In Print

On Saturday I received my new issue of American Patchwork & Quilting, and this issue has my reader's tip published in it. I submitted it months and months ago, and even though I knew it had been accepted, and I'd already received payment for it, I didn't know for sure which issue it would be in. So it's finally there and it's kind of fun! Now you can read my tip - let me know if you think it's helpful!

More iPod Cases

I've been feeling really poorly all week because of an abcsessed tooth, but I did manage to make some more iPod cases to take to Rug Camp with me. Some fun designs, and I managed to use drab colors, bright colors, and even a bit of pastel because I realize that not everyone has the same taste as me!

Quilt Show

I attended the HMQS Show in SLC a couple weeks ago and snapped these pictures. Some of the quilts are antique, and some are not. Just thought I'd share the pictures  with no commentary.

Bear Lake Retreat

This post is way overdue for reasons beyond my control, but here is is now - better late than never! Last Friday we held an overnight rug hooking retreat at a beautiful cabin near Bear Lake. Twenty of us were able to attend and I'm pretty sure that we all had a wonderful time. Here's a group shot that we took before people started leaving on Saturday.

Here is a picture of the cabin we stayed in - it had enough room to sleep 30 people.

Here is a view of the lake that I took from the front deck.

Unfortunately I don't think I got pictures of all the rugs that were there - and some of the pictures turned out poorly because of the lighting - I need to pull out my camera's instruction manual and figure out how to get flash pictures to look better. But the variety was impressive. In addition to rug hooking, there was also some needle felting and crocheting going on.

This is Sharon's BIG rug finally finished - it measures 3' x 5'. Love it!

When Tonia & I went to the Denver Hook-In last month, they had the cutest table decorations that they gave away for door prizes. Tonia was so taken with them, she found out how they were made and generously made one to give to each one of our 20 attendees - just because - can you believe that?

We were even provided with entertainment in the form of watching videos from Deanna Fitzpatrick and Karen Kahle - very educational for all of us!
The food was delicious, the conversation interesting and educational, the laughter was infectious. I'm so glad I was able to go and get to know some of these women better. I always say - as much as I love rug hooking, I think the best part of the whole experience is being able to associate with such great gals! My thanks to those who organized the event - it was a rousing success!

Sheepish

I've shared pictures of my sheep collection before, and I've just recently added a few more to the flock. DD#1 made this cute little guy and gave it to me for Mother's Day. She's done things like this before and I can tell she put a lot of thought and effort into choosing a gift that reflects my interests. One year she gave me a pair of vintage sheep shears and an old sheep bell. Love it!

And I made several little of these wooly fellas to sell at our weekend retreat - and maybe some at Cambria Pines if there are any left over. I like the bumpy yarn that I found to use on them. They each have a rusty bell tied around their neck.

Yesterday we met at Vicki's house for our rug hooking meeting and I really enjoyed seeing the wall in her family room that was covered in clocks, and also had a nice quilt hanging in there.

Giveaway Winner

The winner of my iPod case giveaway is Cathy from Orange Sink. Thanks to all of you who entered - wish I could send one to each one of you - it's so nice to know that you read my blog!

On another note - I spent a 4-day weekend at Park City with extended family to celebrate my MIL's 80th birthday. Only the girls were invited and we spent nearly the entire time shopping at the outlet mall, eating out, and playing games. It was really a lot of fun and I think we'll have some nice memories of our time together. We rented a condo to stay at and there were some fun wall decorations there that I thought I'd share.

A cute penny rug in the living room. I like the way it was hung with the giant clothes pins.

And a wool applique wall hanging in one of the bedrooms hung the same way.

Darling framed wool mittens and gloves in the half-bath.

And some funky recycled wall art in the master bedroom.

iPod Cases

A few months ago I found an online tutorial for making protective cases for iPods that I really liked. I received an iPod for Christmas and I finally got around to making one of these cases for myself, but I didn't actually stop at one! They're very fun to make and there are lots of ideas bouncing around in my head for themes and embellishments and colors. I started with leather which was easier to sew on than I thought it would be - and added a simple heart applique.

But then I switched to wool - which is soft and so pretty. I'm using wools that are too thick for rug hooking, but perfect for penny rugs and these little cases.

I decided to add eyelets and a cord to some of them so it can be worn around the neck. I don't guess it would work for jogging, but I'm a walker and it will be fine for that!

Some fun polka dots.......

And here's one with a funky little bird in bright colors which is a surprise gift for DD#1.

I found out that students can bring items to sell at Cambria Rug Camp, so I might stitch up a few more to take with me. If I sell some it might help pay for the cost of the camp and that would be a good thing!

If you'd like to make your own you can find the tutorial on the blog called Just Something I Made - she has lots of good projects there and a huge following of over 3,000 people! Her version of the case includes printed picure embellishments - very different from the way mine turned out.

If you'd like to win the blue leather case with the white heart on it, please leave me a comment and I'll draw the winning name on Sunday night when I get home from a family weekend. I've never done a giveaway on my blog before, and it's way overdue! Good luck!