Buckeye Hook In ~

 

Yesterday the Buckeye Hook In was held at the fairgrounds in Croton, Ohio.  This fairgrounds was HUGE and in the middle of nowhere it seemed.

Kathy Wright, one of the authors of the Magdalena Briner Eby book, gave a talk to the group.

If you love . . . or even just like and admire . . . Magdalena rugs, this book is a must for you.  It was interesting to hear her speak of Magdalena and her rugs.

The two standing rugs are from Kathy's personal collection.  They have elements of Magdalena's style, but Kathy says much research must be done before it can be determined if they were in fact hooked by Magdalena.

There were many wonderful rugs in the show.  Stay tuned.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

Winter Solstice ~

 

I'm officially tired of winter and it has just begun.  The upside is that we will gain a bit of daylight each day forward.

 

There is nothing on my frame, but I am getting some hooking-related stuff done.  I've sewn the labels on two of my vacation rugs.

 

 

The binding and labeling are also done on my Magdalena Briner adaptation.  The finished size of the rug is 30 1/2 x 24 1/2".  For me, that is a B-I-G rug.  It just needs a final steaming.

 

 

Ned is the only rug that is not yet bound and that is next on my list and I will be all caught up!  That doesn't happen too often.

 

I hope you are ready for the holidays.  This has been my most stress free Christmas season ever.  What a wonderful feeling.  I still have a few odds and ends to do and of course one more trip to the grocery store and a bit of cleaning.  Friday we are heading to Michigan just for a few hours to celebrate Christmas with DSO's daughter.  Because of nasty winter weather, she did not make it to the celebration in Ohio last Saturday.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

A Terrible Problem to Have ~

Too many finished rugs :)

 

On vacation I hooked three rugs.  Only the smallest has been bound.  These two need a good steaming and then the binding.  You all know how much I love binding rugs . . . sigh . . . and the majority of you feel the same way.  I was doing a good job keeping up until these.

And then this.  I finished dog and two crows, based on an antique by Magdalena Briner Eby.  One more to add to the binding pile.

More progress has been made on Ned, though I thought I would be further along.  Remember I am hooking this mostly in a 9.5 so it hooks up rather quickly.  As you can see I not only changed the butterfly to a flower in a pot, I am also eliminating the flower under his body.

I hope everyone has exercised their right to vote today.  I believe this is the most important election of our lifetime.  Our great country as we know it may be forever changed and that makes me extremely sad.  May God Bless this great Land that I so love.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Getting Close ~

 

I am getting close to finishing my Magdalena dog and crows.  I just want to be done.  I'm back to not sure if I'm liking it, but it is what it is.  I will learn to like it . . . lol.  For me, it's a biggie, measuring 25" x 30 3/4".

 

 

Next week I am taking a 3 day class through the Western Reserve Rug Hookers.  It's a class with Caroline Twigg of Eagle's Nest Woolens.  It is an open class meaning we can bring whatever pattern we choose.  I think I have narrowed it down to two.

 

Ned, by Woolley Fox, which has been in my stash for many years.  It is 20" x 35".  You will remember that our Saundra recently hooked this.  You can see it here.

 

 

 Or Proud Lion by The Sampling.  It is HUGE (for me) at 29" x 44".

 

Can you believe tomorrow is Halloween?  I thought I was gaining an hour of sleep last night and could not figure out why my iPhone did not update the time.  Well, duh, that's next weekend . . . lol.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

From Our Hands & Hearts ~

Melissa, Bobbie and I are beyond excited to have been asked to once again vend at this outstanding show in November.  If there's any way you can possibly attend, you won't be disappointed!  You can read more about it here.

I've made some progress on my current Magdalena adaptation.  Once I stopped looking at pictures of the original and those that others have hooked, the hooking is a bit easier and I'm struggling less.  I guess I just need to "do my own thing" and not worry that it's a copy of the original.

Not much else going on.  I spent most of the day running and still haven't finished all the errands.  I must say I am enjoying not getting up at 5:30 in the morning :)

I'm in disbelief that it is officially autumn.  We are still having exceptionally warm weather but it cools down nicely in the evenings ~ perfect weather for sleeping with the windows open.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Buying Motivation ~

Well, I finally got on the bandwagon and purchased a fitbit.  I need something to motivate me to keep me moving.  BJ's Wholesale Club had them on sale for $100 and I'm hoping having spent the money will be the incentive to keep active.  (That would buy a lot of wool . . . lol :)  I was pretty excited that I did my 10,000 steps yesterday, even though that meant walking at 11 pm last night :)

My scrappy little hit 'n miss is done.  I did a bit of reverse hooking of colors that I didn't like (pink) and some that I thought were too bright (gold).  A few other light strips I toned down with coffee.  I have some coffee solution in the fridge (I never drink the stuff) and used a cotton ball to dab on the strips.  It is even bound :)  Have I turned over a new leaf and love binding?  Heck no, but I'm trying my best not to get behind. 

I'm going to do another, this time with three 12" squares to hook a table runner.  That should use up quite a few worms, but as hookers know, it's a losing battle.

I've also made a bit of progress on my Magdalena rug.  This is not easy for me, but it, too, is using some worms.

Have you noticed how drastically the weather has changed?  It is now dark by 8 pm.  Oh, how I dread the time change in October.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Fortune Cookie ~

We went for a Chinese lunch the other day and my fortune cookie read "The principle business of life is to enjoy it."  That is just what I plan to do in retirement.  I have been so busy the last week and a half I feel like I'm meeting myself coming and going.  So happy I don't have the day job any longer.  I'm sure retirement won't sink in for quite some time.  I am still in disbelief.  I finally went for new glasses the other day (couldn't believe I've had the current ones for six years) and it was the first time I wrote "retired" for occupation.  That felt really strange :)

Yesterday I attended a small hook in on the shores of Lake Erie in Port Clinton, not quite an hour from home.  A beautiful setting I'm guessing not 50' off the lake, but had to stay indoors because of thunderstorms.  I can't believe I did not take the camera out of the bag ~ but then when I went to take a few pictures this morning, discovered I did not have the battery in it.  It was nice spending the day with friends doing what we love. 

I am back to working on my Magdalena rug.  Normally my rugs are on the smallish side, but this one I enlarged to about 24 1/2" x 31" which is huge for me.  I've never hooked a rug in true scrappy Magdalena style and I am finding it difficult, but I will persevere, at least for a little while longer ;)

Bought this sweet applique piece from friend Melissa (pattern by Rebekah L. Smith).  I can't believe it did not sell at our show last weekend.  It found a perfect home in my kitchen hanging by the sink.  Melissa has a knack for choosing perfect colors ~ both in applique and hooking.

I'm off to an outdoor show this morning so I'd best get off my duff and get ready to head out.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Just a Quickie ~

I've gotten the dog hooked for my Magdalena dog and crows rug.  He is a big boy, measuring about 20" long by 12" high.  (Surprised, aren't you, Saundra?)  The colors are much more subtle in person but this gives you an idea as to how many different wools I've used.  I did a bit of reverse hooking on his tail and one of his legs, though they still seem a bit chunky.  I guess he will have to be a chunky big boy.

I've long admired this pattern and finally purchased it.  Yes, I need another pattern like I need another hole in my head.  There are SO MANY patterns on my bucket list and this wasn't even one of them.  It's by Maggie's Farm 1846 and you can find her here on Etsy.

Not much else going on.  Seems I'm busy all the time but never get even close to being caught up . . . sigh.  I did finish edging the flower beds this evening which is a major accomplishment for me.  Now if I can just keep them up.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

A Few Loops ~

Don't you just love the scent of peonies?  I picked my first one today. 

In between the day job, yard work ~ LOTS of yard work, and life in general, I've managed to pull a few loops on my Magdalena dog and crow rug.  I'm working on the easy part.  I've drawn some squiggly shapes and hope to hook them in a somewhat Magdalena style.  Time will tell if I'm successful.  The next task is to sort the worms.  Many, many worms!  Most of them are 8.5 and 9's and I hope I can make them work.  The picture I'm working from seems to use a much narrower cut.  I'm sure you can give me some pointers, can't you Saundra?

Thanks so much for stopping by.  June 1.  WOW!

Hugs :)
Lauren

Next on the Frame ~

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY weekend, everyone.  Please take a moment to remember why we are celebrating this day.

I'm working on getting a new project ready to hook.  I have so many rugs on my hooking bucket list, but nothing is screaming my name.  I've decided to try to hook a Magdalena Briner Eby rug.  I find her style difficult to duplicate, but I am going to try ~ unless I wimp out and move on to something else . . . lol.

I know I've shown in the past how I transfer a pattern to linen, but maybe there is someone out there who has not seen this method.

I decided to hook this rug . . .

Lousy color ~ I know :)

. . . found in this book.  (FYI . . . many people offer Magdalena patterns, but there is no copyright due to the age of the rugs.)

Here is the dog enlarged to the size I desired.  I lay fiberglass window screen (found at the "big box" home improvement center) over the pattern.  When buying screen, be sure to buy gray and not black :)  Trace over with a black Sharpie.

Lay the pieces on your backing.  Normally I don't pin, but did this time trying to get the placement the way I wanted it.  Now trace over the pieces with your Sharpie.

This is what you end up with.  I normally will trace over again for a more distinct line.

Next I will draw my outer border and then draw in the leaf between the crows and add the corner fans and go from there.  The screen can be used over and over ~ a great way to share a pattern that has no copyright with a friend.

Last evening after work, DSO and I decided to head an hour and a half west to a huge antique mall.  I read reviews ~ some favorable and some not so favorable.  Well, I should have listened to the not so favorable.  I maybe got through 1/4 of the booths before I couldn't take any more.  For me to leave an antique mall without at least a cursory glance of every booth is unheard of.  It was like a giant indoor flea market with antique shop prices.  The only thing that made the trip worthwhile was that DSO found a treasure trove of old silver plate spoons at a very good price.  I never would have made it to that isle.  Thanks, Sweetie.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

A Finish ~ A Start

My Magdalena horses - complete with a whipped edge.  The finished size including the edge is about 13 1/2" x 22".  Ali Strebel has the most wonderful 100% wool that I used.

The horse on the right is a bit chunky, shall we say?  Sometimes I have a bit of a problem staying within the lines.  It adds to its primitive charm, right?

Currently on the frame is a design by Lanna Omlor of Humble Rugs.  It will be about 24 1/2 x 13 3/4 when completed.  As many of you will attest to, using the hit and miss technique is not as easy as it looks.  Other than the background, I plan to use only worms or cut pieces of wool that are only a few inches wide.  I'm sure it would be a bit easier if I had separated the worms by color, but of course I didn't do that.  This most likely will be a Christmas gift.  If I'm going to get my gifts hooked, I'd better get busy, but this may get put aside to hook the snowman from the most recent issues of Primitive Quilts and Projects, designed by Tonya Robey.  He just looks fun.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.  I was productive yesterday, but today not so much so.  Oh well, better one productive day than none . . . sigh.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Hooky Stuff and a few Flowers ~

For you longtime blog friends, you may remember this rug.  For whatever reason, this rug took me 11 1/2 months to hook and at least another 6 to 8 months before I put the binding on.  Since then, it has been rolled up in a basket.  I finally got my DSO to hang it for me over the head of my bed.  I love it there!  And of course, the rug colors are much more muted in person :)  

How many of you remember the dark pine that was SO popular back in the 70's?  The bed is the only piece I have left of the set. 

Another rug I finally hung in the guest room.  It is a Woolley Fox pattern, Berks County Floral, I think it is called.  I started in at the 2011 ATHA biennial. And once again, much more muted in person, especially the dark background.

Can you believe I've already sewn the binding on my Magdalena style rug?  I hooked it for the dining room table, but I'm not sure if that's where it will end up.

Bound in wool to match the last row of hooking.  I really do love this rug!  Only one rug left to bind.  I'm on a roll here, but don't have anything on the frame at the moment.  That needs to change soon!

A few pictures from around the yard.  I'd say that's one well fed robin.

$5 begonia from Home Depot . . .

. . . and my $5 geranium.  Notice all the missing flower heads?  It has to be deer eating them.  

I think I paid $3 for this tricycle at a resale shop a few years ago and got a .50 basket from Goodwill.  

The foxglove are not doing too good this year.

Coreopsis . . .

The hydrangea are starting to bloom and are just loaded with buds.

I still have not heard from two of the winners in my 4 year anniversary give-away.  I will be picking new winners if I don't hear from you before my next post.  

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren