ALMOST BUNNY TIME

Yes bunnies are coming out to play around my house,  I have to say very happily we are having another cool snap this weekend with night temps in the 30's.  I'll hang on to the coolness for as long as possible.

With the snowmen melting away - it's bunny time.  I usually don't get bunnies out till March but it's been so unseasonably warm in the deep south - I thought it was time.

I couldn't resist getting out this tangled bunny rug canvas last weekend for our monthly rug guild meeting.  He was started last year.  Boy do I love how this is coming out.  It was color planned by one of my very favorite teachers - Dianne Kelly from the Woolen Cottage in Hiram Ohio. 

You might can see the very rich antique red background under the belly.  There won't be much background in this rug but Dianne sure chose an unconventional one which I just loved.  This will eventually become a tote bag I believe.  I added the splashes of pink and the blue,green,pink spot dye from my stash.  I was pleased with the addition of a little more color.

I might have shown this rug last year.  It is my oldest rug WIP, it spent years hiding in a bag with the other forgotten toys.  It has some special memories for me so I decided I did indeed want to finish it.  It was the very first rug camp Dianne Kelly taught at Castle in the Clouds.  It was my first "away" camp as a newbie hooker.  the original design was a Woolley Fox pattern by Warren Kimble which is no longer being produced.  Dianne altered the pattern to include my idea of having cabbages take up the entire background.  I just love the rich black dirt effect and the carrots in the border along with the black and white check outline. 

The last bunny is in progress. The progress is slow because it's not a traveling rug, it's on my big Townsend frame and I just work on it at home when I have time.  A few minutes here and there or an hour or so.  This is probably the most primitive rug you'll ever see me hook.  It is simple, naïve  and even though it's not the first rug I completed - it certainly is a beginners attempt and it shows.  Way back 15 years ago when I started this rug - I didn't know what "style or type" of hooking I wanted to do  In spite of that, there are things I love about this rug and I do want to display in my home one day.  We all started somewhere and hopefully we continue to improve our craft as we go along. 

This little bunny is by a local prim artisan.  He's perched on a giant wool carrot.

Changing gears a bit - here is a needlepoint class piece I did some years ago.  It is Ruth Schmuff's bunny tree.  It is such a fun colorful piece and just screams Easter .

Here's a closer shot of the hopping bunnies, hidden eggs and pastel flowers. It's a fun piece with all kinds of beautiful fibers. It is a bit challenging in that it is just so dang busy.  It's one of those pieces you just have to focus on one motif at a time and not the complexity of the overall project.  I think another problem was how exactly to tackle it.  In class you just do one element and move on.  I have done a lot of jumping around on it but I wonder if starting at the top and working down or starting at the bottom and working up would be a more efficient way to get it done.  I am going to consult a np expert friend of mine tomorrow and see what she thinks.

 

I had a cross stitch bunny design by With Thy Needle and Thread I wanted to show a photo of but I didn't have time to hunt it down this morning before I left the house.  Maybe I'll come back again before Easter and show my progress on these 3 WIP's.

 

So my friends - it's Friday again and almost the end of another month.  I hope whether you are still enjoying snowmen or are playing with bunnies - you have a great weekend full of everything you love to do.  I always enjoy hearing from you - please leave me a comment - I love them all.