Weekend Works!

This weekend was rainy again, so we took a day off and I worked a bit on my painting and finally finished a rug. I made it a few years ago and forgot all about it, so I got the binding on, this weekend. It is a design by Maria of Star Rug Company. A friend sent it to me and it was a fun one to do.

I used wool yarn roving for the bunny and old thrifts for the background. I bound the edge with an off white rug yarn. It has been a while since I did a rug, my edge is a bit wobbly looking. It is 14.5" x 11".

Sunday was another threat of rain and it did rain a bit in the morning, and the weatherman said we would be a break mid day. So, we headed to the beach and of course it started to rain, but once we got to the beach, it stopped. It was even a little warmer and it was full low tide, so we spent a few hours, combing the beach.

We didn't get as many larger pieces of glass, as last time, but I grabbed lots of little stones to play with. Now I have enough to make a few art pieces. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This week I have a new free pattern from Cheri on her Facebook Group and I will try and finish my painting.

Braided Rug Finished!

I finished my rug this weekend, at least as far as I wanted to go on it. It was done with thrift wools and smaller braids so I just wanted to use what I had and make a smaller rug with it. The braided rug was done  years ago, so it is a bit worn, but with the scrappy wools, it all goes together.

We have had rain for days so I wasn't able to get an outside photo. There are so many shades in the wools it is hard to get the camera to recognize all of them and get true colors, but I got pretty close. The finished size is 39" round. Too small for some areas and too big for others, so I put it in front of a table, for now.

The center going from light to darker the way it did, offset the look of the circle and I am not great at ending my braids, still working on that technique.

Here is a closer look so you can see the colors and textures I used in the rug. Men's jackets make great braided rugs and hold up well.

Noah's Ark Rug!

I finally finished my rug, I got all of the outside hooking done today. It is a good sized rug, 36" x21". Mine is an inch wider than the actual, guess I over hooked as usual;) It was a kit by Mad Hen Primitives and came with all of the wools precut. I did not have enough to finish the background and went a bit lighter. I like how it came out, looks like someone who used what they had to make a rug and gives it a more primitive look.

Since I tend to be a bit tight in my hooking, it curls a bit. I lay the rug on a towel and then use another towel, that I dampen and place that on the rug. I use a steam iron and steam it until it lays flat, but it still needs more. I will wait till I bind it, then I will re-steam it, before I hang it.

I lightened it up a bit, so you could see the details.

Fixes, Felines and Progress!

I was so upset that I ruined my piece, so I worked some more on it, a bit of bleach stick and a few washing in dish detergent and I washed all the red out. I stained it more heavily, thinking the red would remain and that would cover it, but I guess I didn't need so much. Now it is very prim, which is ok too. The threads are from Laura at ArtFabrik and she will be doing a posting about her threads and bleed throughs, so if you are not already, Laura's site is worth adding to your blogger list. She has lots of wonderful tutorials and inspiration. The design can be found at Elin's Kreative Side, in the side bar that lists freebies.

And...I worked some more on my Noah's ark rug. There was not enough in the kit to fill in the background, so I am using some of my tan/browns which are darker than the photo that comes with the kit, but still works nicely. The design is by Tonya of Mad Hen Primitives.

Today I had the fun of chasing two kitties who made a great escape. The builders didn't shut the doors all the way in the basement and moki, who is too smart for his own good, opened them. Luckily I was on the porch when I saw two black kitties go running across the yard. Moki was easy to get, he stays still, but Izzy kept running, so I had to crawl through some bushes to get her. Other than that, she plays the sweet little kitty who likes to sleep in objects not meant for cats.

Kitty Helpers and Rug Progress!

I started cleaning up the christmas decorations, a bit at a time and of course the kitties have to help. Nothing like a plastic bag to amuse them.

And once Moki got bored of playing, Izzy had to try it out. Then Moki went into his stalker mood and Izzy did her screaming routine until he stopped harassing her.

And I worked on my rug, the tree is done and two birds. I ran out of colors, think I used the wrong ones in the wrong places, but that is ok. I will work the background from the outside and inside the motifs. That way if I run out of colors, I can substitute easier.

Giveaway... Merry Christmas!

I want to extend a Happy Christmas and a Happy Chanukah to all of my online friends.
I hope you are all well and with family and friends and may the new year bring blessings to you all.
I feel blessed to be able to call all of you my friends.

I decided to do a Valentine theme for the giveaway, it is right around the corner.
The winner will receive my little valentine quilt, some of my hand dyed thrift wool, fat quarters and a little cross stitch kitty. A second winner will receive a choice of any two of my epatterns. The giveaway starts tonight and ends on sunday, at midnight, eastern time. I will announce the winners on Monday, the 26th.

So what do you need to do to enter? First, this is for followers only, new followers are always welcome.
Tell me what crafts you like to do and what types of patterns you would like to do, but can never find, and would like to see. What themes or subjects would you like to see.

I wanted to show you a really special set that my friend Kelley sent me for Christmas. She hooked this pillow set and I just love it, so different and unique. I put it up with my kitties for now, but after the holidays, I will do a nice display with it.

And today was one of those days that I should not have tried something new, my brain is mush. I wanted to make an ipad case that opens but my first attempt didn't work, so I went with a simple case for now, and still made a mess, lol. It just fits, guess I wasn't watching my seam lines;) The fun kitty fabric is a prize from Barbara of Cat Patches. She has been having fun friday giveaways and I was the lucky winner of a book and this fabric. And you can guess what is in it, my early Christmas present;)

For Sale: Primitive Easter Set

I have decided that ebay is not the way to go. Not only do they take a chunk out of sales, they now want to tack a fee onto shipping, as well. I charge exact shipping, so why should I pay a fee for that? I do not understand their reasoning.

So, I am offering my Easter pieces as a set. This will include the hooked rug, the punch needle and the cross stitch piece.
The rug is 15" x 9 1/2", the punch needle is 7 1/2 x 4 1/2 and the cross stitch pillow is 4 1//2 x 3 1/2. This is nice if you would like matching pieces for a display or you can keep one and give the others as gifts. I think it would also look wonderful in an antique doll setting. If you are interested, you can email me with questions. I have it listed on my ecrater site.



The price is 140.00 for the set, which includes shipping and insurance, priority mail.
The rug is done with hand dyed wools and whipped with lopi yarn. I sewed the excess backing onto the back of the rug and added a cotton ticking backing as a cover. I have also added the new single pattern to the side panel. This is for both versions of the pattern, no instructions or color charts.

Also, for the rest of the week, until Sunday April 3, buy one pattern and get one of equal or less value, for free. Just order one pattern and put your free choice in the comment box.



And today it is Izzy's turn. Izzy loves bags and decided to make a little hut out of my bag and use the bolt of fusible as her bed.
When she decided to use it as a scratching post, I decided it was time to put it away;)

Rabbit and Chick Hooked Rug: Giveaway continues

I finished my newest piece today. I just had to try the design in a hooked rug and love how it came out.
Of course I took night photos, so hard to capture the primitive colors without getting a lot of contrast from the flash.

I used recycled and new wools and mixed in colors and textures to give it an antique look.
I also realized that the chick needed a flower, so I added one in this piece.
Now I need to do up the pattern for the new pieces. It will contain all 3 versions that I did.
This will be the pattern for the giveaway, but if you are not into easter things, the winner can have their choice from any of my patterns.

I sat it with some of my easter items, the rug will be for sale this weekend. I really need to sand down that bench and prim it up. What i really want is for my husband to build me a bucket bench, to put there;) I got some of my yellow camel hair wool to try some chicks with, for bunny. We shall see how they turn out. I have been having fun reading your comments and seeing the names you have picked out for her.



Here is a closer version. I used wool yarn to border the edge.



And last but not least, I know how much you love kitty pictures. Dora is so jealous of moki, she does not like me to love anyone but her, so I have to love Moki and Izzy when she isn't looking. So tonight is Dora the queen's turn;) She does know how to look cute, when she wants.

New Punch Needle: Easter Cat and Chick

I decided to remake the rabbit into a kitty, for all of the kitty lovers.
I gave this one a different background and still keep the antique look.
I will be offering the pattern for the two designs, next week.
I think this would be really fun to hook up, too.
It looks great with a basket of primitive eggs.

Antique Cat and Dog

I decided to make a pattern for the reproduction rug that I made.
I made it for a group project and thought my viewers and pattern buyers might like to make this piece too and at a reduced price. I am offering it for only 3.00. You will get a jpeg file with a photo of the rug and the pattern itself. You can use it as is, or reduce it for punch, or enlarge for a rug, it is up to you. There are no instructions or color charts with this item.

A great design and project if you are looking for something new to do this weekend. You can find the pattern at my eCRATER site or at the link on the left.

Let me know what you think of patterns like this, simple but for less.
Or do you prefer the full pdf files? With patterns that I do in punch, I have to do larger files to include color charts and instructions, but if you like the idea of patterns for less, let me know and i can do more in the future.

This is the rug that I made, before I trimmed and and cleaned it up. I have it on my floor, but it gets heavy traffic, so needs a good clean and some rehooking from kitty claws.

Christmas is Coming! Last Day of Giveaway!

Is it just me, or does Christmas come faster each year;)
I was all set to make some new wall hangings for myself and ended up throwing out my ribs again.
So, I am stuck on the couch most of the time, waiting for the pain to stop and making little stitched pillows.
I can't wait till l can get up and decorate and finish off my pieces with on the sewing machine.

This is something I made for our swap on our ebay group, USAPRIM. We were giving two designs and could hook or punch the piece. I got a kitty lover, so I made the kitty and some matching pillows. This was a fun one to do.



"Now what was I supposed to remind you about"? "Tomorrow is the last day of the giveaway and my mom is going to pick a name, tomorrow night. So, if you haven't left a comment, you have until 10pm, tomorrow night to get a chance at winning a CSN gift certificate. The contest is below."

Giveaway Tomorrow!

Hi, this is Moki. Mom asked me to do her blog since she is siCk.
She is stuck on the couch, so I am entertaining Dora and Izzy for her and have been enjoying, reArranging the rugs.
Thought she could use a laugh, what do you think of my panther impression?
Stay tuned, tomorrow their will be a giveaway for followers, new followers arT welcome to join in too!



She also wanted to show everyone her new goodies that she got from Ginger, for theiR ebay group, AAPG. I think they are winderful, and what fun we will have, when she hangs them:)



Forgive the typos, try tYping with these!

Hooking and Punching

This week I made two pieces, the first, a hooked mat.
I wanted to make something for Christmas that could be used as a trivet to hold a holiday dish.
It can also be hung, but I think it would look wonderful on the buffet table with your favorite dish.
Both pieces are done with designs by Primitive Blessings. They will be up for sale tomorrow.
Hopefully I can get some better photos. I took quick photos for tonight, so it came out a bit bright, especially the nose.



The second piece is a punched primitive snowman. I used 3 strands for the majority of the design and 6 strands for the pants and background. I love the scrappy look, it gives the piece. I like the idea of having some taller pieces to mix in with the basic square pillows.

Amish girl and kitty rug and punch

I finished off my pieces and I think they look better than the first time I showed them to you;)
I will need to fix a few things, things you don't notice at first glance, but the camera shows things you might miss.
I changed the kitty to a lighter shade so he shows up. I wanted to do the whiskers on the outside of the hooking, but wasn't sure if they would stay in, so I went with hooking them. I fixed her face too, so she didn't look so lopsided and depressed, but I need to fix the mouth again.



This is the companion piece. I decided to sell them as a set. I think it looks better aged, do you?
I will be listing them on ebay tomorrow, but I am willing to take offers if anyone is interested in buying them before I list them.
The pictures did not come out well, so I will do more tomorrow for the listing, hopefully outside in the shade and the true look will come through.

Oldie but Goodie!

I finally went into my old computer and got the picture of this rug. I guess I should take new pictures, this really doesn't show how nice the colors are. I used a lot of plaids and tweeds in this piece and a variety of blue shades for the background. I find that a lot of people cannot see some photos, they are too dark, or the colors are off. How does the photo look to you?

Her face and hands are a shade I hand dyed, I call ghastly green, but they do look gray on my screen. The rest of the colors look true to me, but some shades like the dress has what looks like splotches, since the camera tends to pick those out, but it is more blended.

The piece is 28 1/2 x 14" long and I am taking offers on this one. It was made in 2005 and never used on the floor. I did have it hanging on the wall for awhile, but it is in new condition. The pattern for this rug can be found in my spellbound booklet at ecrater. The piece is a one of a kind, this was made as a whimsical folk art piece. The pattern does not contain the saying.

Ghost Rider Hand Hooked Rug

I have not finished anything in the past few days, I have been fighting a bug or something, what else is new, lol.
I have been keeping busy, most need finishing and a couple are secret projects that I am working on for the magazine.
I decided to try selling my Ghost Rider again. This is a beautiful rug and I would love to see it go to a good home. My home is not good for rugs, my animals are terrors and I am always reworking them and this piece deserves better;)

This is my own original design, made from dyed and specialty wools, that I made just for this piece. The purple was the hardest color to get, it is much nicer in person. I had to dye it three times to get the right shade. I have it on ebay tonight if you are interested in owning one of my rugs. The rug measures 32" x24".

Hand hooked stair tread

We have the stairs in, though we still need to finish painting the risers and the the edges.
I need treads and the poor dog cannot get up and down until we do.
So, I thought, I can hook some. I made one as a test. It took me four days to finish it all.
This is not a good idea, lol. I love the look, but with the time it takes and my joints swelling from non stop hooking, I decided to go and buy some instead.

You can see what I came up with though. It might be nice in the future, maybe I will hook one, once in awhile and set them aside for when we need to replace the braided ones I got. This is the entrance to our house and also the stairs to the cellar, so hooked mats might not be the best idea for this area.

I went with a simple design and a bit of a hit or miss look on the inside. I used a thrift wool for the lighter fills, it was a plaid with blues and other colors in it, nice effect for a light background.



I tried one outdoors without the flash, but got a blue cast to it. I tweaked it a bit in photoshop, but gives a more straight on shot. Now I will have to decide what to do with this one. That is a cat in the middle, in case you couldn't tell. I took it from a cookie cutter shape, I had seen on the web.

Happy Easter

I am working on this and that, as usual, so nothing new to show today.
I received a photo from Loretta Moore and thought I would share it with you.
She made a hooked pillow from my free bunny pattern, as a baby gift.
What a beautiful piece and such vibrant and rich colors. Would love to steal some of her wool stash;)

Finished Birds Hooked Rug

I finished my rug tonight and now I wish I had kept going on the border.
I had more room to fit it on the bench and that would have given me plain space to put objects on, without covering the birds.
But, it is smaller than I wanted, so I need to find a new place for it.
At the moment, my dog is sick, so nothing is going on the floor. I have a few outside in the rain and a few that got hand washed.
I think this one will make a nice wall hanging and being long and thinner, it will give contrast to other shapes on the wall.

Here is the wool that I used for the border. I only took the dark brown parts to use around the edge and a few of the lighter ones.
I can always use the lighter colors in another rug.



And here is the wool yarn that I used for the edge. I like how it varied and matched the border.



And here is the rug. Not the best photo, but you can get the idea of how it all looks together. It really has nice rich hues in it, so good for a light or dark area. I did a quick steam press, so it still needs a better ironing to relax the edges. The rug pattern is by Maria, of Star Rug Company.

Snow Cleaning a Hooked Rug

Someone asked on our rug hooking group, if anyone had snow and could do pictures on using snow to clean a hooked rug.
I have dirty rugs in my kitchen, so thought I would give it a try. The problem was, even with a cloudy day, the photos got washed out, but it gives you an idea on how it works.

I took the rug I use in front of the sink, it is dirty, spills and that overall dull grime look.



I laid the rug, face down in the snow and left it there for three hours. Not only did it remove dirt, but the cold snow lifted the hairs off as well. I think if it was left out all day, you could get more dirt off. Also, make sure the snow is cold, not on a warm day when it is melting, or your rug will be soaked. This way, I just hung it on a rack and the next morning it was dry. I have also heard that you can use snow and lightly brush the rug to remove dirt. The end picture came out too bright, but the next day, I could see the difference and the rug looks a lot better. It is hard to see, but there is more dirt and hair, than shows in the photo.