I'm Alive!

I know I've been terrible at blogging lately, but life has just been getting in the way. Everything is fine with me and mine, so let me share some show & tell with you from my last couple rug group meetings....

Last time I saw Sharon, she was working on a set of chair pads and this is one of the designs she was doing. Her work is always so recognizable to me!

Coralee finished this Nativity rug in plenty of time to enjoy for the Christmas holiday.

She was also working on a needle punch project made from a drawing a neighbor girl drew. I think she was going to gift it to her when it was finished.....

Sandy was doing an architectural piece.

Kim is hand quilting this quilt she made from a kit given to her by a friend. Such beautiful work. I was so surprised to learn that she doesn't use a thimble - OUCH!

Leisa put the finishing touches on this ogee design - I think I'll be adding one of these to my 'must do' list some day! The color ideas are endless! Do a Google image search for ogee to see some inspiring photos.

Nancy is nearly finished with the center of this large floral rug she's making. It will have wide borders on all sides inspired by an article in a recent Rug Hooking Magazine.

Yvonne has finished this rug now, but I can't find a photo of the completed rug, so you can get the idea of it with this picture. Such a happy design!

Myra has been doing a lot of stitching on this wool project. Here are the pieces in progress.....

....and here is the finished box. So fun!

The other Nancy knitted these gloves to give to a friend. You might remember that she's written several knitting books and travels the world teaching classes. She's SO talented!

This is a bag that she began hooking in a recent workshop - can't wait to see it all finished.

I'll share my completed project after Christmas so there's no chance of being seen by the recipient and spoiling the surprise.

Merry Christmas All!

My Favorite Things

I've been busy doing my favorite things, and that makes me happy! I punched this cute little bird motif....

.....copied from a hand-painted tile I received as a gift awhile ago.

Also punched this basket of flowers that was designed by Country Threads. The pattern was drawn on the monks cloth already and it was on clearance at my LQS for 75% off - can't beat the price!

I hooked this rug years and years ago, but never finished it because the curved edge made me nervous. I finally tackled it last week and it wasn't such a big deal after all. Instead of whipping it like I usually do, I sewed twill tape on and just turned it back and tacked it down. Easy peasy!

I participated in Kathleen's monthly challenge to make this little 4-patch from one of her books. Looks pretty good with my yellowware bowl.

There was some good show & tell when I met recently with my two rug groups. Sandy said she finished this Santa in plenty of time to enjoy it during the holidays.

Jeanette was punching a little snowman - perfect for a January project!

Coralee show us the results of her experiment of dyeing with pomegranate skins - amazing colors!

And she has started a rug showing a calico cat playing with balls of yarn.

Victoria is working on a forest rug showing a tree & some deer.

Yvonne is making a rug for the guest room where her granddaughters usually stay when they come for a visit. Very bright & happy.

Nancy received this cool wooden puzzle as a Christmas gift.

A Karla Gerard design.

On a side note, I thought I'd post this here in case any local gals would be interested. I need to sell the custom made shelving units that I've used for storing my fabrics in for the last 10+ years. They measure 4' wide and 8' tall. The shelves are 12" and 14" deep. There are two of these. I'd like $50 for each of them which is probably less than it cost to make them. Fabric NOT included!

Home Again

I returned to Utah on Thursday night from visiting my family in California. I took this stitching project to work on during the 12 hour (each way) drive and I did a bit more while I was there. The pattern is a design from Lisa Bongean and was in a recent issue of AP&Q. Lisa used flannel for her background fabrics, but I'm using regular cotton instead. Would have been a LOT faster and easier to cut the pennies with a die cut machine, but I used my trusty old scissors. Whew! Lots of variety in the colors of wool I used. Bought a few colors of DMC perle cotton to stitch with. I usually use crochet thread and it didn't really seem that different to me. I guess it's the variegated thread that makes the expensive stuff more desireable. There will be twelve blocks total when I'm finished - these still need to be pressed & trimmed to size so they look kind of distorted here.

On Saturday I attended our Guild's Hook-In and won this darling pumpkin man that was one of the door prizes. He's even cuter in person. Thanks Tonia!

Before going to California, I joined with the gals who always meet on the 1st Tuesday of each month. I'm making progress on my hit & miss rug.

There were some great projects being worked on. Coralee saw a metal sculpture while on vacation in Washington State and was inspired to hook her own version of a Cranberry Gobbler - very whimsical!

Sandy had her Day of the Dead rug completed......

......and was beginning work on a new floral (sorry for the crummy back-lit photo)

Sharon had finished a wild turkey done in needle punch.

And Stacy was punching a happy sunflower.

I seem to have missed several other rugs so hopefully I'll grab them next time.

Show & Tell

Yesterday I met with the 1st Tuesday Rug Group and there was some really good show & tell. Several of the gals had recently learned to do needlepunch, so they brought their projects. Jeanette jumped right in with a big design that was so cute in the frame she had. I always love seeing this motif of stacked animals - so whimsical! She was working on a penny rug while we were there but my camera battery died before I could take a picture of it - sorry 'bout that!

Sharon has a real affection for small pebbles, and used one to mount a miniature punched heart onto. I sat next to her for three hours, and totally forgot to get a picture of the project she was working on - she was punching a vintage aqua canning jar with flowers in it - very soft muted colors and so pretty!

And Coralee was punching a floral pattern she found for free on the internet.

Victoria has finished hooking a Halloween rug - you can find the pattern on Tonia's website HERE.

She also showed us an adorable hat that she had knitted with sheep on it.

And she was doing the embroidery for a Crabapple Hill quilt pattern - her stitches are perfection!

Sandy recently got a new dining room table and is making six hooked pads for the chairs. The background wool she is using is so yummy - and we all loved the beaded edge she used.

I'll end with some fun news. Before Christmas I attended a Home Tour and shared pictures with you of a quilter's home that I absolutely loved. I was sad because she wasn't at home that day and I didn't get to meet her. Well, some of you left comments suggesting that I write her a note, so that's just what I did and I included my email address and phone number in case she was interested in contacting me. Imagine my delight when I got an email from her awhile later. We met for lunch a couple weeks ago and struck up a new friendship - we're planning a day of shopping in the near future and I'm really looking forward to it!

I'm busy whipping the edge of my hooked rug and will share a photo in a day or two when it's totally finished.

1st Tuesday

Yesterday was the monthly meeting of my 1st Tuesday rug group and there was some great show & tell. Kim has been working hard on two large rugs. This one is totally finished and it's a spectacular view of her neighborhood & the surrounding area. I think I like the purple sky & mountains the best.

She finished the edge of the rug by crocheting around it with wool yarn which adds a really nice detail.

She's nearly finished with this map rug that she designed to fit a window seat in her husband's home office.

Jeanette is working on a cute fall rug with a colorful turkey, pumpkin & sunflower - so happy!

Sharon has been doing a lot of punch needle lately with a great new frame that she bought. This little witch's hat is attached to a block of wood about 3" x 4" - I love the little twig sewn on to the brim.

And this framed piece of a witch and her pumpkins is wonderful!

Sharon always wears her hand knit socks and the colors in the yarn of this pair was spectacular. Don't they look cozy and warm?

I started a Christmas table runner with holly leaves & pine boughs - it looks pretty messy in this photo, but sometimes I get yelled at if I don't include a picture of my own project, so here it is anyway! LOL

The Utah Hook-In is on 14th and it's always an event I look forward to attending.  Next month we plan on exchanging mugs with coordinating rugs (5" square). I'd read about another guild doing this and thought it would be so fun. I can't wait to see them all! I'll be sure to share photos.