Hook In ~

The Western Reserve Rug Hooking Guild always puts on an amazing hook in and this year was no exception.  Excellent food, vendors, door prizes and Chinese auction baskets.  I was not lucky enough to win anything, but did come home with a few things.  I was REALLY, REALLY trying to be good (which is NO fun).  Lord knows I don't need to buy any wool, but . . .  Betsy Reed (Heavens to Betsy) was there so how could I resist?  That top wool is almost identical to the wool I used for the flag canton on Daisy, perhaps just a tad lighter.  The middle wool is a great heathery blue and the bottom wool will be a good one to overdye.

The first booth I headed to was the booth of folk artist Rebekah L. Smith.  This darling little box came home with me.  Rebekah is just the sweetest person you could ever hope to meet and her work is perfection. 

She has an amazing sense of color and chooses the most wonderful fabrics.

I was also fortunate to be able to attend her mini class held during the hook in.  We worked on a little floss bag which I completed at home.  The heart is not stitched at the top so it can hold your scissors and a little pin cushion is attached.

On the back is a flap to hold your needles.  So sweet.

By the time I got to the rug show, people were already removing their rugs, but I will have some to share in my next post.

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

Memorial Day ~

It is the

VETERAN,

Not the Campus organizer

Who has give us freedom to assemble.

It is the

VETERAN,

not the lawyer,

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the

VETERAN,

not the politician

Who has given us the right to vote.

If you can read this,

thank a teacher,

but thank a VETERAN

since you are reading this in English.

Please take a moment

to honor a veteran today. 

Remember . . . freedom isn't free.

May God Bless

this Land that I love.

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD,

AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT

SHINE UPON THEM.

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

Daisy ~

Well . . . finally.  I pulled the last loops on Daisy (pattern by Spruce Ridge Studios) a bit ago.  Geez, I started it back in the beginning of February at the Sauder Village retreat.  It's about time she's done.  She measures about 32" x 20" which for me is a rather large pattern.

I decided to keep the "donkey balls" that I blogged about here.  I guess just because it makes me laugh.

This is the wool used for the flag canton.  I didn't want to try to hook stars, so I thought this would give the illusion of stars.  I'm not sure I like it.  It looks a little blah to me.  Perhaps I could get a big rusty star and sew it on if the rug will only be hung and not put on the floor.  Thoughts?  Suggestions?

(I'd love more of this wool if anyone knows of a source.  I just had a small piece that was given to me several years ago and I've never seen it anywhere.)

I used maybe 7 or 8 different blacks/blues/dark reds/dark greens for the background.  I do like the look it gives.

Rebecca Erb has some yummy new wools.  Of course upon seeing them at hooking I could not resist purchasing a few.  Such soft, muted colors.

I wish I had my next project planned, but do not.  I have so many patterns on my bucket list ~ some already on linen, some ready to be put on linen, some in books, some just in my head.  I really hate when I don't plan ahead because I tend to procrastinate and have nothing on the frame . . . sigh.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Hugs :)
Lauren 

Around the Yard ~

Just a few pictures from around the yard.  I just love my bleeding hearts.

Oh, the camera does not do this poppy justice :(

My wisteria is just gorgeous this year.  I've never had so many blooms and it smells heavenly.  I must say it is the invasive variety and I am finding shoots every which way, but right now it's worth it.

Next post I will finally show you an update of Daisy, the rug I've been hooking since the beginning of February.  It's good to be pulling a few loops again.

Pug hugs :) 

(seems strange saying that)

Lauren

Thank You ~

Thank you with all my heart.  Words cannot express how you have made me (us) feel.  Thank you for taking the time to let me know you care and understand.  So many of you know the grief, the heartache, the emptiness.  I know with each passing day it will get a little easier and the hurt will lessen, but for now it's almost unbearable.  Those furbabies sure do leave HUGE paw prints on the heart.  They are gone, but will never be forgotten.

Loocie's 10th birthday

11.11.2015

Run fast and free, my precious furbabies.

xoxo

Lauren