Three Finishes ~

 

The last day of March!!!  As I say every month, time is flying by at warp speed 😏

Miss March Hare is bound and labeled and given to my sister-in-law.  The background is much more subtle in person.

Same with Ezra's Farm.  I actually changed out a rug that was hanging in the dining room and here it is.

I had another punch needle piece finished years ago, and he's the perfect topper for a cigar box.  I left the box labels intact.  Wasn't how sure how well they would come off.  I tried removing a label from another box and a little sticky residue was left.  When I tried to remove the sticky, the paint started coming off.  

And the inside!

Just call me bad.  I still need to purge and purge and purge, but none has happened in the last couple of weeks.  It is on "THE LIST" to get back to it.  Well . . . the other day I went to an antique and primitive sale held one weekend a month (March to October?) about an hour from home.  I had seen this crock in the pre-sale video and was hoping it would be sold by the time I got to there mid-afternoon.  Darn.  It was still there.  It is a small Donaghho crock, I'm guessing a half gallon.  It has a huge chip on the rim but it displays well.  I'm sure you've figured out it came home with me.  "Antique pox.  A disease for which there is no cure . . . except to buy more." 😁

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Ezra ~

Ezra's Farm is finally D.O.N.E.  It took me much longer than anticipated but now it's ready for binding.  It was started in a class with Maria Barton in September.  It is a pattern by Dru Ann Jeffries of Cinnamon Creek Folk Art that can be purchased from Maria.

I had an overnight guest for a few days while her daddy was celebrating his granddaughter's first birthday in California.  Isn't she the cutest?  She will be 13 next month and other than arthritis (for which she gets a monthly shot that is like a miracle cure) she is doing great.

So happy we sprang forward.  I love the extra hour of daylight in the evening.  I hope our government will finally keep us on permanent daylight savings time.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

On the Hooking Horizon ~

 

Ezra's Farm is nearing completion.  I am struggling on this last "block".  Wool choices???  Working on figuring it all out!

So what do I do?  Start a quick little bunny mat to gift my sister-in-law since she always cooks on Easter.  I hooked this one for me a couple years ago.

In just over a week, I will be heading to Pennsylvania for a hooking class.  More on that later, but before I go, I WILL have Ezra's Farm hooked and hopefully the bunny mat, too.  And another hooked mat I need to work on is the "teapot challenge".  Our guild decided on doing a challenge that will be displayed at the rug show at Sauder Village during rug hooking week in August.  I have had the pattern on linen for many months . . . and need to git 'er done soon (though I have until June!).  The size needs to be 16" x 16" and the spout and handle must remain.  Those are the only rules!  So far, we have had a couple florals, one hooked like a Polish pottery piece, an animal and a snowman.  

Just a few days after returning from class, I will be heading to southern Ohio for a two day hook in.  No hooking events for many months and then two in less than two weeks!

We have had a couple spring-like days and the early bloomers have exploded.

Then tomorrow snow.  Welcome to Ohio.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Ezra ~

Progress has been made on Ezra's Farm, but not as much as I had anticipated.  I really thought I would be done by now.  Missing wool was either located or a close substitute found.  A couple areas I have no idea how it was color planned in class, so I am winging it.

{{So I decided to pull a few loops before finishing this post.  I sat down in the hooking chair and guess what I found in the tote right next to the chair.  Yup . . . missing wool.  You have no idea how much time I wasted looking for it.  Boy do I feel stoopid!!!}}

In November, I bought one of those amaryllis bulbs that are encased in wax and are totally care free.  It finally bloomed in January and I was getting ready to dispose of the bulb when I noticed this.  

I was pleasantly surprised to see another bud.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Plus Two ~

Ok.  When Saundra is working on two rugs at a time, the second rug is a plus one.  Since I am alternating three rugs, I guess I have a plus one and a plus two.

Yellow Bird, started in my Kris Miller class, doesn't have a number 😁  A little progress has been made, but I need to reverse hook the waist a bit to get the spacing better.

If you are a hooker, in your wildest dreams would you imagine that this is the wool I used to hook the face?  Friend Sue suggested the wool and she so graciously shared a piece with me.  I LOVE IT!!!

My plus one is Ezra's Farm, started last week in Maria Barton's class.

So what did I decide to do?  Start another small mat since Halloween is quickly approaching and it would be fun to get this one done.  The hooking is nearly complete.  Now whether I get it assembled in a timely manner is another story!

Shady Spot is finally bound.  It took me almost forever.  Now to get it labeled and I can really call it d.o.n.e.  The background is much more subtle in person.

I am about ready to give up trying to get the wool colors to photograph properly!!!  It just isn't happening.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Hairy Balls ~

So I get to the hook in early Saturday afternoon and this was sitting on my table.  

Everyone is laughing and telling me they are hairy balls.  Well . . . come to find out hairy balls (gymnocarpus physocarpa) are a type of milkweed.  We all got a good laugh.  Thank you, Mitsuko😁 Hoping I can save the seeds and perhaps get them to grow next year.

The only picture I took at the hook in was my booth after setup.

Day 1 of my Maria Barton class is done.  I am hooking the small version of Ezra's Farm.  It is only 22' x 19.5".  Two sizes can be found in her Etsy shop.  (This is Dru Ann Jeffries punch needle version.)

Here is my pathetic progress so far, but I am not that much of a slacker because I did not get to meet with Maria one on one until early afternoon.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren