Wool - more wool and Fun!

Last Thursday I went to the CREAM CITY RUG HOOK-IN in Milwaukee and enjoyed it so much - I know I will go to next years for sure.

My self, Kathleen Woodbury, Betty Pearce and her sister Karen Duncklee

were at the same table so it made the event even more special and

fun sitting with people you know.

I took several trips through  all the rooms with the vendors and just couldn't get

enough of all that wool and patterns!  It did overtake me and I bought way more

than I probably should have but it was so much fun!!!

We had treats throughout the

day, there were drawings all day long
and a wonderful box lunch was catered in.

The pictures were taken early on just after I arrived so it looks like there aren't many there but there were approx. 200 and it was spread out in 5 different rooms.

Betty Pearce, Me, Kathleen Woodbury, Karen Duncklee

I did purchase some wool - well, lots of wool and a very large pattern to hook from Red Barn Rugs.  If I ever do get to it and 'finish it', it will hopefully go above the fireplace.

 The colors are so rich.

It was nearing the end of the event and my number was drawn for a door prize!!!

The basket had 1/4 yard of wool, hooked heart pillow and a wool flower pin.

There were several ladies that brought their finished work to be voted on...this was one of the winners.  It was incredible up close...looked just like a painting. The detail was awesome.

We have a mama Robin that built her nest in the corner of our pickets right at the driveway - we have to disturb her every now and then if we get out of the car in the driveway instead of the garage. Silly thing has no protection from the rain (which it did for 4 days!)

I have a few new punch needle designs punched - still need to tweak the sheep one - I think I am taking out the blue in the flowers and punch them white like dandelions gone to seed.

They will go to the show as well.

The patterns will go on my sites soon.

Today I am working on cutting pennies for more penny rugs for the show - I guess that's what will keep me busy for the next few month getting things made up.

That's it for this week - hope to have more next week!

Thanks for visiting!

Karen

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Details for the show

IN THE SPIRIT OF FRIENDS

Folk Art/Antique/Primitives show

Saturday, September 23, 2017

10 - 4

Malabar Farm

Lucas, Ohio

This is held along with 'Heritage Days'

Many Colonial demonstrations as well as

modern day exhibits at the farm.

A bit of show and tell

Things are finally going to get back to normal around here -
I got the pins removed from my finger!

 Amazing how not being able to use the full capacity of ones hand
really makes so many things difficult, if not impossible.

But on to better things.

A couple weeks ago I decided to make a traditional early style penny rug for us...
after all these years we do not have one.

I love all the colors in this one and they will be stitched on a wool army blanket.

I laid the pennies in the order I wanted, then had to mark on the backs of each one the number in the spot they would go back on after I stitched the two pennies together.

I am really anxious to start stitching because the colors take on a deeper tone with the stitching - and those few bright gray ones will tone down considerably when stitched.

Last Friday we took a very long day trip to Arcola, IL to some Primitive Antique shows.

Everything in all 4 shows was so beautiful but sooo expensive.

The show we went mainly for was Homesteaders On The Prairie...a wonderful and affordable show plus we always see familiar faces there.

Among the ones we saw was Carolyn Thornton from Black Cat Primitives

 - she is always so upbeat and smiling!

Saw this sweet pillow she made and I thought it would look good on the guest bed -

tie it in with the old quilt at the bottom of the bed

Also found a long paddle I think a long tall snowman punch needle would look nice on. 

It isn't old but I loved the shape.

This homespun wool I thought would make a very neat looking sheep on a hooked piece

At one of the shows we saw 3 very nice Penny Rugs.

Would of loved the one on the wall but the price was too out of line.

I love the outline stitching on this one.

Cool Red/White/blue one

A couple weeks ago we went up to Fox & Fork where I consign at

and they had a whole tub of graters and such - love the little hand scrub board.

Going to mount punch needle on these at some point.

I imagine with the new year that started many of you made a resolution to eat healthy.

We did but haven't been too good at following it like we should but now and then

we do and last night I made a delicious stir fry and it's probably

one of the easiest and healthiest dishes you could eat.

Do you find you make enough to feed a whole table of people?

Seems no matter what I make after all these years of just the two of us

I can't seem to cut back on the ingredients and make a ton of it.

Tonight we go over to UW Whitewater for granddaughter Emily's band concert.

We haven't seen her in several weeks and we'll also celebrate her 19th birthday.

We are so proud of Em - she received another scholarship last week and also got a job for the summer at the Kenosha, WI museum for Public History which is her major.

I'll close now - as again I never know when to stop writing 😊

Blessings to you all and thanks for stopping by

Karen

Fall Greetings!

So - we had lots of HOT weather and then FALL came,..but ONLY for 3 days. Now we're back to the heat and humidity.
I so want to get my fall things out but the feeling just isn't there.
Plus...we are making gourd garlands and sweet potato garlands in the dining room and I can't see beyond that at the moment.

Hope some of you are feeling fall and I think you are from the pictures I see on FB.

Not too much has happened since last month when I posted but I'll put a few pictures on just so I get a post in this month being it's half over with already

Last month I showed you a picture of some finds - well I found more!
I love butter paddles for mounting my punch needle and rug hooking on.  I really got lucky last month at the Elkhorn, WI flea market...I scored on a few.
Most were in ruddy shape as far as the patina so I cleaned all of the ones I had - stained them and then put tung oil on and now they are gorgeous!
So now it's punching time.  Most will have Christmas or Winter designs.

This is what most of the paddles looked like

(I showed you them last month)

I did finish a punch needle although it isn't a holiday design.

I'm either going to make a med. size pillow or mount it on a basket...just can't decide.

I do need to make the 8 and 9 brighter first though.

It has become one of my favorite pieces so far.

It is a great size too - 9-1/2 x 6-1/2

It's called MORNING CHATTER 

by Jan Goos - Goos Nest

Okay - this just isn't like me to do this but I got lazy or maybe just 'casual'....

We have family dinner night the first Wed. of each month but with summer everyone had something going on so for this month I asked everyone that could make it 

to come here and we'd have a casual easy hot dog supper.

It went over big...we had hot dogs (chili dogs), french fries, tuna pasta salad, fruit

and brownies for dessert.  Even ate off of paper plates, why not, right?

Our son Brett and granddaughter Emily were the only ones who couldn't make it this time.

There was a 3 yr., two 4 yr. and one 8 yr. old and after we ate they

must have had to run off some steam because there was

a running screaming session happening - maybe too much sugar!

Being we're making garlands this week and next we have been looking for natural

things to put with the gourds and sweet potatoes.

We got some Buckeye's from a cousin. Never really knew how they grew before this.

I love how beautiful and shiny the surface is on them - they look like mahogany.

Some pods had 2 and 3 nuts in them.

So the dining room table is set up to get started making gourd garlands,

I need to soak the bay leaves yet so they are pliable and won't snap when we string them on.

Doug drilled holes in everything yesterday so I guess we are set to start tomorrow!!!

I am taking them to a couple shops by me to sell but if anyone wants either the gourd garland or sweet potato garland email me.

I will get details to you - and they will most likely be on my other blog.

My sweet Niece Tina let us cut some corn stalks so they are drying in the screen room until we can tie them up outside.

Thanks Tina!!!

That's all for this week - time to get ready to meet a former co-worker for lunch!

Happy week everyone - and COME ON FALL!!!

Karen

Simply Fall!

Oh yes – Fall is finally here and I am in my glory.
The days are what I call PERFECT for here in the Midwest – typical temps are in the mid 70’s. I doesn’t get much better than that for me.

This past weekend was a busy one.
We left Friday for Michigan to a Primitive/Antique show - Harvest At The Mill .  It was hosted by Dawn and Dick Rossell from Holly Hills Primitives blog:  http://hollyhillsprimitives.blogspot.com/

We got to meet some friends as well as help another friend get her booth organized.  Had so much fun but totally worn out and hurt from too much bending and standing/walking – but the end results were worth it.

We got to see Marie Morgan from:   http://primitivesbyoldeladymorgan.blogspot.com/ 
She always has such cute Pumpkins and Jacks as well as her Primitive dolls.
We found a sweet little pumpkin to go with all the other ones we have purchased from her.

Isn’t that the most innocent face for a pumpkin?

Sweet friend Earlene Landis - http://earlene-primitivepassiondecorating.blogspot.com/

Huge bunches of Bittersweet from Earlene’s booth.

 

And our friends Teri and Joe Merle from Carriage:  http://www.chltin.com/

A few of the purchases

 

 

 

 

And Two Teresa Kogut punch needles

 

And a gorgeous stack of wool from Never Enough Wool.

Sunday and Monday we did a bit of Fall decorating – not much though.
I mostly use Bittersweet , Pumpkins and gourds.
The dining room looks like a pumpkin patch!

I’ll put a couple pictures on but the rest will be in another post later this week.

 

Happy Fall and thanks for stopping by

Karen