How are you celebrating?

Happy Hooking ~ Laurie

Together again...

Dad left us on October 12th, to join Mom...
These almost 3 months since she died was the longest they had been apart in 73 years.

I'm slowly finding my new normal...a day at a time ~L

Fall is in the Air...

Fall themed handmades are making their way to the Etsy shop!

♥ ~ Laurie

Stitch Therapy…My Changing World

There is something healing about stitching…or really any handwork.
Something about busy hands that free the mind to wonder
…to meditate…to pray
tiny stitches…like tears…

This piece, also known as Mending a Breaking Heart
began by stitching leftover scraps from my natural plant dyed wool journal
in a mosaic fashion onto a Osnaburg and cotton batting base.

This was really a “therapy stitch”...quiet, tiny stitches
as I contemplated my Mom starting hospice and my son graduating college and moving to NY.

These are the hands that taught me everything…

It’s just over a month now that Momma’s been gone…
so many changes this year…for me
and many in my circle…
some happy…some sad…some both at the same time.

and so I’ll continue adding stitches…
♥ ~ L

Fall arrived in the studio today...

the Fall issue of Rug Hooking Magazine...

with MY article and FREE pattern for Autumn Fox...
hope you enjoy it ~ Laurie

PS...check out the Classes & Events Page above under header...
I've updated it with Fall info...AND a link to the registration form for
The Prairie Primitive 3rd Annual Rug School
where i will be teaching in April 2020

2019 Directory of Traditional American Craft...

Honored to be selected again for EAL's Directory of Traditional American Crafts!

One of my entries "Swan with Fish" was inspired by a 1810 watercolor and ink drawing from Pennsylvania found at the Free Library of Philadelphia rare book department.

Ah, Spring...fresh wools...

just add to the Etsy Shop...
my naturally ~ plant hand-dyed wool...
marigold...goldenrod...fustic...saxon blue...brazilwood...lac...madder...

...and looking forward to a new gardening season...
this past weekend I planted seeds for this year's dye garden, still to early here for getting in the beds... but soon little sprouts will appear under the grown lights:)

Until next time, Laurie

Another SNOWY afternoon...

So...I took the time to finally edit some favorite old designs and make Paper and PDF Downloadable Patterns...

The FRUIT MAT Collection is NOW available in the ETSY Shop

...and now back to the rug frame...
hoping this is our last winter blast...
Stay warm and safe ~ Laurie

Springtime Hooked Mat Workshop

Join us for a fun day of hooking spring themed mats
Saturday, March 16th, 2019
10am to 4pm
at Minnetonka Center for The Arts
still a few spaces available!

March...ing in like a Lion...

Good Morning,
Hope this Saturday finds you well...

We are headed back to the deep freeze after yet another round of snow!

I hear Paul scraping snow off the roof, so I'm sure this pile has grown.

It's beautiful, but a hassle trying to drive around the city...
a good excuse to stay in...
to make soup...
and putter around the studio.
I've been organizing the wool shelves and discovered some beauties I had forgotten about.
I'll be making new bundles and putting them in the ETSY shop soon:)

but before I do that...

I want to share a few of my students rugs from the MCFTA Student Show...

Lisa hooked this adaptation of 1885 Horses...a Woolley Fox pattern...#8 cut wool on Monk's Cloth

Debi hooked this stunning butterfly...
her own design...and her FIRST rug after her little beginner mat!
mostly #8 wool cut on linen...with a bit of black and white nylon stockings.
There are still openings in my Spring II class...
visit the Minnetonka Center for the Arts website for info... Stay warm...think Spring...and have a great weekend! ~Laurie

More snow...

Record breaking snow here for February
a no guilt day for staying in and hooking...

Working on a rug for an upcoming Fall publication...
glorious leaves hooked with my marigold dyed wools...
and dreaming of the gardens to come...

Hope you have a lovely day ~ Laurie

Happy Valentine's Day...

This old heart is one of my first hooked mats...
circa 1970
recycled wool and remnants from sewing projects...
we sewed most of our clothes back then...
I can still remember the jacket I made from that plaid;)

The photo is fuzzy, because it's a scan from a print...
from my 1st camera...a Kodak 126 Instamatic!

Wishing all my friends...old and new...a very Happy Day ~Laurie

Spring is coming...

...perhaps not the weather...tho' the polar vortex finally moved on,
there is plenty of winter ahead here on the northern prairie.
Very soon the NEW Wool Works Magazine will be arriving...
Here's a peek at my Grandma's Garden Pin Keeps project...
quick and fun to stitch!

Wishing you all a great day ~ Laurie

The transition from the Website to ETSY is moving along...
and to celebrate...Save 15% on your order in the ETSY Shop
...https://www.etsy.com/shop/woolyredrug
No code needed:) ~Laurie

Simplify...ing...

Hello and Thanks for stopping by…

Lots of changes happening around here this year…my husband retired just before Christmas…
our son will be graduating in May…
AND I have decided to close my beloved website at the end of January!
NO, I’m NOT going out of business…just trying to Simplify things.

Everything is…or will be available in the ETSY SHOP
and in fact on February 1st, woolyredrug.com will actually direct you there!
I've had the ETSY Shop open since 2007, primarily to sell my handmade goods. They've made changes over the past few years to allow selling supplies and I've been happily filling ETSY orders daily, so making this transition seems like the perfect solution.
I’ve had the ole’ website since 2000 and for the past several years no tech support from the server…can you say nightmare waiting to happen?!? The technology is old and tho’ I love the folky look I’ve worked hard to create there…it’s time for the change.

You may notice some changes here on the blog, too. Just below the header I have updated all the pages…my hooking tips and finishing techniques are now here…I’ll be closing the old PictureTrail site, too.

The studio continues to be open by appointment. Even tho’ Mom and Dad are being well cared for at a nursing home close by, I am still handling everything for them. Overwhelming at times…but blessed that they are still with us.

I haven’t forgotten about the 2019 edition of the Annual LJFibers Rug Project…just a little delayed…
I’ll be back with details soon.
Wishing you all the best, Laurie

Happy 2019...

Happiest of New Years to you ALL,
The new year finds me scurrying to finish magazine articles, commission rugs and finalize the 2019 edition of the Annual LJFibers Hooked Rug Project,
but I just took time out to list THESE in the Etsy Shop

I hope you'll take a look:)
~Laurie