats to ~

 

Thanks to all who entered.  I wish I had 28 sunflowers to give away, but I don't :(  Congrats to Mindy of Raymond Homestead.  {{Mindy, please send me your snail mail address.}}

I'm making four more sunflowers.  The hooking's done but I still need to sew the backs on them.  I WILL get them done this weekend.  Plus I'm almost done binding Eke and Zeke.  Woo hoo.  I'm on a roll.  I need to finish them up so I can concentrate on my challenge rug.  It's on linen and I've chosen some of the wool, but have not yet pulled a loop.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Sunflower Tutorial ~

 

Here's how I make my sunflowers with proddy petals.  Maybe not the right way, but it's the way I do it.

 

Draw a circle on the backing of your choice.  A 4" diameter is a good size for the sunflower on a bedspring.  Larger if you want a table/candle mat.

 

These are the wools I used for the center.  (I did not mix the wools.  The plaids give you a varied look.)  The colors are washed out but you get the idea of what type of wool I used, right?

 

 

After hooking the center, do a row of proddy as close to your last row of hooking as you can.  Go here to learn my method of proddy using your rug hook.  (Note ~ proddy tool is STILL missing . . . sigh.)  I used maybe 5 different wools for the petals.

 

 

Do two rows of proddy for fullness.

On this sunflower, I used the same wool for the first row and varied the wools for the second row.

On this one, I varied the wools for both rows.

Here is an idea of the spacing between the proddy.

 

 

Cut your backing about 1" from your second row.  I zigzag the edges to prevent fraying.

I fold over and pin.  Baste if desired.  Do not steam ~ it will really smash your petals.  (Yes, I did that ~ ugh.) 

 

Cut a wool circle to size.  Whipstitch in place being sure you don't forget to remove all your pins :)  Padding can be added if desired but it may make it difficult to insert the spring.

This is the type bedspring I used.  On the left is as I bought it (from a friend but you can find them at antique shops or I'm sure online) and on the right after DSO cut it.  I know others have not cut them, but this seemed so much easier to me.

Carefully "screw" the spring in to the back of the sunflower, poking through the wool. 

 

I hope this answers any questions you might have.  Please email me if you need additional information.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

 

So NOT Ready ~

As many of you may remember, I am NOT a wintertime person.  I don't like the cold.  Last night, I was cold.  I took my grandson to Boo at the Cleveland Zoo and there was white stuff falling from the sky.  Little white pellets.  Not snow.  Not hail.  Most unpleasant :(

My favorite Ninja

 

Finally ~ Eke and Zeke is hooked.  I procrastinated and procrastinated.  For weeks I just had a little left to do on the cat's face.  I did a little reverse hooking on the cat and a little on the pumpkin.  I had so much trouble with the pumpkin eyes.  I'm still not too happy but I'm calling them good.  Now we'll see if I can get it bound before Halloween.  The background colors are way out of my comfort zone.  The green is a dye formula shared here by Saundra of Woodland Junction.

 

I am making more sunflowers (there's still time to enter the give-away ~ see the previous post) and since several have inquired, I will do a little show and tell in a future post on how I make them.  It may not be the right way, but it's the way I do it.

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

Just Because ~

 

Oh, how I can relate to this :)  Too cute not to share.  Thanks to hooker friend Arlene for sending to me.

I've finished four sunflowers and may work on some more tonight.  I'm not sure why I'm procrastinating finishing Eke and Zeke and then starting on my challenge rug. 

Just because I have some of the best blog friends, I am giving away one of the sunflowers.  It will be one of the larger ones and not on a spring, but if you're interested, leave a comment on this post or send me an email with give-away in the subject line.  The only rule is that you must contact me within 3 days or I will pick another name.  I'll choose a winner next Thursday.

 

Friday ~ Payday.  Life is good.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Sunflowers ~

 

My sunflowers are hooked and the petals proddied.  Three of them are probably too big to put on a bedspring but the fourth one, though hard to tell, was hooked a bit smaller.

I got the backs sewn on two of them.  Just a piece of wool secured with a whip stitch.  

 

The one on the left had the top row proddied with all the same color wool.  The one on the right I used about 5 or 6 different wools and I like that better. 

 

Click here if you would like a simple explanation on how to proddy using your rug hook.  It's been at least two years since I lost my proddy tool.  GGGRRRR!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Not According to Plan ~

 

My plan this weekend was to

• bind Old Tom
• finish Eke and Zeke
• start pulling wools for my challenge rug.

Well . . . I did bind Old Tom . . .

. . . and then I got sidetracked.  I thought it would be fun to hook a few sunflowers and put them on an old bedspring.  The other night hooking with at Hidden Hills Hookers, I was inspired by Deb's sunflower. 

 

 

I guessed the diameter of the center and started hooking.  When I finally added the proddy petals, I discovered that it is too big for the spring.  I guess these three will end of being table mats.  Because of the way I hooked the center, I just can't remove the outer row.  The overall diameter is about nine inches.

 

I used three different golds for the petals.  Fun to do and it hooks up quickly.

 

We've had some beautiful fall weather.  I wish it could go on like this until spring.  A hooker can dream, n'est pa?

 

Ellie is curled up on her usual spot on the couch soaking up a little sun.  She's not a wintertime gal, either.

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

One Down ~

 

Two to go :)  That is of the rugs already started (see previous post).  Plus I've joined the Out of Hand Rug Hookers challenge on Facebook.  My design was inspired by Magdalena Briner Eby.  It's not yet on linen but I have it pretty much laid out.  I really ought to bind Old Tom and finish and bind Eke and Zeke before Halloween which will be here before we know it . . . sigh.  Too many projects, too little time.  The story of my life :)

 

 

That's it for today.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren