Week 2 Update ~

 

RLS pumpkins ~ All five are done and will soon be going to new homes, though I may keep one for myself.  (After many tries, the color is still w.r.o.n.g.)

This is my first attempt at stitching on 35 count linen, and with my newly purchased Ott light with magnifier it is working out okay.  I am such a slow stitcher.  This is all I have to show for a week's worth of stitching.  The real test will be the 40 count.

Santa and Rudolph ~

Maria Barton Santa ~ I reverse hooked the snow using my favorite flax & linen wool (from Rebecca Erb).  I just don't like white snow, I guess.  I had to add the beauty line around the bottom of his coat.  Not real happy with the color . . . I think it needs to be a bit more subtle . . . or maybe hooked a bit lower.

Stack 'O Jacks ~ I don't know why I chose this applique project.  I should have known I would hate intensely dislike all the stem stitching.  I am finally determined to finish it and I am close.  I just have to sew the backing on.  Why did I choose these colors?  They are so not me 😖

I am thankful for the beautiful weather we have been having and will for a couple more days.  It has been glorious.

My view this morning on my walk to Lake Erie.

My neighbor's gingko tree always put on a show.  You can almost hear the leaves falling from the tree.  One day it is full of leaves, and in a matter of 24 hours or so, they all fall.

Miss Molly enjoying this beautiful day 😉

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Stitching Small ~

No hooking has been happening, but I did manage to finish the little Rebekah L. Smith stitching small started in a mini class with her.  I only used one color of floss throughout instead of her normal three.

I added a cotton twill tape hangar.  The back is a piece of black felt that came in the little kit.  Tomorrow it will be gifted to my brother's DSO.

Do you ready Merry Wind Farm's blog?  Melinda just released four new cross stitch charts.  The really cool part?  Three of them (second, third and fourth) were charted from antique samplers I own.  I just think that is really neat :)

I previously posted this picture from the Ft. Laurens hook in.  I received a comment from Pat who wrote, "The pattern for the witch rug in the picture and be found in either "Purely Primitive" or "Simply Primitive" by Pat Cross."  Me thinks that is Pat Cross who left the comment, but she is a no reply-comment blogger so I can't thank her personally for her visit.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Quieting Down ~

Life is finally quieting down a bit.  I loved everything I was doing, but it would have been nice if it was spread out a little more.  I do have upcoming guild meetings, one more show were I am vending (not a hook in so need to get busy making a few things) and a weekend retreat with Caroline Twigg in November.  Life is good and I am thankful I can spend time on things I love.

Here are more of Janice Johnson's rugs.  The lighting in the room was not very conducive to picture taking.

Janice talking about the above rug . . . but to be honest, I don't remember what she said.  I miss my mind :)

As a gift from the ladies who organized the class, each hooker received a kit to make one of these.  Thank you Judi and Kathy.  So very sweet of you.

I received a kit to hook this.

Another gift from Judi and Kathy was a mini class with Rebekah L. Smith.  Here is the start of my pumpkin.  It is the current "stitching small" and can be found here.

Friday and Saturday was spent hooking at Sauder Village.  This is the only rug I took a picture of.  It is being hooked in a 3 cut and is absolutely stunning!!!  I love the fine cut rugs, but it something I choose not to even try.

Progress on my rug.  Not my usual colors but I've gotten many compliments on it.

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

The Girls ~ Happy National Love Your Pet Day

DSO is off to California visiting his son and d-i-l for 8 days, so Cindy and I have a houseguest, Ernestine.  They get along great . . . 

 

 

. . . except at mealtimes.  I hate to point the finger, but it's Ernestine who has some real food aggressions.  The food bowl doesn't even have to be on the floor.  She just has to feel threatened and she will go after Cindy with a vengeance.  Cindy does not put up with it, so there have been some knock down, drag out fights.  I am doing my best to avoid a problem.  I have to keep them out of the kitchen when I am getting the food bowls ready, then totally separate them by a baby gate and not allow them to see each other while eating.  Fingers crossed.  So far, so good.

 

LOVE those pug/puggle butts :)

 

 

I so enjoyed the first two little mug mats that I appliqued, that I did two more.  {If you did not see a previous post, these are door prizes for the Western Reserve hook in.}

 

 

We were asked to label them, so I just made some very simple ones.

 

 

I decided to start another wool applique project.  This a free Rebekah L. Smith pattern in the December 2014 issue of Early American Life magazine.

 

 

 I will choose from this pile of wool.

 

 

We woke to about an inch of snow this morning.  With rising temps, it is mostly gone.  My son said that his area of Las Vegas got about 2" of snow the other day.  Most unusual, he says, though not that far north they get snow on a regular basis.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren 

Thankful ~

If you haven't already done so today, take a moment to count your blessings.  Money cannot buy health and that is the most important thing we can have.  Billions of dollars could not save Paul Allen, one of the richest men in the world.  I know I am truly thankful.

 

I do have a Rebekah L Smith finish to share with you.  Only 11 1/2" high x 5" wide it took me a lot longer than I thought it would.  I am happy with the colors I chose.  I still have a bit of a problem with the corners but hopefully will get better with practice.  (The color is most accurate in the first picture.)

 

 

I also finished the hooking on the rug I cannot yet share with you.  Just a couple little changes and then on to the steaming and binding.

 

Did I tell you I have another hooking class this Friday with Cathy Stephan of Red Barn Rugs and our guild hook in on Saturday?  Fun, fun, fun!!!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Idle Hands ~

 

They (whoever "they" are) say that idle hands are the devil's workshop.  I think for the time being I am safe from his grasp :)

 

In addition to the rug that I cannot share, I have picked up my needle and am working on a little cross stitch piece ~ another Christmas present.  This year I am determined to get gifts made early and not stress at the last minute buying a gift.  Just a little design from Pineberry Lane.

I've also started another Rebekah applique.  (The wool it is sitting on is not the background wool I've chosen.)

Early Sunday, DSO and I are heading east ~ to Vermont and New Hampshire ~ to marvel at the fall colors.  I skied in Vermont decades ago, but we flew in and left after skiing.  I am so looking forward to the beauty . . . and the icing on the cake will be meeting Cathy (of Acorn Hollow fame).  It will be nice to meet up with her and hubby.  We've been blog friends for many years. 

 

That's it, dear friends.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren