STARLIGHT STARBRIGHT

For lack of a better blog title - I just went with the first photo for my blog post !  I hope all my blog friends had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying the holiday season.  New year is looming and I am hearing lots of chatter about NYD new starts on projects of all kinds.  Don't you find that most of us start the BAP's on NYD because we are full of hope about what we can accomplish in the new year.  I'd love to hear about your NYD start or plans for projects.  Our EGA chapter holds an annual challenge every year where you can nominate new or WIP's up to 10 and we find it really is a motivator for most of the members to at least get a few projects done on our challenge list.  Please go out to the duClay EGA Chapter blog and see all the beautiful projects created by our members.

The Starbright Cottage by Liberty Hill was a Christmas present to me!  I love Carolyn's work and have a fairly extensive collection.  Always fun to get a new LH piece in the mail.

The weekend before Christmas my DH and I took a little day trip up to the FL/GA border.  We meandered around on a few back woods county roads we had never traveled before and ended up in the sleepy town of Fernandina Beach.  I've spent a considerable amount of time in my life in FB , it is a coastal town only a few short miles from the beautiful coastal isles of Georgia, St Simons and historic Jekyll Island.  The day was gray, gloomy and chilly here on the Nassau Sound.  We had a delightful late lunch at the Salty Pelican which was recommended by DF Becky and is right across the street from this dock so it had the same great marsh view.

This is a cute little Homespun Elegance ornament that didn't get finished for Christmas because I couldn't locate my bag of finishing supplies and I was too lazy to fight the Christmas traffic and go to the store and get a few things I needed like batting.  I'm not a quilter so I only keep a small amount of batting around and it was in that misplaced bag.  Anyway this is Sampler Woolley and I altered it a bit by putting little rolls of rug hooking wool is his basket instead of roving and I affixed a JABC tiny wreath to the basket.  I changed the fiber to Gloriana silk for the alphabet and Gloriana Lorikeet wool for the sheepy.

Another gift to me - I couldn't resist Jimmy Beans Wool Thanksgiving offering.  This was cleverly packed in a aluminum roasting pan.  It is all hand dyed yarn from some of my favorite dyers like Lornas Laces Shepherds Worsted, Madelinetosh Merino Light and the bright pumpkin pie is Koigu.  Yummy stuff to be sure !

The LL Wild Turkey colorway is becoming a Brickless.  I am loving how this yarn is working up.  It actually reminds me of a turkey wing spread out - in its natural state I mean LOL - not sitting on your dining table.  The colors are captivating and I think this Martina pattern is perfect for this colorway.   BTW - I have never knit a Martina design before and plan to do several more.

This was a pop up project I decided to do right here at the end of the year.  It was a free mystery pattern by Laura Aylor called "just for you" - it was free if you signed up before a certain date and the clues were released 1 per day with the thought that with a little time spent you'd be done with this by Christmas.  Now the pattern has been released for sale under the name Outlier.  It is easy mindless knitting that you just have to keep track of rows.  I used some stashed Malabrigo Chunky in the Holly Hock colorway.  I don't normally knit on big needles or with chunky yarn but I do like how this yarn is working up and the color is stunning.

This is another free pattern on Rav called The Big Blue.  I am using the called for Madeline Tosh Sport in the Spectrum colorway.  It is just a filler project for when I have a few minutes just to knit.  I don't think I have ever shown it before on my blog so I thought since this post was mostly knitting I would snap a shot.

 

Well friends - that concludes what I have been up to this past month since I last posted.  After my TWO big rug finishes - I have done very little rug hooking however I am very much looking forward to my 16th Off the Ocean rug hooking camp which will be held right in my own area.  Then I have an Olde Green Cupboard retreat at the end of January where I will be doing more hooking. 

  With warm and "wooley thoughts" to you for a very Happy New Year !

ANOTHER BIG FINISH !!!!!!!

I honestly thought this day would never come.  The day that I would finish my Antique Blue Basket rug.

I started this rug in a previous decade - yes I admit - it was over 10 years ago that I started this rug.

The rug looks small but it is actually 3ft X 5ft  the color plan is by Joan Reckwerdt and the design is a copy of an old antique rug by Edyth O'Neill.

As the years have rolled by - there are things I see now that I would do differently but a project that lasts this long and spans the years and journey of a rug hooker is just that - a journey and a learning experience.

I have had the center motifs finished for years but got bogged down on the interior backround which was a story in itself. 

I didn't care for the very light backround that Joanie dyed for this rug and a friend who I have lost touch with suggested we tea dye the wool Joanie gave me - OK sounds great so she took the 3 yards of wool home with her.  Well - sadly - her husband had been very sick with cancer and ended up passing away - it took months to get the wool back from her and then I never saw or heard from her again.  About 1/2 way thru the backround - at about year 5 or 7 - it became apparent that I did not have enough wool to finish the rug - EGADS - so my friend and master dyer Katie Puckett tried to duplicate the color - how hard could it be ???  well she tried every tea on the market - used about 5 or more yards of wool and never did get even close to the color I needed.  SO  . . . . . . .

The rug was put away for years.  Somewhere in there I had a major move from my lifelong home to another home and I uncovered some beautiful wool that Katie's mom dyed for a rug that never materialized.  I could use that for the border backround so I had renewed interest in the rug and set about working on finishing the interior backround.  Then I moved on to the border motifs and finally - slowly - very slowly - I worked on the backround border.

 

My mom loves this rug - she is a rug hooker too.  She always refers to it as "her rug" - so now that it is done - it can officially be "her rug" - Hope you get many years of enjoyment out of the Blue Basket Antique Mom !

 

What in the world will be my next focus rug to complete.  OH dear OH dear . . . .  Will it be the bed rug or the Adam & Eve or maybe another wonderful Edyth O'Neill canvas - Oliver Cromwell.  Poor Oliver hasn't seen the light of day in a decade either.  I work on many rugs - I like to work on fall things in the fall - Christmas themes in Nov and Dec., patriotic rugs in the summertime.  I am working on my Santa and Ewe now and it is a little more than 1/2 finished - I will show a photo soon I promise.  My "focus" rug is usually a rug I keep out on my big Townsend frame in my wool room and leave out all the time to work on .  It only gets little snippets of attention - just a few strips of wool hooked in here and there.

 

Thanks for all your encouragement and comments on my angel runner - for me to finish two big rugs within a months time is nothing short of simply amazing.  On to the next  . . . . . .

 

I hope all my friends in blogland that are in the US will have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, be sure and take time to pick up a needle or two during a quiet moment. Pull a few loops on your rugs  - -   Relish all our many blessings.  Sending you wooley thoughts !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband - He couldn't wait to get into his cake last night.  No I didn't bake it but ordered it from a DF who does catering.  It is lemon raspberry two of his favorite things.

Here area  few shots I love from our wedding reception in 2012.  My how times flies - we just had our 2nd anniversary in Sept.

What a lovely day it was celebrating with family and friends

Here is my handsome bud - he never seems to age.  Here is best wishes for a great birthday and another year of health and happiness in your future.  Love and kisses !!

AND THE ANGELS SANG "HALLELUIAH" !!!!!!!

 

 

I will sing HALLELUIAH with the angels - you won't believe how long I struggled to get these photos to upload to my blog.  I still didn't get the all inclusive "finish" photo but here they are - all 6 of the little angels.

 

 

DF Henrietta drew the Angels Watch Over Me wording which I feel just adds to the folksiness of this rug.

The rug was designed by Bea Brock in Texas and the color plan and all the wool was by Diane Stoffel.  It is hooked mostly in a 4 cut with 3 for the facial detail and 5 for the backround.

I can't even say how happy I am to have another good size rug finished.  This one is 46 X 19

I would like to hang this rug over my bed.  I am torn as to whether to try and use a traditional frame moulding or just mount on stretcher bars hang like most rug hookers do.  I'm afraid it will be very expensive to have a frame this big made up but I am going to consult with my framer and see.

 

I hope all my friends in blogland will rejoice with me.  I won't even say how long I've been working on this rug - let's just say 'years' and leave it at that.  As you know from prior comments - I don't work on any one thing steady and on this one - I was running out of backround and the rug sat idle for almost a year while I was waiting on more backround to finish. Master at the art of dyeing that Diane Stoffel is - you can't tell at all where the new backround started and the old backround ended.  Of course I did blend best I could with what I had left of the old backround.

  I like to work on seasonal things in the season so my rugs get put away and other rugs get pulled out all throughout the year.  One can say I never get bored the way I approach my needlework endeavors.  Thanks as always for stopping by and for commenting on my blog.

OCTOBER BEANS

Lots to talk about in this post.  I can't believe it's been over a month since I was here to visit with all my blog friends.  Of course providing any of you are still reading my blog !

I have been futzing around trying to get these photos uploaded all week - starting Monday and here it is Friday - well not continually mind you but every now and then when I got a chance.  (sigh)

I wanted to show you what October beans look like both shelled and in their shell - WHY?  Who cares - well I guess I do - it is very exciting for a city girl like me to go to a farm stand and the best one we know is Osage Farms in Dillard Ga in the North Ga. mountains.  We always hit it coming home from our trips to the Smokies and that is really what this post is all about.  Our recent trip to Gatlinburg Tenn .

Gorgeous colored bell peppers cut right off the bush that morning, still wet when we picked them out of the bin . they may find their way into a chili pot this weekend !

 Another shot of my shelled out October beans,  those are in the pot cooking today !!!!

Wonderful heirloom tomatoes - I know the purple one is called Cherokee Purples but don't know the name of the red one.  So much for the veggie showcase !

 

 Here is a shot of my dear parents sitting outside the Pottery Mill Café in Pigeon Forge Tenn.  It was a glorious day to be outside and actually the ONLY day we had sun on our whole vacation.  It was rainy and dreary the entire time.  They have all sorts of shops in the complex and one of our favorite is the Old Mill Kitchen Shop.  We always buy a case of jelly/jam/preserves all locally made.  Syrups, stone milled grits from the mill AHHHH - its a great shop.  I love the Mill Pottery shop - I have so many things from there in my pottery collection now.  If you ever get a chance to visit this complex - the Old Mill complex - do it !!!  their landscaping alone is worth the trip !

 Another shot of my folks on one of the dreary days - this is at another favorite spot - the Wild Plum Tea Room in Gatlinburg.  My DH doesn't relish eating at tiny tables and perching (as he calls it ) on café chairs so we left him at the condo that day to enjoy some quiet time.  We had a great lunch and went to the needlework shop and other things he doesn't enjoy doing.

DH outside the Old Mill Pottery Café - I tried to get him to mimic the little scarecrow but he didn't go for that !

One of the really fun things DH and I  did was drive up to Sevierville to have lunch at another great café - Bistro 109 and part of my logic was to visit the Cherry Pit Quilt Shop next door.  It was voted one of the 10 best quilt shops in the US by the Better Homes and Gardens Quilt Magazine.  I can see why - CUTE CUTE shop and the ladies working there were very nice and friendly.

 Sorry I didn't take more photos - I actually almost forgot to take any photos there.  As I said another rainy dark day and I wasn't thinking "photo ops".  They were loaded with beautiful fabrics and models ALL over the shop.

 As you can see - it is on a little narrow downtown street with brick storefronts.  They actually take up two spaces with the Bistro next door.  It was really fun and while I am not a quilter, I keep threatening to try the hexies and I did buy a little charm pack of fabric and a yard of backround fabric to try me some hexie goodness.

 I think the charm pack is by Primitive Traditions, the backround is some civil war print maybe by Barbara Brackman but I  looked at so much stuff I am probably confused about that.  They had great gifty and prim items too and this is a cute wooden painted coaster set in little wooden holder - it reminded me so much of Liberty Hill and I have a vast collection of LH so it will fit right into my house.

The other anticipated adventure while in Pigeon Forge is always a visit to Dixie Darlin' cross stitch shop.  The owner of this shop Cindy is also the designer behind those adorable sled designs "Foxwood Crossings"  I'm so glad Cindy is doing so well with her designs - I have known her and been shopping at her shop for at least 20 years (maybe it just feels like 20 years LOL)  I always find stuff - one good thing about her shop is that if she displays a model - she has everything you need to complete that piece and usually it is in stock unless it is just sold out.  Couldn't help but add Luna by Miribilia from the pixie collection I believe.  I have one other of these designs that I have pictured several times on my blog that my dad stitched for me.  I was just so enamored with the milk chocolate linen - I almost knocked my poor mom off her feet when I spotted this on the wall.  (just kidding ! but I really did a quick reach over her head for it )

Another purchase was the new BBD Peace Rose - I think a Reward of Merit design.  I also bought one of these new little LED lights which will run off batteries.  It folds up compactly and sometimes you just need another light - right?

Here is another new BBD I got from Inspired Needle last month.  I couldn't wait to start it on my trip.  It doesn't look like I got much done but it was actually more tedious than I expected on 35ct  WDW Tin Roof linen with the C/C Black Coffee.  Cute design - I will persevere.

I also put in some time on this Scarlett House design that I actually started last year and of course promptly put away after the fall season.  It is the Button Eyed Cat and I got a little more done on it.  I am enjoying this one on 30ct - boy my eyes are really getting worse and I find that I am enjoying the 30/32 ct linens more.

 What fall vacation is complete without a visit to the pumpkin patch??  This is my dear mom showing me a pumpkin she thinks I should buy.  This patch is also at the Osage Farm.

 One last shot , I promise no more veggies in this post !!!!!!!!

Well blog friends - I am simply amazed that I actually have this post done.  I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted on my blog.  I also can't believe October is already 1/2 over - it's my very favorite time of the year.  We are actually getting a little cooler temps down here in the deep south, might be in the 50's for the next 3 mornings and only in the 70's for the highs.  At least the humidity is somewhat better.  I sure hope to visit you again before turkey time comes.  Hope you are all enjoying brilliant color and a fabulous fall season.  Thanks as always for visiting and commenting on my blog.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABY!

I always think of that Little River Band song when I say Happy Anniversary - especially to my DH.

Even though today is just our 2nd anniversary - we have shared 34 years of our life together.  We have had an interesting ride and I hope we have 34 more happy anniversaries to share.

Here is a tiny photo of our wedding day at a chapel in the hills of Tennessee.  One of our favorite places to be.  We couldn't be there on our anniversary this year but we hope to be back there next month for a belated anniversary trip.

 

 

 Not the greatest photo in the world but it sure was a fun day at our wedding reception celebrating with friends and family.

 

Happy Anniversary to us !

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

For those followers and friends who have been with me a while already know I am a sloooow rug hooker.  In most cases it takes many years to finish a project - especially a big project.  That would be the case of my Antique Blue Basket.

do you see there is only ONE small bud left to hook and just a few inches of backround.  I can't even believe I am this close to finishing this rug.  It is my oldest rug WIP and 2014 WILL be the year it is completed.  I will show the whole rug when the last loop is pulled.

Another rug that is almost as close to being finished is my Angel Sampler rug.  I have always loved this rug.  It was color planned by  Diane Stoffel.  Having 2 rug finishes is BIG for me and I can't wait to have these two OFF the list and on the floor.

Here is the other side of the runner.  I worked on this at the January Camp Blanding retreat and then just put it away, knowing I only had a small amount left to finish.  I will show a finished photo on this one.  We just finished up another Camp Blanding retreat.

Here is a photo of my DF.s - Katie on the end, Joanne, Karen, Denise, Henri and me.  We had a great 3 day and all kinds of projects were being worked on.  It is mainly a quilting retreat put on by Gloria Parsons Olde Green Cupboard fame.  We are already planning CB retreats for 2015.

here is DF Henri's gorgeous chickadee canvas in a 3 cut.  She is also very close to finishing with only a small amount of backround left and borders.  GO HENRI GO HENRI ! 

The Lucy Boston craze has hit our rug hookers too.  Here is a square (is that what you call them?) that Joanne completed.  She also completed whipping on a HUGE beautiful rug.  Why the heck don't I have a photo of that rug among my retreat photos.  SHOOT ! 

DF Katie was making baskets with Gloria most of the weekend but after completing a zillion baskets she took time to relax and sew some beautiful Lucy honeycombs.  She and Joanne use the English Paper Piecing method that Lucy made famous.  I am going to give this hand piecing a try but I am going to use the fabric stamps which eliminates the need to use the paper pieces.  More to come on that I hope.

Last but certainly not least is Denise with her fall pieced wall hanging.  LOVE the fall fabrics.  She finished the border at the retreat and she was also working on binding a beautiful full size quilt but alas I didn't get a photo of that one either.

 

So friends - my great expectation is that I am anticipating not one but TWO rather large rugs finished in the near future and I couldn't be happier.  Not to mention my Camp Loopy 3 project will be finished TONIGHT !  I've been binding off all week but last night I just could not face that so I worked on my antique blue basket and just had to share my good news.  Until we meet again - I send you warm and wooley thoughts ~ ~

ALREADY AUGUST

How did that happen ?  August is more than half over , gees - would someone please slow this merry-go-round down.  I guess we are officially entering the dog days of summer - extreme heat and humidity down here in the deep south.  Great time to stay inside and give some time to  needlework projects .

I have not been rug hooking much this summer.  I never really do hook as much in the dead heat of summer.  However this has been my summer project.  I have finished all the motifs on the right side of the rug and filled in some more backround.  I'll probably continue to work on this till after Labor Day - the last summer patriotic holiday when I will put this Polly Minick design away and drag out something else.  Probably something seasonal for fall or winter.  I love how this rug is coming out.  It is hooked in a 6cut  using some of Polly's wool, some stashed wool and some beautiful hand dyed wool for the backround.

YIPPEE YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!  Look what arrived this weekend.  I was the lucky winner of Melinda's blog giveaway over at the Merry Wind Farm blog.  Look at this darling pin bed and see how creatively finished it is.  Melinda also displays and sells her beautiful things on the Early Mercantile website so check her out on there and also on her lovely blog.  She is a very talented stitcher and also a rug hooker, not to mention has a fabulous 1800's farm house and surrounding gardens and fields.  What a life . . . .

Melinda also gifted me with two great books - Another Place and Time by Maggie Bonanomi - and the Spring 2014 Prim Quilts and Projects mag.  I spent many an hour dreaming my way thru these two books.  THANK YOU MELINDA!!!!!!!  for a great blog giveaway.

This doesn't look like much but it is the wide ribbing on my Camp Loopy 3 project.  Amery is the project name and if you click the name you will be carried to Ravelry.  The designers version is much more striking than my blah charcoal gray with a deep eggplant cast. 

 

 

 

Here is another shot - it is not a circular garment I just had trouble photographing the 495 stitches used in this ribbing.  The yarn choice was Malabrigo Rios - a hand dyed worsted weight.  I have completed the ribbing and am about 3/4 done with the project.  I am on track to finish all 3 of the summer Camp Loopy projects.  Just a refresher - this is sponsored by The Loopy Ewe.  I am excited about finishing all 3, this truly is a challenge to me to dedicate myself to these projects.  When I finish I will have knitted about 1700 yards since  June 1st. I am doing Camp Loopy again this year with my Bee Eyes knitting group, DFs Henri, Karen and Starr.  I think we are all on track to finish all 3 projects.  Even though it has been fun - I will be glad to get back to my stitching and hooking in September.  Oh I always have knitting on the needles and the pull of the wool is great in the fall - it will just be nice not to be on such a stringent schedule for hitting a deadline.

 

I'm afraid I don't have any stitching progress to show you at all.  I have had to keep my head down and really knitting this month to get that 800+ yard project done.  However on the horizon is a possible hexie hand piecing project and hopefully getting back to needlepoint Wednesdays.

I am attending one of the awesome Camp Blanding retreats this coming weekend with a bunch of gal pals who do an awesome variety of work.  Several of them have succumbed to the honeycomb crazed Lucy Boston hand piecing.  I think I will start with my little hexies first and then see how it goes and whether I will be mesmerized by Lucy Boston.

 

  I plan to be back here again in the near future - so until we meet again - I hope all my friends in blogland are taking time to enjoy the dog days.