I'm becoming a Hooker, are you?

Every year after the Rug Hooking event held at Sauder Village, I am bit by the rug hooking bug.  Each year it gets a little "worse"!  At first when I tried this traditional American craft, I really didn't think it was for me.  Then August rolls around and the wonderful wool vendors and hookers descend on Sauder Village and I am sucked in again.  There are mounds and mounds of gorgeous wool just waiting to be touched and purchased.  

In the past I've only purchased kits with the strips cut and colors chosen for me.  I stepped out of my comfort zone this year and purchased a pattern online prior to the show.  With this pattern in hand I entered the show floor.  I purchased the background taupe and the house red brick.  I did pick up a few other colors for other rugs I have in mind. My Grandmother was a prolific rug hooker and to honor her work done in the early 1900's, I have tried to include reclaimed wool in the few pieces I have hooked.  The crow, roof, border and outer petals of the flower are all recycled clothing.  I'm wishing I had several yards of the brown - it has subtle flecks of color in it that is very interesting close up. 

I'd like to pass on this pattern to someone who would like to hook the design.  It is a Buttermilk Basin pattern - "Red Saltbox" 14.5" x 12".

If you leave me a comment on this post saying that you'd like the pattern, I will enter your name into the drawing.  Friday night I will draw a name from the entries and contact the winner.  Make sure you leave me an email address if you do not have a blog.  The only "rule" is you must be a follower of my blog.  I've had some people tell me they have a problem posting a comment on my blog.  If this is the case, send me an email (annfrank17@yahoo.com) with Rug Hooking as the title and I'll enter you in too!

We started school on Tuesday, and so far all 4 of us have survived our first week.  Love this picture and I'm sure it will be the last one where our daughter is the tallest!  My husband tells me he does miss us when he comes home at lunch time - I think it's because he has to make his own lunch!  

Have a great week.  ~Ann

Update to Halloween Stitchin'

I've updated my last post to include the colors of floss that I used for this freebie from Primitive Betty.  

~ALSO~

Betty was kind enough to republish one of the charts for us all and that link as well as the link to the "BOO" freebie are now on my blog.  (Thank you Shirley for your help!)

Halloween Stitchin'

Like so many of you, my Prim Friends, Fall is my favorite season.  I thought it time that I put backings on my stitchings and get them grunged up ready to decorate my Halloween Tree.

"I'm Wicked" a freebie from: http://www.stitchesnstones.com/freepatterns.html I finished mine with large orange Ric Rac in the seams.

"Hallow's Eve" is a freebie from a while back.  The Chart is compliments of Primitive Betty and she was kind enough to republish the chart for us all:  http://primitivebettys.blogspot.com/2011/08/recap-redo-and-olde-freebie.html

"Crows" - a freebie from Primitive Bettys:http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/18669910 Betty has lots of free patterns on her picture trail - Thanks again Betty!

I used DMC 422 - Yellow

DMC 310 - Black

DMC 433 - Light Brown

DMC 838 - Dark Brown

DMC 937 - Green

"October 31 Pincushion" from Stacy Nash Primitives - this isn't a freebie - sorry!

"Halloween" can be found in the September/October 2009 issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine

"Boo" is also a freebie from Sandra at  http://plainfancymerchant.blogspot.com/2010/08/corrected-freebie.html which is her blog for Homespun Elegance. 

Let me share a couple of new decorations that I've picked up...  

At Bath and Body I saw this Frankenstein tea light holder and while he isn't primitive at all, I will find a place for him somewhere in our house.  Why did I buy him you ask?  Our last name is Frank.  No I do not have a collection of Frankenstein items, but one mixed in with our decorations will be tolerable.  

Have a good week.  ~Ann

Winner - Primitive Stocking

Congratulations to Denise!  My daughter just drew your name out of a hat for the pattern for this Primitive Stocking.  I've sent you an email - please be on the lookout for it.

Thank you to all of you who entered my little "mystery" giveaway - it's interesting to see who reads my posts if I don't advertise a giveaway!  

I will be having another giveaway like this soon - I'm working on a smaller rug hooking project and when I'm done - I'll be giving away that pattern too. 

School starts here on Tuesday.  BooHoo my summer is over - back to work.  

Have a great week ~Ann

A Primitive Stocking

I just finished stitching "A Primitive Stocking" by Carriage House Samplings.  

I thought it might take me a while to finish the stitching on this but it was a fast stitch!  Everynight when I sat down to work on this I would say "one more letter and I'll go to bed, ok one more and I'll go to bed!"

There are only 5 colors of floss used and mine is a little shorter than the pattern - about 2 inches.  The fabric I used wasn't as long as what the directions called for.

Since I'm done with the pattern, I'd like to pass it along to someone else who would like to stitch this design.  If you leave me a comment on this post, I'll draw a name for the pattern on Sunday night.  

Last weekend we took a road trip to SE Wisconsin to visit my sister & her family.  While we were there we took a tour of The University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.  At the moment it's at the top of the list of potential colleges for our daughter.  

My husband and I both went to a small private liberal arts college - 1,000 students.  UWW is slightly different - 11,000 students.  We both were very impressed.  

Had to buy everyone a t-shirt - our 10 year old is very happy with his - on the back it says "U-DUB DUB".  He thought that was quite funny!

My sister and I took her 3 and 2 of my 3 for a bike ride in a Waukesha park.  This bike is NOT as easy as it looks....

There were 4 of us pedaling, but it was a work-out - especially when we were going up hill.  We were laughing so hard we weren't sure we could keep going.  I had the "baby" - she's 1 1/2years old on my lap while I was trying to pedal.  I had to keep on my 10 year old - telling him he was a slacker and he needed to work a little harder!  

Hope you are having a good week.  ~Ann

The Hooker's are coming.....

I've been busy weaving, weaving, weaving.  For the last few days, I've even put my stitching aside and only worked on baskets.

This first group of baskets are special orders, 2 of them are going to be used in a wedding shower.  Hopefully I'll see photos of them being used.   

Next week, the living history museum where I work is hosting a gathering of rug hookers.  This is an annual event at Sauder Village (www.saudervillage.org) that brings hundreds of rug hookers in for the week to take classes, hook and shop.  Rug Hookers like their baskets and I'm happy to oblige....

I made 5 tote baskets with Shaker tape handles, a few large storage baskets and a few smaller baskets featuring prim wool labels.

With all this weaving, I have added only 1 new basket to my Etsy shop... 

Tonight I am going to sit and cross stitch until I go to bed - no more weaving today!

We are enjoying a wave of cooler weather - I hope you are too.  

~Ann

Take the Quiz....

If you took a trip to Shipshewana Indiana, home of the large Shipshewana Flea market, which group would you buy.......

A.

3 bouncy balls

1 squishy ball with annoying blinking light

1 pair of knock off sunglasses

1 very cool squirt gun (orange tube)

B.

same as choice A without any sunglasses and

this squishy ball's blinky light is defective 

C.

2 pairs of Fiskars scissors

2 packs of saw tooth picture frame holders

3 packs of eye hooks

8 tea cup hooks

Dremel sanding pads

2 shims for hammers

Hacksaw blades

D.

4 pieces of Pfaltzgraff Folk Art dishes

2 rusty jar lids

1 roll rusty wire

2 knock off Switch Flops straps 

If you said A, B or C you can go with me to the Flea Market anytime you want!  If you said D I will have to fight you for the Folk Art!

Our boys had never been to the Flea Market before so for about 3 hours today we walked the aisles of socks, tee-shirts, garden art, more socks, knock off purses, knock off sunglasses, Avon and more socks.  

Of course we had to let Dad shop at the vendors that had hardware store type stuff.  I do have to admit that I will benefit from most of what he bought - the picture frame holders and eye hooks for sure.

Shadow was glad that he didn't have to go....

Have a good week! ~Ann

P.S.  One of annoying blinky squishy balls just had the "handle" break off - good thing that's not what I bought!