Besties ~

When Cindy Lou Who got adopted, so many people commented that they could not do what I do.  The above picture is why I do it.  Do I miss Cindy?  LOTS.  But look at her in her new home with her puggle sister Molly.  She is living the good life.  When I received the picture this morning, it made my day.  I am so happy she has a furever family and a "sister".  It is what she deserves.  No more babies.  No more suffering from a bladder stone.  Just love.  That's why, even though it hurts to say good bye, I can do it.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

All Good Things ~

~ Must come to an end.

The "Amish" hook in has been going strong for 11 years.  A top notch hook in that always filled in a matter of days.  Melissa and I had the privilege of vending there the last two years.  Thirteen women put on this stellar event.  They made the difficult decision that this was their last.  It will certainly be missed.

Our booth ~

A sampling of the rugs in the show.  Some I may have posted from previous hook ins.

I purchased this pattern from Heavens to Betsy that I will take to rug camp in a couple weeks, not that I didn't have many to choose from here at home.  Choosing a pattern is the hardest part about rug camp for me.

That's it for today.

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

Busy, Busy ~

Ernestine was over today helping celebrate March birthdays.

Son, grandson and brother all were born in the month of March.  (Me, too.)  Jake is getting so tall.  Hard to believe he is 14.  My family is very small so it is wonderful to get together.  

Not much creative has been going on, but I do have a few finishes to share.  This is the Anna B sampler by Pineberry Lane.  I changed it to the Julia A. sampler.  Julia was the hostess with the mostest who I just visited in South Carolina.  

Her maiden initial is A and she would have been 10 in 1957 so I just subtracted 100 years.

Sweet little needlebook, a freebie Rebekah L. Smith pattern in the December 2014 issue of Early American Life.  I reduced the size of the pattern and added a little bone button closure.  Closed, it measures about 4 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Inside, a needle flap and open heart pocket.

Finally pulled the last loops on Pearl and Earl a couple weeks ago and have not even had the time to steam it or pull any other loops.

I have been crazy busy making silverplate jewelry.  Melissa and I vended at a hook in yesterday (more on that in another post) and I also delivered jewelry that will be at a rug camp store in Ligonier, PA, in a few weeks.  We are also vending at two more hook ins and From Our Hands Creative ~ all in the next 4 weeks.  One of the hook ins involves two days (due to travel) and throw in a 4 day rug camp I am attending (yippee) and I just may be trying to do too much ~ but I am loving every minute (well, almost) of it.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Happy Second Day of Spring ~

Sweetgrass baskets were found throughout Charleston and the surrounding areas.  Coiled basketry, one of the oldest African crafts in America, appeared in South Carolina during the late 17th century.  The first known baskets in the Lowcountry were fanner baskets used for winnowing rice.  Bulrush, palmetto fronds and pine needles are the mainstays of coiled basketry.

Booths set up at the Old Slave Mart.  Baskets I saw ranged in price from about $15 to $3500 depending on the complexity of the weaving and size.  

Most booths also sold roses made from palmetto fronds.  Here a vendor is making them.  As the fronds dry, they will change color.

This is Laurie from whom I bought 3 small baskets.  The weaving is a family affair.  She says her husband and son also weave the baskets, but do not like doing the small ones.  Somehow I just can't picture either of my sons weaving baskets . . . lol :)

The smallest is only 2 1/2" in diameter.

The sweetest little quilt block from Jennie.  It measures a mere 3 1/2" x 4 3/4".  She does English paper piecing and I think this was made that way.  Thanks, Jennie. 

A couple treasures found at an antique shop.  I just couldn't come home empty handed :)

I just love this oyster shell angel.  I brought home a large bag of oyster shells I gathered on the beach and hope to make some of these.  

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Such Talent ~

Well, here I am back blogging on my desktop.  I must try to figure out (I mean I hope DSO can figure out . . . ) how to resize the pictures when I blog on my iPad.  They are just too big.  I hate being technologically challenged :(

The ladies I met on Edisto Island are some of the most talented women I have ever met.  All are quilters.  Between them, they  hook, embroider, spin, knit, crochet and more.  

Julia, our hostess with the mostess, is a quilter extraordinaire.  This is a crazy quilt she has on a quilt rack in her living room.

If my memory serves me correctly, she said her friend Cathy painted the cat.

A quilt being made of men's ties.  Cathy is also making one but I did not get a picture.  Julia said they have bought hundreds of silk ties, no two being alike.

Julia gave us a crash course in yo yo making.  This is in a 4" x 6" frame, so you know the yo yos are TINY!

For reasons unknown to me, My iPhone will not download the picture of the quilt hanging over over Julia's couch.  Two years in the making, it was totally hand quilted.

Two of Jennie's rugs.  The first, a pattern by Cathy Stephan, Red Barn rugs, was bound as we visited.

I believe this is a rug from Caraway rug camp.

Cathy, Julia's friend, contemplating her quilt top.

So many little, WONDERFUL stitches.  I believe she said this was to top a KING size bed.

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