Wednesday, December 31, 2014

~*Ending 2014*~

Hello Dear Friends!

I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year!  Please, if you are going to be out and about celebrating tonight... be safe!  Make 2015 be Happier, Healthier, and Brighter than ever!

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I am ending the year with some 'For Me' projects... 

This morning while enjoying a warm cup (or 2 or 3) of yummy coffee... I crocheted these Fingerless Gloves.  Nope, I am not a talented crocheter!  My gloves are kind of sad really.  However, they were fun to make!  I will let my Momma and Sister continue to marvel and shine with their quality crochet!  My dear buddy, Ginger, shared her finished gloves on her blog... and that gave me the fever to give 'em a try... 


I found the pattern HERE if you would like to make some of your own!  *SMILES*  And I am sure yours will look as nice as the ones finished by the talented crochet artist that gave the pattern... and not the sad, but still wearable ones I made.  *GRIN*

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Locker Hooking is a medium introduced to me about 10 years ago.  My Mister bought me my first kit... and it started my journey into rug hooking.  The supplies had long been boxed and abandon... but last week... they were dug out.

I made this rug during the hustle and bustle of the Christmas Season... it was just finished the other  night...


My plans were to make it for our laundry room... to sit in front of the washer and dryer.  However, it has ended up in our living room.  Placed in front of the cabinet that holds our TV.  I enjoy looking at it and love the spark of 'color'.

The rug is about 58 inches long and about 20 inches wide!  

After the locker hooking was complete, the edges were finished with a crochet touch.  (Yup, more crochet!  However, this one is super easy!).  I used black rug yarn (purchased from my buddy Ginger!) with just a single crochet around the edge... 1 in each square of the latch hook canvas... 3 single crochets in each corner.


Locker Hooking is done on Latch Hook Canvas using a special needle... one with a crochet hook on one end and a yarn needle on the other...


If you would like to know more information about Locker Hooking... visit Ginger's blog.  On the sidebar she has a link for all her Tutorials... she has a 3 part one just for this craft!  She is my buddy... and super talented too!


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My locker hook rug was made of 1 inch wide strips of cotton and polycotton fabric.  I have a HUGE TOTE full!!!  This photo was taken AFTER MY RUG WAS FINISHED!
 

So these fabrics have another purpose in the works... my next project will be on my Weaving Loom....


This is the one and only woven rug I have made using my loom...  It is made of strips of old, tatter, and torn quilt strips...


Before we moved (over a year ago)... I measured out warp threads for a project.  BUT... that project was never started... and the threads were not moved well from our old home to our new home... and were very tangled...  I didn't want to waste them though!

I was on a mission!  And, after over 4 back~breaking hours last night... the loom did get threaded!  It is now ready for weaving! 


So... ending 2014... I will be working on another rug on my weaving loom!

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

Monday, December 22, 2014

~*Merry Christmas*~

Hello Dear Friends!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas... with peace, love, and joy!  And may your New Year be brighter and cheerful, and full of smiles!

We have our gifts wrapped... purchased and made... and are ready to settle down with our loved ones.  Before we begin our festivities here though... I wanted to give you a little something...

~*Forever*~ Freebie 

96 by 34 stitches

This is a simple freebie... use scraps of fibers and floss.  I was thinking it might be sweet to work into a drum pinkeep... but maybe you are already seeing a different stitched finish.

Please, enjoy... and have fun stitching!  And remember... Valentine's Day is now just around the corner!

Wishing you warm smiles of joy and cheer!

Betty


Thursday, December 18, 2014

~*Primitive Handmades Mercantile UPDATE!*~

Hello Dear Friends!

I have been making a HUGE mess in my craft room... really ~ snippets of paper, fabrics, and threads are everywhere.  I have been a crafting fool... getting ready for the update on Primitive Handmades Mercantile TONIGHT at 8pm Central... and trying to finish some Christmas presents.  

The items for the update a finished... and ready to hit the ACTIVE button online tonight... and the Christmas presents are almost finished.

Here is a little preview of one of my items for the update this evening...

There are four ditties for this update.  Please swing by to check them out.

CLICK HERE to visit Primitive Handmades Mercantile... but remember... items aren't updated until 8pm Central!

As for my Christmas presents... I will take pictures, but can't share them until after they are gifted.

Ok... I'm off to grab the broom and do some clean up!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

Saturday, December 6, 2014

~*Rustic Rugs Hook~In*~

Hello Dear Friends!

Today was a fun day!  Hooking with friends and kindred spirits at Judy Cripps' home!  Judy is Rustic Rugs... I'm sure you are familiar with her!  She is always such a great hostess and a super~awesome rug hooker!... and the house is always full of talented rug hookers.

Judy has a shop set up in her basement...  that is stocked with great wools and fabulous patterns!

And the food is ALWAYS divine!!!

I took this project with me.... it is one that was started just last night.  (Yes!  It is worked that fast!)  I worked on it at the 1st Friday Event at Fairlawn Plaza Mall between chatting with shoppers.  It is a simple snowman that is punched (with my Amy Oxford #10 rug punch)... using some multi~colored, hand~dyed wool yarn.  I took it along to the hook~in today to finish the punching... which I did.

However, I thought the snowman was too bright... so tonight, I gave it a coffee bath.  It is now drying... and will be constructed into a stand~up, weighted snowman with stick arms... and some type of decoration down his front.  I will share more of him later...


I knew the punching of the snowman wouldn't fill the day... so I purchased this simple kit from Judy  (Yes!  I purchased a bunch of wool too!)... a fat rooster.  I worked on him the remainder of the day... and finished hooking him after returning home this evening... 


I don't know for sure how to finish my rooster... a pillow?  just whip the edges?  maybe some penny tongues around it?  Hmmmm... I'll have to ponder that for a bit.

Like I said earlier in this post... last night was 1st Friday.  Here are some snaps of my tables...

It was another fun night!  I love to meet and mingle with such friendly folks!  Talking with them about my wares... and how they are made.  I would like to think I have inspired some to dive into the arts of needlepunch, rug punch, and rug hooking!

Okay... off to steam my rooster!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

~*Lucky ME!*~

Hello Dear Friends!

I want to give Jeremy & Emily of Prairie School Farms a BIG THANK YOU!!!  


They recently hosted a giveaway on their blog and Facebook page... and I was one of the winners!  YAH ME!!!

My prize arrived today ~ a 200 yard bundle of 100% Alpaca wool!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this yarn!  It is the right size to fit through my Cameo Ultra Punch Needle (medium needle)... and because it is Alpaca wool... it is dye-able!  Lucky ME!!!  Right?!?!

I'm excited to get it dyed up and get to punching!!!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

~*1st Friday is Coming!*~

Hello Dear Friends!

 

Yes, this Friday evening at Fairlawn Plaza Mall... it will be Merry and Bright!  I'm so happy to be invited back for another fun evening!  Please come visit for the festivities and fun... and bring a can (or cans!) of soup to help replenish the Salvation Army Food Bank!  

We would love to see you!  I would love to see you!

Here are a few finished ditties I will have with me...
 Do you see the punched sunflower bowl above?  That WAS a nut bowl like the one in the photo below.  The tool holder has been removed... and I punched up the sunflower for a little fun!  

I have stockings, ornaments, snowman pins, purses, coasters... and MANY other things waiting patiently for me to finish...
 The little punched sheep mat is a pattern from the awesome Julie Thomas of Old Tattered Flag called, "The Wishing Star"... it is a fun, and free pattern she offered.  I didn't hook the star because I have a rusty, tin one to use in its place.  I'll share the finished mat soon.  The hearts will be some funky, mug rugs...
Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty