HOOKER HEAVEN!

Just a quick update to let you know I died and went to Hooker's Heaven!  I am here at Shaker Village in Kentucky at the Heaven's to Betsy rug camp.  I am lovin' every minute of it.  I have never hooked this much in my life.  I thought I would tire of hooking and have time to tour the village, go antiquing and keep up with blogging.  That is certainly not the case, but I just wanted to pop in and show you the progress I have made on my rug.  It is the What Nots pattern from the Woolley Fox.  Most of the wool I brought with me but I have had help with the color placement.  The orange is not nearly as bright as it is showing.  So far I am thrilled with how it it turning out!

Must get back to hooking!
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Fat Little Blue Bird ~

I am notoriously bad at not going to my worm basket when I am hooking unless I am hooking a hit and miss.  I just find it easier to pull uncut pieces of wool.  This time I was determined to use some of the worms because they just seem to multiply!

I pulled all my lightest value worms and put them in a smaller basket and used these to hook my background.  I was going to be very random and just pick one and use it.  Well, I'd stick my hand in and pick one and decide that one wasn't "just right" and go in search of a slightly different shade.

Now that I've taken a picture, I see that I need to add a slightly darker value worm or two around the tail feathers and below the breast.  I probably used at least a dozen different wools and like the way it turned out.  The little mat is about 8 1/4" x 11 1/4".

I can't believe another weekend is over!  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Decisions, Decisions ~ ~ ~

Trying to decide what to hook at the Heavens to Betsy rug camp next week is very stressful.  I first thought I would hook the antique roosters.  This is super hooker Carole's rug.  Alice was also hooking this rug and it can be seen here.

My next thought was to hook the Magdalena Menagerie with Pugs that Kathy of Briarwood Folk Art drew up especially for me.  I love the pattern and one of these days I will get the nerve to start it, but I think I want something with much less detail to hook at camp.

Which leads me to this.  What Nots, a pattern I purchase from the Woolley Fox over a year ago.  It was also the first quarter 2012 challenge done by the hookers/punchers over at an American Primitive Gathering.  The pattern is 21" x 40" and will be the largest rug I have hooked to date.

Is there any advice you seasoned rug camp hookers can give me about going to camp?  Anything I should take that I normally wouldn't think of?  Any and all suggestions would be most welcome.  It's a good thing I'm going by car because just about everything but the kitchen sink is already on my list of things to take :)

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I snapped these pics at lunchtime.  The little bird was having such a good time drinking from my fountain.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

New Goodes ~

Here are a few of the goodies I picked up at the antique show on Sunday.  I was only moderately bad.  It would have been easy to be VERY BAD, but rug camp is next week so I had to have some self control.

These are the sweetest little pair of mismatched baby shoes.  The dealer thought the shoe on the left was older (perhaps 1910) than the shoe on the right, though . . .

. . . they were made by the same company.  I tried a Google search but couldn't come up with any information.  Does anyone have any information on Rosebud baby shoes?

How could I resist this little hooked piece for only $2.00?  It is about 8' X 8.75" and just silky soft.

It has been a very long time since I've found affordable sterling silver napkin rings.

Mr. Turkey's broken neck is much less obvious in person.

This is the first calligraphy piece I've ever purchased.  It is signed in two places Edward Andrews and in the boxy area it says "G E Littles Penmanship".  It is undated, but the dealer thought it could be as early as 1870 ~ but I have no idea if that is accurate.

I also bought the DSO a couple birthday gifts and purchased one other item that I'm not sure if I will keep or give as a gift.  

As always, it was a great show with so many quality dealers.  This Sunday there is another show I plan to attend.  

"ANTIQUE POX ~ 

A DISEASE FOR WHICH THERE IS NO CURE"

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Happy Birthday ~

Today is my sweetie's birthday.  He's been called a lot of things, but the one thing I've always refused to call him is my boyfriend.  I've always said I'm much too old to have a boyfriend.  Gentleman friend, yes.  Boyfriend, no.

We have been "dating" for almost 17 years.  Time sure flies when you are having fun :)

We joke that 6 years ago, he finally made a commitment.  Here is our commitment the day we got her.

And here is our Loocie today.  

We are all a little more grey . . . sigh.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

This 'n That ~

This morning I forced myself to work a little more in the yard before it got just too darned hot.  Tomorrow the heat is supposed to break and temperatures in the low 80's are going to feel mighty fine!

As usual, time is getting away from me.  July is a big birthday month, but did I plan ahead?  NOOOO!!!  I need to get a couple small mats hooked to give as gifts.  Here is the first ~ just a simple eight-point star.  I have a child's chair that I want to paint and I thought this would be perfect for the seat.  It is about 10" round.

Here are the two wools that I used.  Don't you just love textured wools?  They are so forgiving!  When hooked, the blue seems more muted.

Things are not going quite as planned with my Mom's house.  I wanted to have it listed before leaving for rug camp on the 18th.  I've discovered that the A/C does not work and cannot be fixed since the unit is so old and they don't make replacement parts for 40+ year old units.  I've spoken with a Realtor and she says the house will probably not sell without it.  Darn!  It's not like I will get my money back out of it.  I know the real estate market is bad everywhere, but if I could only send the house to California :)  The living room ceiling and walls also must be painted.  My son will do the painting, but it's just too darned hot to paint with no A/C.  Then there's the bathroom.  I definitely need to do a bandaid fix up in there.  The vanity and medicine cabinet SCREAM 1960's and not in a good way :)

Tomorrow is the annual antiques show in Milan, Ohio, birthplace of Thomas A. Edison.  It is a wonderful outdoor show with quality dealers and there is no admission charge!!!  I swear the promoter has sold her soul to the devil because the weather for the most part co-operates.  I don't ever remember them being rained out.  If you are anywhere near Milan, be sure to stop by.  I'm sure you will find something you can't live without :)  Hopefully I will find something, too :)

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Embracing the "blobs"???

Thank you so much for all your input on my blob dilemma on my Henny Penny rug.  I still haven't decided if I will keep them or reverse hook those two areas.

The 4th of July was very nice, spent with family and friends.  It doesn't get much better than that! I was excited to try the fireworks setting on my camera.  Can you say "total failure"?  The pictures are kind of cool but not what I anticipated.  

Poor Annie was totally traumatized by the fireworks.  I mean she was in a panicked frenzy.  DSO doesn't live too far from where the fireworks are set off so the booms are VERY loud.  Fritz was so sweet and took her inside so I could enjoy the fireworks.  She just sat on his lap and trembled.  Yesterday she started to get back to her normal self, but even this evening there are still a few fireworks being discharged so she is not more than a foot from my side.

We have had a couple large thunderstorms come through northern Ohio in the last couple of days.  We got some much needed rain but thankfully no damage or loss of power.  I do welcome the rain!

This evening I was determined to do a little yard work.  I lasted just a half hour before I thought I'd melt like the Wicked Witch of the West.  

A few more pictures from around the yard . . .

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Pug hugs :)
Lauren