Finishing the updates...lots to see ~

Ok, never got on here last night. Spent the night at the mall looking for a dress for Nicole for the Homecoming dance in a few weeks. Luck would have it, that we found a very pretty dress for her. Then it was out running a few more errands. Was very late by the time I got home.
Now, where was I?? Oh yeah, Saturday was the show in Mercersburg that I helped Linda. When I left the house in the morning, it was relatively warm and no rain. I met her at the shop and we left from there. We got there at a good time. Not many vendors on the street, and we were able to unload without really rushing. Took our time with setting it all up, and I think it turned out great.

It was only a couple hours into the show and it started to rain. And it rained and rained and rained.... Then it got colder. I'm glad it wasn't windy, or it would have been miserable. We had to put up the side pieces so our stuff wouldn't get wet. I was pleasantly surprised how many people still came in the rain with their umbrella's. Linda really wanted to do the show so she could advertise the shop. She made up fliers and we came home with just a few! People really seemed interested in trying rug hooking for the first time. Some stayed and talked for quite some time. So we'll see! I know Linda would love to have new people come and join us for the weekly Thursday Hook-In. So if you are in the area, or just passing through Chambersburg, Pa, please stop in! Here is Linda's Blog . You can contact her there if you need more information.

After we packed up, we stopped for a bite to eat and some HOT chocolate. We were wet and cold, and very, very tired.. I'm surprised we didn't fall asleep during mid conversation with each other lol. Came back to the shop to unload, and lay out the tarps to dry. I'm really glad we put everything away back where it belonged, instead of waiting till Monday (aren't you Linda??). With the two of us working at it, it didn't take too long. Yesterday was a busy day at work, and it would have been overwhelming trying to do it all. I had a great time, and Linda is talking about doing more shows next year. I'll look forward to it!

On Sunday, my friend Joan had her annual hook-in. Her birthday was Saturday. Happy Birthday again Joan! There was such a nice turn out! Always tons of fun. Games, prizes (I won a gorgeous piece of wool that she spot dyed), and food. ALL done by Joan. She is such a sweet person who goes above and beyond to make you feel comfortable, and welcome, and to show you a good time. Here are a couple shots of the room where we all were.

Joan had asked us to bring a rug or two and displayed them in another room for us to ooh and aaah over. And OH MY, what a variety. There were new faces this year, and rather than screw the names up, on who's rug belongs to who, I'll just show them all to you so you too can ooh and ahhh over them! (Oh, and she asked for donations for the SPCA. My goodness, everyone was so generous to help out the animals. Joan is always doing something nice for them. )

This one will be getting a hair cut. It was amazing!

And there is always one rug that you are drawn to when you see it, and it was this one for me. Very plain and simple design, but so gorgeous in person. I couldn't stop looking at it.

And I even got something done too! This is the mock braiding I put away and never picked up again. I got quite a bit done. I will be taking it to the hook-in this week to work on it some more.
Thank you again Joan for a wonderful time~

Yesterday was back to work. Like I said it was busy, but it was a good day. Came home to make a quick dinner and then back out the door to get Nicole's dress. But before we went, Nicole handed me a package that came in the mail. Our online group AAPG had a Fall swap, and Betty had my name. Oh my goodness. I was in awe when I opened up the package. We were to give fall colored wool and floss, a pumpkin of some kind, a candle/tart, and a surprise of our choice. Betty had given a tutorial on how she painted this box and added the cross stitch to the top. I loved it when I saw it, and knew I'd be making some. Sooo, to get one as part of the swap was such a surprise! Now I have hers in front of me to see it up close and personal! I know mine won't be as nice as hers, but I'll have fun making it for sure! The white pumpkin is so soft and sweet. Thank you again Betty!

Then today after work, I checked my email, and Kelley had emailed me to tell me I won her giveaway on her blog! I won a big box of quilt scraps! She said her mom has been giving her some and between her mom's and hers, she had plenty to share. How sweet! I've been wanting to learn to quilt, so now there is no excuse not to sit down and work on something. I can't wait to see it when it gets here. I'll make sure to post a picture!

Am I a lucky gal or what?? It has made me think of doing a giveaway on my blog. It's my turn to make someone smile! I see I'm up to 141 or so on my posts. When I hit my 150th post, be on the look-out for my FIRST giveaway. I'll be making up something special just for it!!

Ok, I'm ALL caught up on what's been going on. Whew!!

May your week be as Blessed as I've felt lately~

Pssst, it's me

Yep, another week has gone by. Ok, I'm done apologizing lol. This is my blog and I can post whenever I want too, right? Lol, I still feel guilty, but I'll just get to it when I get to it. Enough said on that.

Well, being it's been so long, it will take a couple posts at least to catch up on what's been going on. So I'll start with last Thursday lol and I'll pick a spot to stop. So you'll just have to keep checking back until I'm all caught up!

At the hook-in last Thursday, we had a great turnout. Linda's sister Veronica came from Pittsburgh on Wednesday. She came to learn how to hook, and Linda took her to Doris' for a lesson and some wool. Veronica is doing the same pattern as Linda. Love how they are doing different color schemes. So on Thursday she was ready to sit and hook with us all. Here's Veronica. What a lovely lady, inside and out..
Just look how organized she is.

Linda got some hooking done also on her pomegranate rug. You can see how organized she is with her strips too. lol At least she knows what is in EACH bag!
It's looking wonderful. So different than mine.

Barb came in the morning and was busily ripping apart a quilt so she could make curtains out of it. What a job she had because the thread was metallic. But she worked and worked at it. She came back in the evening and worked on some quilting. Sorry that the picture didn't come out.
Doris was helping Tracie with her rug.
It's such a cute pattern and she's moving along on it nicely!

Pat is hooking the Baltimore quilt pattern, and I'm sure by this Thursday, soo much more will be done. She hooks fast. It's looking just beautiful!


Beth and Jill came also and although they look real serious here, I can guarantee you that we were howling with laughter with these two. Sisters.... gotta love em!
Beth is so close to finishing her snowman. Just a little bit left on the border! Way to go Beth!
And Jill is working on a pattern that has many different blocks with different pictures in it. Pat and I were helping her with some color planning. Can't wait to see how some of the other blocks turn out.

And I finished hooking my pineapple while I was there. See, I do work! I will whip it right along the edge and make a wall hanging out of it. It's a Buttermilk Basin pattern.

And this is the other piece that I promised to show you. Pat was showing me the needleturn applique. This is what I picked out to work on. Hope to get back to it soon!
Friday was a busy day too. I had my dye group at Joan's. We were busily working on more of our spot dye projects. Joan was going through our previous samples so Jewel could catch up with us. Nancy is in the background. Looks like she is timing when she put hers in the oven.

Louise was getting hers ready .

We haven't seen Jewel for such a long time. What a joy it was to see her! She had a lot of cutting to get her samples. Hope she comes again next month!

Today was also the day that Joan decided to dye with the Lichen solution she has been brewing for the last 8 weeks I believe. Or close to that. I wish I would have wrote it down what she did. It is a mixture of ammonia and water. She would swoosh the jar around to add oxygen to the solution. Did this several times a day.

So here is Joan and I outside and we had a piece of muslin over a pot to strain the solution so she could use it for the dye.
I have my head tilted a bit because the smell was quite strong!

Well, the way we were holding it, didn't quite work. So Nancy suggested that we use clothespins, and that did help..
I was trying to stir the stuff, so it would drain faster.

You can see all the lichen still in the bottom of the jar.

We went to eat our lunch while it drained. But it was taking a really long time. So Nancy and Joan came out to stir it some more. We think the weave of the fabric was just too tight. It was all a learning lesson.
Joan was getting every last bit of it out.

I had to leave early that day to do my mil's grocery shopping, so I didn't get a chance to see how it turned out. I did see the material while it was wet. It didn't look too bad. But today at Joan's hook-in (more on that tomorrow), I asked her how it turned out. She brought it out, and I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of it. It wasn't very pretty at all. Very dull and boring. Like a dull purple/brown grey. It is not usable wool to hook with. It tears really easily. Most likely from the ammonia. Not good on wool. And the wool itself had a very crisp feel. So even though the wool was a bust, the whole experience of trying it, was educational. So thank you Joan for allowing us to take part in that! On Friday evening after dinner, I went back to Linda's shop to help gather up things to take to a show on Saturday. And her sister was getting her stuff together to take back to Pittsburgh with her. I believe she'll be coming out again in the near future. I look forward to seeing how far she has come on her rug. So Linda's car got packed with everything, and then she made up fliers to take with us to promote her shop. After that, it was home to cut up some wool for demonstrating, and then to bed for about 4 1/2 hours sleep before I had to get up again.... I'm going to stop here, and hopefully pick up again tomorrow night to talk about the show and then Joan's hook-in that I went to today. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Rainy or not!