Crewel/Jacobean Class ~

 

Day one of the rug hooking crewel/Jacobean class is done.  Taken from the handout . . . "Jacobean embroidery is a style of embroidery design, rather than an embroidery technique.  The style includes elaborate stylized flowers, vines, plants animals and birds.  Crewel embroidery, or crewelwork, is a type of flat embroidery using wool."  "A small crewel pattern is perfect for a first project.  It lends itself to a simple color plan using swatches to experiment with color, value and balance.  Since there are no realistic images, you are free to experiment and have fun with the whimsical motifs using colors that you like!"

 

Teacher Connie Bradley is a bundle of energy.  She has been hooking for at least 30 years and she is just a youngster :) 

 

 

Taught by her mom, there isn't a style of hooking Connie can't do.    Here are some of the examples she brought to class to showcase the style.

 

The mat I chose to hook.  No small motifs so I am able to hook it using an 8 and 8.5 cut. 

I am not using swatches ~ just colors I like.  I purchased the lighter teal blue from Connie ~ a wonderful as is wool.  The darker teal is a small piece of overdyed wool I had left.  Sure wish I had more of it.  The wool used in the leaves is a piece Connie suggested.  I think once my dark background goes in they will "pop".

 

I found this wonderful antique paisley tablecloth the other day at a local antique shop (for a really GREAT price).  It has some damage, but I'm not sure enough damage that I can justify cutting it up.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Guild ~

Thursday was our monthly Western Reserve Rug Hookers guild meeting.  There was much discussion concerning the ATHA biennial which our guild is hosting this October.  We also had guest speaker, Connie Bradley of Wool Yankers.  I am lucky to hook with Connie on a weekly basis and will have a two day class with her next week.  More on that later. 

 

Lots of fun stuff at show and tell.  Friend Melissa appliqued this little stool at a recent Rebekah L. Smith class.  So sweet.

Some of the hooked pieces on display.

Hooked in a 3 cut, this piece was adapted from a photograph.  Stunning!

Bird nest on an old bed spring.

Some of you may be familiar with the Rebekah L. Smith mystery stitch-a-long challenge on Facebook in 2016.  This is Rebekah's piece.  In person, the colors are much more wonderful.  I participated in the challenge ~ well, only sort of since I completed just one month :(

I am still feeling lousy.  The sinuses are better, but I've got this annoying cough I can't shake.  There seems to be a lot of it going around and some have said it will stick around for a month.  UGH!  Yesterday I took a 4 hour nap and then slept 9 hours last night.  I guess my body's trying to tell me something, but I am trying to tell my body enough already.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Even My Teeth Hurt ~

 

Yesterday I coughed all today.  This morning I woke up miserable.  My sinuses hurt to the touch and even my teeth hurt.  Sinus infection?  Thankfully I feel a little better tonight.

 

My first daffodils are blooming that I brought in the house the other day.  They are one of my favorites.  A sure sign of spring ~ only 19 more days :)

Progress on my rug.  Kind of boring.  Sorry.

My son finally made it back to LA about 20 hours later than planned.  I dropped him off at the airport at 3p yesterday for a 5p flight.  They finally cancelled the flight after 10p and put him up in a hotel.  There sure is nothing glamorous about flying.

 

Happy Fat Tuesday.  No paczkis for me today :(

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Congrats to ~~~

Son Bill picked ~ ~ ~ Kim in Canada.  Congratulations!!!  We go WAY back in blogland.  Kim, please choose which mat you would like and let me know.  Thanks to all who entered.  I will try to have another little give-away soon.

 

My three favorite boys :)  Younger son J on the left, grandson Jake and older son (LA) Bill on the right.  He will be heading back to California tomorrow afternoon.  Always a sad day for me.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Crazy Weather ~

75* and sunny today.  February in Ohio.  Most unusual but no complaints from me.  My #2 bad boy has been out on his motorcycle almost daily.  No complaints from him, either.  Now we are having some huge thunderstorms go through.  February showers bring March ???

 

I picked my first daffodil buds today and they should bloom in a few days.  It is so wonderful to see things blooming.  Eranthus and snowdrops.  Look how tall the daffodil bud is at the top right.

Lenten rose (helleborus) peeking out.

#1 bad boy cleans up pretty good.  He is off to say goodbye to his friend.  Please keep his family ~ especially his mom ~ in your prayers. 

 

 

Progress on my rug.  It's moving along quickly.  The crosses were hooked with an 8.5 and the background will be an 8.5 and 9.

 

 

Just a little start on the background.  I probably have at least 6-7 different "darks" I am using.

 

 

There is still time to enter my little give-away.  You can enter here.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Wonky ~

Here I was all worried about getting all my crosses lined up straight and Kelley posts this.  An antique version of the rug I'm hooking, all wonky and wonderful.  Too late to change what I am doing . . . sigh.  I may have to hook another smaller version more like the antique.  I really am smitten.
 

23 of the 28 crosses on my rug have been hooked.  I will share my progress once I start on the background. 

Blogger can be frustrating at times, can't it?  Yesterday I tried to add a new blog to my sidebar but for whatever reason, it won't let me.  I'll try again later, but I'd like to give a shout out to Linda's blog.  She is a local hooker who also sells on Early Works Mercantile (15th of month) as Primitive Tymes.  If you get a minute, please stop by and say hi.  I just got this sweet little fella from her last update.  His teeth just crack me up :)  He really does have eyes, just not very visible in the picture.

 
Here's a close up of his face.  Not sure why there is that shadow on the bottom :(

Another blogger issue.  A few months ago I could no longer see the number of followers I had.  One day, just gone.  Well, now it's back and I did nothing.  It's the little things, right?

On a happy note, I will get to see my California son for a few days but for a very sad reason.  A friend of his died from a drug overdose.  In the county where I live (along with many other areas of the country), there is a serious opioid epidemic.  This past Monday alone, 3 county residents died as a result of drugs, including a 27 year old female attorney, who had been revived at least twice in the past with a dose of naloxone.  The epidemic knows no boundaries.  My heart breaks for the families of the deceased. 

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

 

 

 

A Little Bit of Spring ~

Happy Sunday, my friends  :)  Another beautiful day on Ohio's north coast.  Not as warm as yesterday (70*), but still sunny and mild.  My eranthis (winter aconite) is always the first to bloom . . .

 

 . . . along with the snowdrops, one of my favorites.  Even if winter returns (really when it returns ~ this is Ohio) they should be fine.

Now the daffodils are another story.  Here are some buds already a couple inches high.  They cannot withstand a hard freeze.

This little guy was munching away by my maple tree.  He let me get within a couple feet of him.

 

Progress on my rug :)  Just more than half done with the crosses.  Color is a real struggle for me.  I am trying for 28 different wools, all from pieces of wool that are no more than a few inches wide.  

I'm trying hard to keep everything aligned.  As you can see, I am not always following the lines drawn on the linen, but referring to the cross above and next to for the outer hooking.  As I said in a previous post, once I start on the background I will have a better idea if I am successful.  If not, it will just end up being a little wonky :)

 

As promised, here is a little give-away.  As always, the rules are simple.  Leave a comment on this post or drop me an email with give-away in the subject line.  I will draw a winner next Sunday and the winner must contact me within 3 days or I will choose another.  The winner will get their choice of a little penny mat.  Now please know that my stitches are horse-sized and not perfect like some of you out there stitch :)

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren