Wednesday, August 27, 2014

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 ~ ~

Monday, August 18, 2014

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.