Antique Reproduction Hook-a-Long

I found an antique rug photo on Pinterest

turned it into a gray scale image

simplified version for hooking

I started this Saturday on Facebook

you are most welcome to hook along with me

I drew my rug with cats in the lower corners

another antique rug from Pinterest

might be some inspiration for the background

I've started my hooking using pre cut strips from the baskets

will also be cutting as I go for desired colors

Day 1

Day 3

the blue flower pot

was inspired by my salt glaze pottery collection

subject to change as hooking progresses

Olivia the other day

complaining that Melrose was looking at her

trying to look innocent

Picked up my laptop from the shop today...

even with a smart phone and a Kindle I sort of felt lost...

Again and Again

well my old friend depression

has settled in for a long visit

no advice needed

there is nothing I haven't tried

it will pass

again

on days when I can keep busy

instead of sleeping

the house is getting a deep clean

am glad I can function to workagai

Now What

pulled out some twill from ages ago

before long I'll be making curtains for the kitchen

more yardage of the piece with the red

so that's the curtains

maybe some pillow covers from the other...

I am still painting the kitchen

good thing I live alone and am not bothered by the mess

removed the scrappy hooking samples

starting my Out of Hand Rug Hookers freebie

(Facebook group)

mine will end up being an altered version

of the pattern given

just because my mind has moved on 

*******

I have a couple of prayer request for strength and healing

my cousin Patty 

and 

a good friend of my NC sister, Betsy

thank you!

Scrappy Hooking

subtle differences

the row on the left was hooked using one wool

the middle row was hooked with two different wools

the last row was hooked with at least 3 different wools

I rarely hook anything using only one wool

whether it's the background, a house or flag

I like the interest mixing different wools creates

each of the wools in the left row is a texture

the blue is also overdyed

using a variety of wools comes naturally to me

my first handwork love was quilting

many people choose a line of fabric

and make a quilt using only those fabrics

to my eyes

it turns out looking like a purchased comforter

as the colors are made to blend well together

there is no spark, no interest

anyone could have made the exact same quilt

when I hook a rug

no one will ever hook one the same

having a large stash of wool

is like having a painter's palette

use this color, mix that color

all the same wool

ho hum to my eyes

a little better

but not much interest

this is what I love

mixing different shades of the same color

sometimes adding a bit of something different

rust with the red

gray with the tan

teal with the blue

So that's it

when it comes to wool

the more variation the better in my eyes

*******

how about an update on my No Spend on Supplies year?

I broke down and bid on 2 kits by Notforgotten Farm

you know I love me some Lori B designs!!!

that were donated to the Mango on a Mission auction in May

thank you to one of my followers

for donating them 

last week the binge shopping continued with a new

wool dye book

that's it this year...less than $75 all together

is it okay if I pat myself on the back?

there is so much on my wish list

but even more on my 

"already in the house I want to stitch or hook" list

Happy Saturday!

Another Flag Rug

Flag Day rug #2

I do like to hook flags

this is the second version hooked in June

8.5 x 28.5

it is available to purchase

*****

next blog post

will be some chat and photos

about my style of scrappy hooking

Finishing a Small Rug

after pressing the rug

I do a two rows of a zig zag stitch

around the outside of the hooking

1/2 to 1" away

I round the corners when stitching

then trim off linen close to the stitching

I fold the linen towards the back

whip the edges

about 1/2" before reaching a corner

pinch the linen together

then fold the next side towards the back

manipulate the linen so it's 

as flat as possible

continue whipping the rug

after whipping I press rug again

cut or tear strips of wool to use for binding

I use wool that's a bit too heavy for hooking

because I have a stash of it

use any wool 

any width you like

my width is usually 1 1/2-2"

pin the wool to the back of the rug

I round the corner of the wool strip

very slightly

continue pinning
around the entire back
whip with quilting thread

so
this is how I do it
others pin the wool
then whip the outer edge and wool strip
at the same time
I like hand work
so the extra step works for me

there are many ways to finish a rug
this is my favorite
if it was a floor rug
I would whip over according at the edge first

questions?
just ask

Little Quilts

in the spirit of

"I'll do anything to avoid painting"

Olivia and I spent the past week or so basting little quilts

for hand quilting

these were 2 leftover blocks from a lap quilt

which has not been quilted yet...

I got crazy and machine stitched on the borders

this one was all ready

except the borders

they will be less than 1/2" when the binding goes on

this one had the borders hand stitched on

I wasn't trusting myself with the bias edge

and all those points

I hand pieced most of the blocks last year

lost interest in them until now...

Debbie St Germain stitched this little

Cheri sampler as a gift for me

and sent it as a little pillow

I thought it deserved to have some wall space

so added the patchwork borders

from some abandoned projects

can hardly believe how many red, white and blue

projects were in the works

they might be finished by this time next year

I've been working on gathering some wool to sell

the past few days

going through my stash 

has inspired me to do some more dyeing

Still no desire to hook

I'd rather paint and you know how I feel about that

ebb and flow of creativity

there is always something to keep me busy

Happy Wednesday!

Pinterest Diversion

in case you couldn't tell by my

years of dithering about painting

it's not something I enjoy

mostly because I don't like to get my hands dirty

having to wear gloves so much at work

avoiding them is something I do at home

but once I get started I want to paint everything

so now the frame

around the kitchen window will be painted

white or green...

I am not very handy

to say the least

YouTube videos are a real help to me

this morning I did a small dry wall patch!

I know I have this pattern

or one very similar

somewhere...

maybe by Kay Cloud
seeing this pic makes me think maybe some of my 
cotton velvet might finally get used

have been working in the sewing room 

between priming and painting duties

feeling the need for some large blue and red berries

hoping this fall to get the catio built

I'd like enough room for a little table and a couple of chairs

as well as plenty of landings for the cats

my favorite is a space built for 2 cats

with cerebellar hypoplasia

(wobbly cat syndrome)

by Catio Spaces...

my sister and her husband are home sweet home

happy to take care of all their plants

fill the bird feeders 

and nap in their own bed

One more day of vacation

it goes so fast

Painting Break

totally the plan for me

I don't like getting my hands dirty...

but do love flowers

My sister and her husband are on their way home

they take a few days each way

enjoying the visits in small towns along the way

my family did an awesome job tackling my to-do list

still a little more for my local brother in law

after I get some painting done

local BIL became a certified 

Master Gardener after he retired

he also had a job with a landscape company

for a season learning more

he does a lot of volunteer work 

helping with beautification

my local sister is the painter

outdoors or in

but like me, never on a ladder

my NC BIL is the master of most everything

he is a retired Marine, has doctorate in something or other

taught GED classes and so on

he's the big brother I never had

he and my sister remodeled their 1920s bungalow

over the course of 20 years

wish I could turn them loose on this house!

my NC sister is the eternal hippie

an engineer who never used her degree

due to military travel with her husband

she is the boss of all of us

she organizes and keeps watch 

as well as doing all the pruning, weeding and planting

she RARELY stops talking

How lucky am I to have them?

as for me

I weeded and pruned for a while

them came back in the house to work on walls

lots of spackle after removing so much from the walls

the weirdest thing is no bathroom mirror

 they took it down so I can paint

am transitioning out of keto to low carb

I really cannot stand all the fat I've been consuming
who knew you could get sick of bacon?

I'll still be no bread, grains, potatoes, pasta

no high carb fruits or veggies

this will be much more sustainable for me

Wishing everyone a nice Memorial Day weekend

I remember my Dad and uncles, friends of the family
thankful for the sacrifice our soldiers made
so we could live our lives free

May Vacation

Millenium Garden pattern by Jan Patek

my NC sister is here and she brought a few boxes

of older quilt books for me to sell

many out of print

She did bring the set of patterns for this quilt

Mom stitched it for me from Jan's kit

a real favorite

like the good sister I am

I've lent it to Deb until next year

I'm probably going to list them on 

a quilter's destash group on FB

unless anyone would like to see them here

I will make sure my prices are lower

than anywhere else online

but will charge actual shipping...

In other news

I have been busy doing work around the house

preparing for my sister and her husband

they arrived Monday afternoon

we already have my list of needed chores done

plus many I forgot about

my local and her husband where here yesterday 

and this morning helping out

a few things we got done:

tearing out old shrubs, covering area with mulch

trimming bushes, weeding, gathering sticks

sealing concrete cracks and outdoor painting

moving large furniture to a back room for donation pick up

removing curtain rods and ordering blinds

taking down shelves, mirrors and assorted wall mounted items

spackle and wipe down walls

filled in ground hog and chipmunk holes

washed windows, put screens in doors

and so much more

if I had done this all myself half would

never get done

We also did a huge Lowe's haul

I'll be painting all year

tomorrow I'm treating everyone to a "swanky restaurant" lunch

my local sister turned 70 this year

so I found out where her favorite meal was...

they don't stay long but we pack a lot in

this afternoon is my NC brother in laws day "off"

he and my sister visit all their favorite places

dinner together tonight

she's already chosen a few hooked rugs to take back

he picked some tools from the garage

I'm on vacation until Monday

they leave before dawn on Friday

one of these days I might

make it to NC

Hope you're all having a great week!
there has been no hooking or stitching to speak of...