The week that was!

For the first time I am posting on my blog with no pictures. This has not been a good week for me. A week ago Sunday I carried a lot of heavy things and apparently hurt my leg in the process. I didn't realize that anything was wrong until I woke up Monday and walking was so painful. It is getting better but I still can't walk any distance without being in pain. I'm finding that the heating pad and tylenoal are a girls best friend.

I have not attended any of my usual hooking groups this past week. However, I have been giving a lot more thought to the unfinished pieces and have begun to work on the small floral pillow top. I have finished the "parkay" floor on my black and white piece as well as the little girl in the chair. I started the top of the piece with what I hoped would be simulated wall paper - I tried several designs - all looked terrible to me. Sooooo, the piece is resting until such time as it tells me what it needs. I do believe that as I am hooking, a rug often tells me what to do next. I hope that this one can talk!

In the mean time, the deck that I had planned for such a long time is being built on my home. It is really going to be a beauty. Later I will post before and after pictures. I want to wait until it is completely finished. Hopefully only another day or two. I am looking forward to hooking on the deck with my coffee in hand.

I envy the fact that Kathy has cleaned her hooking room. It is one of my goals to get my room in order before I start teaching again this fall. At this time nothing has been done but at least I have some ideas about changing the situation and I have thrown away enough things to make some space in the spare bedroom that can be used for storage. I can't believe that it is almost August already - summer has flown by.

An aside - TO BETH - I found your new gardening blog and love it. Keep up the good work but don't stop hooking. I hope that you encourage Jill to finish the pieces she has started. I think that she doesn't know what a nice job she is doing. It must be great to have a sister!

I hope that each and everyone of you is having a great summer - hope to see all of my friends at the Grant Street hook-ins. Until then - bless you one and all.
Doris

ANOTHER FUN DAY AT GRANT STREET -

Thursday is a day to look forward too. So much fun hooking with the group at Grant Street Woolworks! I am ever amazed at the wonderful things that Linda Keller has managed to stock her shop with. If I do nothing but look at all of the "goodies" I have had a good day.

For instance, look at this little gem. Bees wax molded in the shape of a lamb. If your frame swivels, you need bees wax to keep it swiveling smoothly. A neat and inexpensive hooking tool!

One of the shelves holding a myrid of goodies. Plates, sheep, dolls and lots of smalls that all of us ladies like to pick through.

And then there is Linda herself. Always a lot of fun with a lot of ideas to spur on your hooking.

In the background of the picture above, is Jill and her neighbor's daughter Lacy. Lacy is 7 or 8 (not sure which) and interested in learning to hook. Linda fixed a heart on burlap for her and gave her a hooking lesson. How nice it was to see a young person so interested. After all, all of old hookers have a responsibility to keep the art form alive and what better way than to share with the children. These young people are our future. Not only in the art world but in the geopolitical world. We need to give them as much help as possible.

This rug is one of Jill's unfinished projects. She brought it because she is disatisfied with it. She thought that the background was terrible and it was "puckered" because she had hooked it so tight. I suggested to her that all it needed was a good steaming and to be finished. Linda heard the conversation and took the rug into her sewing room and steamed it with her professional steamer. The result was amazing. Jill was very surprised at the difference that steaming can make. An aside to Jill - you must stop comparing your rug to a similar one - after all each hooker has a different concept of how a rug should be done. Your use of color in this rug is excellent. Since you are a fairly new hooker, you don't seem to realize what a good job you are doing. When it is finished, this rug is going to be a beauty.

Kathy, Jill, and Lacy discussing the proper way to use a Townsend cutter.

Linda is showing Patti how to use Crack. Unfortunately, I got only Linda in the picture. But believe me, Patti is sitting on the other side of the table and Linda has the roll of Crack in her hand.

Patti is working on her project for the ATHA Guild's "purple swap." She is way ahead of the game on this piece. I have a design in mind but haven't even put it on the backing. It's due at the September meeting in Boonsboro. Better get on the ball.

This is Jen. Jen is visiting her sister. Jen lives in China where she has resided for the past 6 years. She said that she wanted to do something exciting when she graduated from college and she landed in China. She teaches science classes in an international school. It was a joy to have her join us for part of the day. A delightful person also interested in hooking.

On Monday, Linda and her family are off on a two week trip across country. We all wish them a wonderful trip - so no hook-in for the next two weeks.

In the meantime the Gettysburg group meets next Monday and the Boonsboro ATHA chapter meets Aug. 1. Always something to do.

For myself, I am looking forward to a week of staying home and working on my present project and perhaps getting my purple swap started. Until my next posting - keep hooking.

Quote of the day -

A hug is like a boomerang - you get it back right away!

Bil Keene

UNFINISHED PROJECTS - A MESSY HOOKING ROOM!!!

My hooking room is a mess! I have been trying to decide what to do to make it a more pleasant place to work. Wish I had wall expanders - I suppose all hookers wish for the same thing. In the process of deciding what to do, I took stock of my unfinished projects. When I got to 12 I decided to stop counting. So pictured below are a few things standing in line awaiting their turn. A small pictorial of Noah's ark. This portion was started by my daughter Kris and I intend to finish her work.

A floral chair seat. I have 4 Queen Anne chairs that need new seat covers.

A view of a 5 x 7 foot rug that is 75% finished. This is a beautiful rug pattern. One of Pearl McGown's best.

A second view of the same rug. It is called Ayer's Antique.

Another of McGown's beautiful patterns. A 3 x 5 foot rug with only one corner done. I have completed most of the middle which is a shadowed leaf design.

A small floral piece to be mounted on a tote bag.

A large pictorial, 3 x 5 Quail Hill design, with lots of work to be done yet. This is a scene of New York in the 1820's.

A small sampling of the work before me. Of course, I am still working on my black and white project. It is about at the half way mark. I am sure that many hookers are in the same position. We all seem to get enthused about a project and low and behold! another project comes along. It is time to stop creating new projects and get many of the old ones finished. I have cut down on going to hook-in's this summer in order to stay at home and work on some of these projects. Can one live long enough - question of the day???

And now to another subject. All of his life, my grandson Richard, has wanted an English Bull Dog. His wife and girls got together for father's day and you guessed it - along came a darling 4 month old puppy. Her name is Roxanna Grace (big moniker for such a little pup) and believe me with those big paws, she is anything but graceful.

She is the newest member of the clan but according to her she is as big as any dog around!

The happy owner with his new baby. Enough said!

Quote of the day -

The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue -

Unknown

RAMBLINGS OF MY MIND -

It's time to catch up on a few things. I decided some time ago to take the summer off. No teaching - no workshops until fall. I must admit that I am enjoying this time to myself. Part of the reason for taking the summer off is I have to many unfinished projects. Yet I had the nerve to start a new project!!! I am a hooking nut!

Thought I should give you an update on the new project. Most of the black is done. Now I'm working on the white part of this black and white experiment. I realized that with so much background I had to make it work for me so I decided to do a "parkay" type floor. This picture shows the starting of the floor and how I marked the floor out hoping to get it straight. ?

This is how the piece is coming along as of Sunday night. I have had three days to hook. No interuptions or demands to do anything. I am not a fireworks fan so a peaceful 4th was a welcome treat for me.

A week ago Sunday I went to a social hook-in at Beth's in Boonsboro. A few pictures to show what went on at that hook-in. Everyone brought something to work on but I have yet to see anyone hooking. Lots of talking and eating!

Linda and Barb in the kitchen, of course.

Sandy surveying the good eats.

Jill, Linda and Carol eating and talking. The best parties always wind up in the kitchen.

Jack and Barb discussing something in the doorway to the lovely screened porch.

In addition, the only other social thing I have done is go to the day long hook-in at the Grant Street Wool Works last Thursday. It was a real fun time. I enjoyed the company of all who were there including Pat's husband Jig's.

I looked at the calendar this morning and was surprised to see that there were no Doctors appointments or pressing engagements this week. That means that I can get more hooking done this week which really pleases me. Today is errand day, groceries, drug store, etc. I must go to the grocery or Eloise will rebel - she is out of cookies!

Quote of the day-

Anger is the feeling that makes your mouth work faster than you mind

Evan Esar

Have a wonderful week, everyone.

Doris

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY -


Here it is the 4th and Eloise and I find ourselves ready to celebrate this wonderful day. How grateful we are to the founding fathers for giving us such freedom. When we look at the rest of the world we know how lucky we are.

We plan to spend a quiet day just enjoying our freedom's and the beautiful weather that mother nature has gifted us with.

We hope that each of you has the opportunity to enjoy this holiday with friends and loved ones and that you give thanks to our brave soldiers for keeping our freedom's alive.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!!