UFO Finished!!!

Yippee...the Speckled Hen is done!

It sure feels good to have this completed and down on the floor! Now onto the next one...

Freebie for the First Friday of Fall...

Grab your scrap baskets and hook up some fun fall pins!
My gift to you today...
3 of my Autumn pin designs and easy directions for how I make ‘em!
Happy Hookin, L

You will need:
* Monk’s Cloth, Linen or Burlap backing
* Red-Dot tracer (optional way of transferring design to backing)
* A variety of wool strips…perfect way to use up odds and ends!
* Small scraps of coordinating wool for pin backs
* “Wonder-under” fusible web
* Marking pen (Shapie permanent marker)
* Fray-Chek and craft glue
* 1” or 1 1/2"metal pin back
* Hook, frame or hoop and scissors
* Steam iron and towels

These pins require only a small amount of foundation fabric. I like to save the “trimmings” from larger rugs and machine stitch them together in a patchwork/crazy quilt fashion to make a large enough piece of backing to attach to my hooking frame.

To transfer the designs to your foundation you can either cut out the shapes and trace then on using a marking pen…OR…Using Red-Dot tracing fabric, trace over the designs, then lay the “Red-Dot” fabric on your backing and trace the image again. The ink will go thru the tracer fabric to your backing.

Hook the pins. These small shapes hook up best in a #5 to #6 cut, but you can always hand trim wider wool strips. After hooking, use heavy towels and a steam iron to block the ornaments. Let dry.

Cut a scrap of wool a bit larger than the pin size. Following manufacture’s directions, fuse “Wonder-Under” to this piece of wool with an iron. (Craft glue may be used in place of fusible webbing, but leaves a hard stiff finish.) Allow to cool, and peel off paper. Place web side down on back side of pin and fuse. Let cool. Using a small sharp scissors, trim backing close to last row of hooking.

Using a permanent “Sharpie” marker, go around the edge of the pin to color any light foundation that shows. Apply “Fray-Chek” to seal the edges. Let dry. Glue or sew on metal pin back.

Reflections while binding a rug...

Some people dread the finishing steps at the end of a project...and binding a rug is the one complaint I hear the most...but I find it as soothing as pulling each loop in creating the rug!

My mind quickly wonders away...sometimes it goes to the news of the day ~ oops...then the tension might get a wee bit tight...sometimes it’s prayerful ~ for all those in need...but today my thoughts were on how very small the world really is...and how connected we all are.

In my short time here in blog~land, I have met some incredibly wonderful and talented people...Just one of them is Karen at My Yellow Farmhouse. Many of you know her and her great blog! I met her a few weeks back when she contacted me after being given my name from another designer as a source for hand-dyed wool. She was getting ready to leave town, but ordered a sample card and said we’d connect after she returned home. In the days that followed I started this blog...while following up with comments left on my first few posts, I visited several fun blogs...and Karen’s name kept popping up...What a small world indeed! Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting her and a few friends in person when they came to the studio to pick out wool for a fabulous project! I felt like I already knew her!

Well...Karen has just launched her new website Farmhouse Woolens, and she’s offering this fantastic Block of the Month wool appliqué project! I’ve had so much fun working with her on this and she’s got some fun ideas for future projects, too. Please stop by and visit her new site...and tell I said HI!

So...back to the rug...this Speckled Hen is almost bound...a finished picture to come real soon!

Hope this first week of Autumn has been a good one for you...L

Autumn Blessings

Hello Dear Friends...
Autumn winds are blowing...but the temperatures are summer like here in Minnesota...undoubtedly this is my favorite time of year!

Haven't had much time to blog lately...busy at the dye pots and prepping for fall classes...also trying to finish up my UFO challenge rug...

...actually I'm a bit farther along than this pic...but being lazy...didn't want to take it off the frame to take another...but I will soon!

Ideas are spinning in my head...so many things I want to stitch and hook...but making myself focus on finishing this first...

Hope where ever you are you are enjoying the change of season...L

Hook GOOD Rugs...

Today I’m catching up on computer stuff...just added a bunch of wool to the website...it came in late on Friday...lovely textures...some are calling me to the dyepots...but that is for tomorrow!

For now, I’ve been working on my notes for classes. This week is the start of my ThursDAY hooking...6 week sessions for those with previous hooking experience.
Along with guidance on current projects or help in designing or color planning new ones...we will be exploring...What makes a good hooked rug?

Along the way I will share bits –n- pieces of our discussions with you here ~ and of course, I’d love to hear your comments!

“Use your imagination, ingenuity, and skill in creating design, expressing it in color and executing it through textured technique”
~ Stella Hay Rex from Choice Hooked Rugs ©1953

Hope you all have a GREAT week! L

End of Summer Sweetness...

What a bountiful year...I beat the raccoons to the vines this year and oh my...I must have picked 30+ pounds of grapes! I share them with my neighbor Anna...my son likes her jelly better...go figure?!?!? They taste the same to us...we’ve thought about just swapping labels...he’d probably never know...LOL! So...that’s how I spent my Labor Day...steaming up an already hot ~ humid kitchen with the sweet smell of 27 jars of jelly!
There are more grapes still ripening on the vine...but I think I’ll leave them for the critters!

The weather turned “fall~like” yesterday...my favorite...sweater weather! Now it’s off to the studio and the dyepots for me...Wooly hugs, L

What a SWEET Surprise...

My friend Ginger at Primitives by the Light of the Moon has given me this award. I’m so honored and well...surprised...since I’m so new to this whole blogging thing! THANK YOU GINGER!!! I’m sure many of you are familiar with Ginger’s blog and you her fabulous work...but please take a moment to hop over and visit her...it’s one of my favorite places to visit!

Along with this honor you place the award on your blog and pass the honor on to 7 other deserving folks...

♥ Maria at Star Rug Company

♥ Jacque at The Doodles of My Mind

♥ Paula at October*Moon

♥ Karen at My Yellow Farmhouse

♥ Bren at That Thing I Do

♥ Kathy at Rugs of Mine...In Time

♥ Sherry at From Sherry’s Heart

This was hard tough choice, as there are so many GREAT blogs out there...Grab a cup of tea and enjoy your journey!!!