Gathered Treasures

Gathered Treasures

Join me at this fantastic show full of amazing vendors!

I am thinking about trying to do a little more blogging instead of strickly facebook. Let's see where this goes!

Kirkland wool gathering trip.

Friday I convinced my son to travel to Kirkland, OH with me to go on a wool buying adventure. It was a two hour drive and the local friends I tried to take along with me weren't available. My friend Kaye had told me about Cynthia Norwood's wool sale when I saw her at the Kingwood Hook-in, and boy am I glad she did! I have been a fan of Cynthia's book and was hoping to get it signed. She is planning a move back to Texas, and I doubt I'll be getting there anytime soon. Even though I already work for wool at Ault's Rug Hooking store, I do occasionally like to look around for something different.
I bought three books and some wonderful wool and a great price. I love nubby wools. So I got quite a nice selection of those. I also picked up a few sparkle wool for my gal pal Alice ( if your interested Alice, if not I'll use them.) And a few other must have textures to add to my collections. Connor was a very good sport through it all and we made a couple more fun stops on the way home, but I'll save that for my next post.

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My day at Kingwood 2011

The weather was perfect on Saturday for the hook-in at Kingwood Center. I saw so many wonderful friends and make a couple of new ones too. I also missed a few that I was hoping to see, but that happens. I did manage to hook a little bit, but not too much because of all the visiting, shopping, and eating. I has to leave early to attend a couple of graduation parties, which I hated to do. Once I saw how much the grads were glad my husband and I came it was all worth it though. This year for the rug show, they wanted to see entries of first rugs. I took mine which was American Floral by Need'l Love. I really like their patterns and I have done a lot of their wool applique in the past. I haven't taken an update picture of the big rug since I really only added a little more background to it. I did pick up some beautiful yarn for whipping the edges of my rugs. That's right folks...I am going to get my binding caught up this year if it kills me. I have resolved to not start another rug in 2011 until I have my binding under control. I haven't counted how many rugs that means yet, but I will let you know. The rug pictured here is actually done, but I was not happy with the way the binding turned out, so I have never done it again. That means I have about nine years of catching up to do ( shutter).

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Kingwood Center Tomorrow

Here is a quick update before I hook tomorrow at Kingwood Center tomorrow. It is going to be a great time if you want to come and spend the day in Mansfield, OH with a lot of very talented ladies this is the place to be. It's 10-4, and the only fee is $5.00 for parking. Events include a rug show, silent auction, raffle, snacks, door prizes, and vendors. Hope to see you there!

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I'm missing my happy place.

This is another test post. I have been having trouble posting with my phone. I am keeping this short because it keeps losing my post, which is very aggravating. I am missing my time at the Woolly Fox already. Here are a four more pictures of my progress. I will try to post again tomorrow.

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Day two at Barb's

Hooking, eating & shopping pretty much sum up our time here. All of which are filled with shared stories and plenty of laughter. We all have made great progress on our rugs today. Barb suggested that I not go to dinner because I had so much to try to hook in...I don't think so! I did have to do only small parts of my two new horses and my green goat. I knew that goat was going to be green! Then Barb added a little special pizzaz to one on my corners...more circles! I haven't counted how many there are in this monster, but I will. I am so happy with the way the colors are coming together and I think it is starting to look very old. Here are a couple new pictures to enjoy. When I get home I will do a better Jon on listing everyone's name and rug name.

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The weather blows, hook here

I stole that from our restaurant last night. It has been very windy, but the temps are rising today. It was so good to see Barb and Robin again! The girls all got started on their rugs today and I continued on with my massive rug. We worked on my basket and the lollipops with a green background behind the basket. The majority of the background will be done in medium greys.

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On my way to the Woolley Fox

It has been a very busy couple weeks as I prepared for the Gathered Treasures show and got ready for my hooking trip. I did manage to get another animal done on my rug. I was planning to do the goat next, but I just wasn't feeling it. So I did the donkey instead. He is just a quiet little fellow. Then I moved on to one of the dogs. Our thirteen year old dog Kosmo passed away a little over a week ago, so I decided to hook our old black dog into this rug. He's not quite done yet. I can't wait to see what Barb thinks of my progress and where this rug will go next. I will keep you posted as this time I'm publishing posts in real time. See you tomorrow!

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More from my animal collection.

I have made a little more progress with my project this past week. I finished the biggest horse and I love him. I choose to do him in rust and oranges. The pattern has the line drawn through the horse and a line separating the back bottom legs, so I made them a slightly lighter orange than the rest. This horse is a compliment to one of the birds, only done with wool placed opposite. I ran short on one strip of the light orange for the horse so I had to steal it from the bird's breast. That's why he has one strip of the darker rust there. I usually do things like that when I run short. I think it is a good example of the make-do attitude of the time of primitive rug making. I rarely like to rip things out and start over. This rug is 74x 55. I will be hosting a hook-in this Saturday at Ault's Rug Hooking Store and I hope to start on the goat while I'm there. I'm thinking it might be time to introduce some more green wool on him. What are your opinions?

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Next Woolly Fox project.

I am taking Magdalena's Animal Collection with Lollipop basket to Barb's in April. I bought this pattern on sale last year and I have loved it since I first saw it in Arrow Rock Missouri. It is very large, but I don't have the measurements with me today. I'll have to include them in my next post. I have started hooking a few of the animals and hopefully Barb can help me to pull them all together.

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Deer Runner

I am so excited to be getting ready for my next trip to The Woolly Fox. Once again I am taking a challenging rug which I will show in my next post. Today I am taking a look back to a rug I hooked a few years ago. This is Edyth O'Neill's Deer Runner. When I planned this rug I planned it around the gold background wool that is a plaid with reds & blues. This rug hangs I'm my bathroom. I loved the way it turned out.

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First mobile post & Kalidescope rug.

I'm not sure how this post will turn out, but I have decided that if I don't at least try mobile posting, l may never post again. So here is a trial run.

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Kingwood Center Rug Show

I had a wonderful time at the Kingwood Center Hook-in! This was my first time there even though I actually know a lot of the people there including those who run it & help out. My friend Shelia comment that I have really got a lot done on this rug since I posted yet. Oops! Too much hooking & not enough posting is how it has been going. But I can tell you that being home for the summer with the boys in a house with no AC is bringing a screeching halt to that. We have also set our camper permanently in Loudonville for the rest of the summer,& I know that will be relaxing there with no wifi. Maybe I can post here & hook there! I changed some of my color planning as this rug unfolded & I was prepared for that. I was asked several times if Barb planned this for me & I proudly answered that I did it alone. I think this means I'm learning something at class! One lady asked about one of my smaller stars if Barb "made" me put that in there. I take that as a huge compliment! Although, I kind of got the feeling she didn't understand what I was trying to achieve. I had to laugh when another hooker asked me if my hooking is what they call dirty primitive. I told her it very well could be! I've been called fast & loose, but never dirty...I think it fits! This is a view of the room from my seat.
My mom Gloria (adopted that is) selling her wares.
And a few random shots of the rug show. I didn't bring anything to show. I really didn't know I should have, but I guess it was obvious. (Blond moment!)



Thank you Katie for putting together such a great day of hooking!

What I've been working on.

Kaleidoscope 48x55. This one is a whopper! I will be working on this one for a good long time.

Cricket Ship is just a tiny little rug, but it gave me big trouble getting the colors to all show up!

Hannah's Star was a fun little rug that I used up some of my flower basket scraps up on. All three of these pattern are available at the Woolley Fox.

This is such a busy time of year. I am focusing my attention on the Spirit of Friends Show and work like crazy in the schools. The boys have all kinds of activities, & we have lots of showers & weddings to attend. This weekend we went camping & I did squeeze in a little hooking. I have started my biggest rug yet, & although I know what colors I want to use, I keep changing my mind as to where they belong in this rug. I labeled some of them on the pattern, but I have already thrown that out the window & haven't bothered to relabel. I guess I have to wait to see where the rug tells me they go. I also hooked up a couple of smaller rugs to share. Stay tuned for more progress.

My Camp Pictures

As usual...I never take enough pictures! I didn't even come close this time. I guess I am just to aggressive of a hooker when I get the chance to be uninterrupted! I didn't even get our whole group or their rugs. Please visit my friend Alice's blog, www.alice-folkartprimitives.blogspot.com/ She did a much better job of taking photos of everything...but herself! In this first pic is Barb's new kitty Posie. She was big big hit & big fun too for such a little fur ball.

We had to search Peggy's bags before we left just to make sure Posie didn't accidentally get wrapped up in her pattern & wool stash.

When she wasn't playing with the kitty, Peggy did make some great progress on her huge rug. I think one night Barb actually trapped the little darling upstairs so Peggy would do her homework & not play too much! This is Heidi hiding behind yet another huge rug. Don't you just love all Barb's wool?

Sorry about this one Gloria, but I had to include you. You look a little puzzled here. Love the vest!

And this is Carol all packed up & ready to head home...If you think she looks like she was pouting, we all were.

Thanks for stopping by. I have two more little rugs done to show soon & my biggest rug yet is about to be my next work in progress posted here.

Kinderhook Flower Basket

As promised, I am finally getting my pictures posted of the rug I did at Thw Woolley Fox. It was a great time as usual! This is a pattern taken from an antique rug that Barb owns. It is a remarkable old rug. I was very excited & packed plenty of wool, but as expected, the rug's color story has us digging through Barb's wool stash as well. I just love building rugs with her. I learn something new every time. After three days, my rug was nearly finished. After we returned I travelled with Larry to vend in Saline, MI. This gave me an entire evening alone uninterrupted in a hotel room to finish it. I love the way it came out. After I returned home, I was still on a roll & hooked up this little Edyth O'Neill pattern "Cricket Whale". This pattern is also available from Barb. I will be posting pictures of class later. Don't forget that this is hook-in Saturday at Aults. See you there!

Hooked mat for sale!

Quilter's Basket, 14 x 14, by Edyth O'Neill. This was a fun little mat to hook, & I am offering it for sale here on my blog. I have a paypal acct. to make payment easy, or I will except a money order as well. Cost is mat is $115.00 plus shipping. You can email me at jthornton9@neo.rr.com if you are interested, or use the comment section for questions. Thanks for looking!

Finished!

Ault's hook in ended up being a great time this last Sat. I wish Gloria could have been there, but she wasn't feeling well. We had a great group of hookers there. I was able to finish my Magdalena Mayhem rug too! I am including a photo. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. The only wool I actually cut for this rug was most of the background, and the border. Everything else came out of my wiggles basket. (a big mess of wool strips that I over cut & now use up in a make do fashion) Sometimes the best bits of your rug come from using these unexpected wiggles pulled at random. I like my rugs to look old, so to me one element of this is to use what you have. Sometimes you might run short, so you use what you can to match, or add something else interesting instead.

My Magdalena Mayhem Progress

Ever since the Christmas tree went up this last year, our basset hound decided that is okay to eat or chew up anything she can find. She is nearly four & has never done anything like this before. We would come home to chewed up presents, ornaments, and toys. It was decided that the only way to keep her out of trouble while we were gone was to shut her in the bathroom. After the tree came down, I thought she would stop, but she hasn't. So this morning I am hustling out the door & I need to put her away in the bathroom when I find a sleeping Jimmy Dean in there sleeping on the dog bed. I thought maybe I would just move him as I have done in the past, but he just looked too darn comfortable!


Then I look out in the dining room at this poor pathetic creature and I think, there's no way I can interrupt them today. So Wags the dog got another chance. I quickly scanned the floors for anything she might get into. Much to my delight, I came home to a clean house with nothing disturbed.

Here is my progress on my Magdalen Mayhem rug. I may have to change the bird in the top left corner, but I'll cross that bridge later. I will not be able to post tomorrow, but you all are probably tiring of my ramblings any way! I will try to post again later this week. I will be hooking this Sat. at Ault's. If you live in the area, please join us from 10-4. No cost & lots of fun!