Saturday, February 18, 2012

Thursday Hooking ~~

Whew, these last few days have been a blurr for me.  The Hook in was a blast as usual.  And then that evening when I got home which was very late, I had the update to do on PrimitiveHandmadesMercantile Make sure to check it out if you haven't.  Everyone has done a Super job with making their items for this month.. You don't want to miss it!!! 

Each week at the hook in, there seems to be more new people stopping in.  They hear about the shop and want to check it out. Recently, a lot of quilters have been stopping by to gather up some wool for an applique piece they are doing in a class.  Love seeing the colors they choose. Then there are others who haven't been there in a while and need a fix and want to get back into finishing their piece.  Always nice when you see them come back.  I didn't think I took many pictures this week, but I guess I got the majority of it all.
Nancee almost finished with her Bantam Rooster. Love it!



She was busy trying to finish it up.  Didn't quite get there, but it will be done by this weekend for sure ;).



Margo was working on her Fraktur piece. She seems to be enjoying it!



Nancy is teaching a class next week in Virginia and had come to the shop to get some wool to take with her and sell for Linda. Soo nice!



Joan took time out to help a new hooker Sue in picking some colors. Thanks Joan!



Nancy Whitney was busy learning how to whip her rug she finished. I can tell she was happy that it was almost done.



Deb is just moving along with picking project after project.  Her and Nancee were in earlier in the week to transfer this pattern and pick out wools for her to get started.  She is doing great with learning each step along the way. Good going Deb!



Diane's rug is just coming to life each week.  We all love seeing the progress on this one.  Such a Super job!!! 

Amy and her Mom Marilyn haven't been to the shop for a while. Amy wasn't feeling well. (glad it wasn't us that scared her away lol).  But we are sure praying for her and hoping that all goes well with some tests that she had done.  Here is her sheep that she is working on for her first piece.  Looks wonderful!!!! 


Marilyn had picked out a new rug to work on which was Diane's Cat.  We helped her pick out some wools and she was able to cut some to take home and get started.  You can see it on the left.  And Joan on the bottom right is working another BIG rug. She is doing it in a #9.  You can see it sprawled out on the table to hold it up.



Joanne was busy doing "what else"???  Why whipping of course LOL.  She was trying to choose which color to whip this little bird.  Which by the way is over on the selling blog, so take a look if you are interested :)!!!



After she was done whipping, she brought in her antique rug to work on.  That is what I took to work on as well.  I just did a lot of outlining.  When she walked in and showed it to me, I just fell in love with hers. And I thought hers was quite large too.  Hmmm, Not after we laid them down on the floor!  Oh my goodness, I didn't realize mine was soooooooooooooo BIG LOL.   I'm loving hers though, and can't wait to work on mine some more and filling in some of the elements and working on some background.



I spent the majority of the day yesterday organizing the projects that I have going on right now.  I really should have taken a picture of my living room and the floor you could not see.  I finally got the wool together that went with each project.  I took quite a bit of stuff up to the wool room too.  When my husband came home I said I got a lot done in there. He stood there and looked.  I could tell by his face that it didn't look much different to him lol.  I still have a mess in there, but today I will fix all that by rolling up each project and putting them aside out of the way so that they are ready for me to work on when I feel like it. 

As I took the wool upstairs to the wool room, I stopped in the hall way and just stared in the room and said "now where am I going to put this"?  So I dropped it in the hall way and went in and started cleaning that room.  Isn't that how it always happens? You take one thing to put it away, and then have to clean something else to do it?  A viscious cycle I tell ya!   I just turned on a cd and away I went.  What also helped me was the dark chocolate m&m's that Nancee had given me at the hook in on Thursday.  Thanks Nancee :) !!  I needed the extra boost!  The chocolates that my husband had given me were gone before I even headed up there, so I was really good to go LOL.   By dinner time, I had just about the whole room done.  I have a floor now, I found my table, even found my lap top and opened it up to update it. Hasn't been done in a long time.  I vacuumed and even brought in the stuff that was still out in the hallway and put all that away.  I still have my sewing machine table to clear off.  But I'm getting there.   I'm sure it will be a mess again before I can blink, but at least for now, I can breathe and feel better about it!  The one thing I must work on is getting better lighting in there.  I know I'm getting older, but my eyes are just not functioning in that room at all.  I have a tall halogen lamp in the basement that I will bring up today and try out.  It might just be enough to bounce off the ceiling and down.  Don't know yet.  The 60 watt bulb in the ceiling fan is just not enough. I have 2 table top ott lights in there too, but that only helps where it is pointing.  Not enough for the whole room. I really need some good task lighting. Might look into a light adapter for the fan that has positional lights if all else fails.

So now it's time for another cup of coffee and then I will get dressed and get started again. (I still have some m&m's left!)  Hoping by tonight I will be sitting and hooking!

Enjoy your weekend everyone.......

Thursday, February 16, 2012

My Valentine's Day, and Reminder for tomorrow's Update...

Hello everyone!  I hope you had a Wonderful week and Valentine's Day.  It was a very enjoyable day for me and my husband George.  We have always left our cards or gifts to each other on the counter or table for the next morning. I still wait for him to go to bed so I can put it out.  Silly, huh?  It's not like it's a surprise, but I guess I like to treat it that way. 

We both had a good chuckle this year with our cards to each other.  Same topic, same silliness. You know you've been together long when you start thinking alike and finishing each others sentences.. Or just know what the other is going to say before they even say it!  George also left me a lb of Dark Chocolates that are just amazing. They will be gone soon and I'll be happy and sad lol.  Rather than going out to dinner and waiting in line, I decided to make a nice dinner for the two of us. And boy was it ever good.  Even had leftovers last night.  Plus it was quiet, and we could hear each other when speaking.  A Great day, and I just want to say Thank you George for everything! Love ya.....  (yes he does read my blog at times)

Tomorrow is the Update for the PrimitiveHandmadesMercantile.  I'm so excited to see what everyone has been making.  I will have a couple hooked items for sale.  I hope you stop by to take a look at everyone's pieces.  Thank you in advance for taking a look!

I'm headed out shortly to go to the hook in at Grant Street Woolworks.  I have nothing together yet. Running behind this morning.  I was up till almost 1:00 a.m. doing some last minute bills, etc.  AND of course the dark chocolate didn't have anything to do with me not being able to sleep.... noooooo. of course not lol.

Enjoy your Thursday everyone. I hope you are having decent weather.  I am not complaining at all that the Winter has been mild.  Come on Spring!!!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Such a Sweet Gift ~~

I wanted to share with you the Beautiful gift that Linda had given to each of the students and the teacher at the class this past weekend. It is a Springerle cookie that Linda made. It was wrapped so pretty and placed in a bag that she decorated. 
Linda has some wonderful molds.  Just look at the Detail in this one!   She was telling us the steps involved in making them. I for one would not have the patience. These are lemon flavored, and boy is it delicious. (I was able to sample one earlier in the week).  I wanted to share it with you before I finally break down and eat it  :).  I heard quite a few people say that they didn't want to eat theirs because it was so pretty. 

Thank you again Linda!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Last day of Fraktur Class with Susan Feller

The last day of class started right off with more color planning, and everyone hooking.


With a little time out to take a look at the BIG GUN!  Quite a few people had seen it down stairs, so Rick came up with it and was telling us what it was. Sorry for forgetting :(.  But just look at the size of it!

That Louis has to get in the picture every time lol.  Amazing how heavy the gun was.


With missing the first day of class, Jackie came yesterday, drew out her pattern and here it is, with a wonderful story behind it.



And on to hooking she goes!



I did not want to keep interrupting people while they hooked to take a picture, so I wanted to wait until they were ready to leave. Well that didn't work out too well either. Jill had already taken hers to the car! So didn't get one of hers.
Here is Nancy..

And Brenda

Patty

And the other Patty   (Patty's daughter Beth did not make it today because she was not feeling very well. Sure hope you feel better soon Beth, and please send a picture when you hook your piece so we can see it!)


Margo's piece

Genny's piece (somehow missed her sister Kathy leaving, so didn't get hers)  Also missed Sherri's rug... :(, and Diane did not make it today either, but I'm sure I'll see their rugs again.



Nancee's rug

Tanya's rug

And finally, yes, I really did take the class.  Here is mine. I had to get my lettering on this morning, and we changed the side a little. I look forward to getting to hooking more of this soon. But I have some other things that need to get done this week.

Before heading home, Tanya brought in her rugs and had them surged. They are ready for whipping. She's finally getting to them. So close to being done!





What a great 3 days it has been. I truly enjoyed the class, learning about the Fraktur and watching everyone create their own piece. Big Thanks to Susan for her teaching and for Linda for having the class at Grant Street Woolworks.  Hopefully one day I'll be sharing some finished rugs from this class! If you ever get a chance to take the class, I would recommend it.

I'm really confused with the days right now. Hard to believe tomorrow is Sunday. It is Super, Super Cold out there tonight. Had some snow flurries on the way home, but it wasn't anything major. I hope it stays that way. 
Will be working on a few things for the PrimitiveHandmadesMercantile update for next Friday. Hard to believe that 3 weeks is almost here!  Hope you stop by and check what we all have been making. You won't want to miss it! 


Friday, February 10, 2012

Day 2 of Fraktur Class with Susan Feller

Day 2 was just as full as day 1 with Susan.  Lots of one on one, and color planning.


Even Linda was able to sit and eat today :)


 

Everyone was hooking..






Jackie was unable to make it yesterday due to work issues. So Susan spent time with her in discussing the Fraktur and helping her with her design.



Susan also took time today to do the writing on the paper patterns of some individuals so they can transfer it to their foundation. Here she is doing Beth's.



Beth is putting her last name on it.



And here she is working on mine. I wanted a Proverb on mine, along with an "H" in the corner for my last name. I'm thinking I might be changing something, just not sure. Might leave it alone.  I also have a house on the pattern along with an eagle above it. The house is hooked except for the roof.  I have a red door, and the roof is supposed to be red, but I'm just not feeling it lol.  Might change that tomorrow. I'll see what tomorrow brings.



Deb Smith stopped by to show Susan the rug she had done. It is one of Susan's designs.  Absolutely beautiful in person!



Tomorrow I will do my best to get pictures of the progress that everyone is making.  I'm sure it will be another full day! I'm just hoping the weather cooperates. There is supposed to be some snow tonight.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Day 1 of Fraktur Class with Susan Feller

It was a very long day, but wow, what these women accomplished was amazing!  Susan did a great job of talking to us about Frakturs and some of the history of them.






We all looked through lots of books and we even received a box of drawing templates that came with the class.  Next step was to decide what we wanted for our rug. 








It was amazing how the patterns came to life on the foundation.   Susan had each person show their pattern and tell why they chose the elements that they did and if they had a story behind it. Here is everyone with their rug.

Diane


Nancy

Tanya

Nancee

Jill

Kathy

This was Genny's

Sherri's




Brenda's


Patty's (she even started hooking hers!)



Another Patty (hooking hers too!)



Beth's


Margo's



Never got a picture of mine. It wouldn't have shown much. I have some Lettering that needs to be put on there and Susan said she would do it tomorrow.  I will pick the style of the alphabet that I like.

Tomorrow will be color planning. I look forward to that.   It worked out that we left early tonight, so I'm glad that I could get these pictures on here now. I would have hated to do 3 days at once! 

Hoping to have more pic's to share after some of the hooking actually starts! I have found the class very interesting and inspiring.

Linda has done a wonderful job of holding the class and taking care of everyone. Thank you Linda!