IT's HERE -

Altho today is cloudy and a promise of rain is in the air, I'm comvinced that spring has arrived. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day with a bit of chill in the air but just perfect for working outside. This clump of daffadils is just one of several located in the front yard. Depending on how much sun they have received they are in different stages of bloom throughout the yard. A sure harbenger of spring.

I love this one. It is one of many under the pine trees and has this beautiful orange cup.

The cleanup began yesterday. This is Richard raking out the Iris bed along with his helper. After raking was completed, they spread 25 bags of mulch. Just a beginning as less than half of the beds were covered.

Danyel raking along beside Richard wearing her brand new "Frostburg" sweat shirt. She is off to Frostburg this fall and we shall miss her smile and sense of humor on a daily basis.

These flats contain Brussel Sprouts and Kahlrobai both of which got planted yesterday. It is always good to get the garden started. I did not walk down to see but Richard tells me that the peach tree is ready to burst its blooms. I know that the Magnolia tree in the front yard is ready to bloom. The outer shells of the blossoms have receded and the beautiful deep pink of the bloom is visible.

Mr. Tree continues to overlook the front yard. He seems to get "craggier" every year. There is a special charm about his look as he seems to be the foreman of it all!

In the meantime, Eloise is enjoying the sunny days immensely. She loves to lay in the sunshine. All week long she has been taking sun baths on the deck and has been reluctant to come in. All is right in her world as it is in mine.

Hope all of you are enjoying this wonderful time of year. Get outside, put your hands in the dirt and become one with mother nature. It's a great feeling after the long, snowy winter months.

I leave you with this thought -

Nothing in life is to be feared,

It is only to be understood.

Marie Curie

CATCHING UP -

It seems to me that it has been a long time since I updated my blog. Life has been busy and I seem to have had a period of time when I didn't know what to say - so I am going to try to catch all of you up on what I have been doing during this period of time.

First, I went to Gettysburg to the Blue and Gray meeting several weeks ago. I posted many of the pictures of that meeting since a nice rug show was taking place. However, I missed two pictures that I thought were particularly nice. I love this Santa and wish I could tell you who hooked it but I don't remember its owner. Very nice piece.

This cat hooked by Yovnne Miller and finished by Nancy P is a sure winner. Nancy made it into a purse that is stunning. A steller piece.

On Saturday, the 13th of March I held a dyeing workshop in my home. It was well attended and we had a lot of fun. The girls liked it so much that they requested another dyeing workshop which I have scheduled for Tuesday, April 6th. I know that many of you work and can't make workshops during the week but this group of ladies is free during the week and perfer week-day courses.

Here are some of them at the stove. We had a lot of fun during this day and I was so pleased with the enthusiasm of the group. One of the nicest groups I have had in a workshop.

The colors in this picture are not particularly good but this is the result of our dyeing. Open kettle for an interesting background. Stocking dyeing to take care of those left over wooley worms and two types of jar dyeing. Each student gets a kit with a sample of everything that we dyed that day.

Then on to Chambersburg for the Thursday hook-ins. Here is Gertie, a brand new hooker working away on her piece with sheep and a tree. A great beginner piece.

Note the big bag and large basket - all filled with wooley worms. Lots of choice of color there!

This is a strange picture. What they are all doing is stiffeling laughter. Marion was reading a book from the library that she was regaling us with. We were all in stitches.

I attended the meeting of the Mason-Dixon ATHA Chapter this month. The program, given by Ivi Collier was most interesting. It was a discussion of her Abraham Lincoln rug, which has won many prizes, and a discussion of A. Lincoln's life. Truly worth the ride to Ellicott City.

In addition, I attended the meeting of the Boonsboro ATHA Chapter. They will be manning a booth at the Mason-Dixon Quilt Show at the Hagerstown Community College, April 16, 17, and 18. A request was made that we each make and contribute some advertising cards. These are small hookings the size of a playing card that the name and address of a contact person for the chapter can be affixed to the back of. I had done some of these many years ago and so was familiar with the process. What I had forgotten was the amount of time it takes to do them!!. Anyway, I managed to get 10 hooked and was determined to get them finished yesterday. I spent the afternoon steaming, fray checking, cutting and mounting them. I am pleased with the results. Here is an overall view of my contribution.

I took this one close-up shot so that you can get the idea of what they really look like.

Just the right size to attach a business card to the back.

Sorry I didn't get to the big hook-in in Lancaster this past Saturday but I knew that I didn't have the stamina for such a long day. The reports of the affair that I have received deemed it ot be a great success with a larger turnout than expected. Hope that everyone had a good time and that all of you were inspired by the rug show.

I am planning to go to Chambersburg this Thursday, weather permitting. I am feeling very pushed to get some of my projects finished. I have finished the Amish rug that I started with C. Norwood. Yes, Kathy it is finished, label and all! I am putting the border on my large scraps rug and soon another project will be finished. I am not allowing myself to start anything new until 2 have been finished. The discipline is killing me!

I hope that all are enjoying this wonderful warm spring like weather. The "daffydills" are all a bloom in my front yard. Gives me hope of a beautiful spring.

I wish all of you good health and good fortune until we meet again

Doris

A BUSY TIME -

Last Saturday the Boonsboro Chapter of Atha met at the Boonsboro Library and I dropped in for a short time. I'm sorry there are no pictures of that group - I forgot my camera! I stayed only a short time because my family was getting together to spend the day and have a luncheon together. It proved to be a delightful day with lots of laughs. I often think that my grandson missed his calling - should have been a standup comedian. Pictured below is my great grand daughter Danyel and my daughter Joan.

On Monday I went to the Blue and Gray meeting in Gettysburg. This is the first time the group has met since December. A death in the family and all of the snow has kept us at bay. The turnout was great! Everyone so glad to be together again and wait until you see the rugs on display. We have all been so busy creating beautiful rugs.

Here is Joan working away with Pat, Barb and several others in the background.

Another group across the room.

You can see, so many turned out. Marian is working on another beautiful rug.

Now for the rug show!

This charming little boy with dog was hooked by Barb and made into a pillow. She found a wool plaid that matched the colors in the piece and used it as a backing. Very effective.

I don't know who hooked this lovely fall scene. Sorry I didn't get all of the names. There were many pieces and I did not attempt to photograph them all.

This is a very small portion of a long, long runner hooked by Joan. It is a hit or miss in beautiful soft colors. Truly a beautiful rug.

This is a small portion of a very large and extremely beautiful rug hooked by Marian. It will soon appear in one of the hooking magazines.

A closeup of one of the roses in the center of this rug. Wonderful artistry.

This charming little boy with dog was hooked by Brenda. I believe it has been hooked for her grandson.

I couldn't resist - I had to take a closeup of the little boy. He is so cute!

This is the next beautiful rug being created by Marian. She is such a wonderful hooker. Her rugs make you think that you could pick the flowers right off of the rug. A master rug hooker!

When I see all of these wonderful projects it makes me want to come home and hook, hook, hook. It is so inspirational to go to this group. The projects are always interesting and the members are so nice. This group of ladies truly personifies what a hooking group is all about - caring and sharing.

We missed Ann, one of the founders of this group. We all hope you are feeling better and will be with us next month.

I hope that you have enjoyed this little rug show and that it gives you incentive to keep that hook moving across the backing. I have a busy week - car in the shop for a complete check-up, have to get stitches out of Eloise's eye and am teaching a dyeing workshop on Saturday. Sooooooo until next time I hope all of you are taking advantage of this beautiful weather and looking forward to spring.

Doris

-

WHAT IS PRIMITIVE?

A week or so ago Lauren of Pugs and Hugs posted her collection of spice cabinets. I was much taken with this collection. A lovely display of things of the past. I know that many of you furnish and decorate your house with what is lovingly referred to these days as "prim." So I asked myself "what is prim?" According to the dictionary it is "something made by an artist of olden times."

My house is furnished in a more formal fashion and yet according to the dictionary I have many prims in my home. I thought you might like to see a very small portion of one of my collections. This is the one that brings out the child in me. I have a "thing" for Red Riding Hood and here are a few examples of my collection. This piece is a Conta & Boehme porcelain depicting Red Riding Hood with the wolf in bed. One of my favorites.

This is an early staffordshire piece and the largest piece in the collection. Notice the wolf peeking in her skirt.

Origin of this piece is unknown. It is Parian, a type of unglazed porcelain and is most likely continental.

Another Staffordshire piece interesting because her cape is orange instead of red. The wolf is also peeking at her leg.

Another Conta & Boehme piece know as a "three spot trinket box." Very colorful.

All of these pieces were manufactured between 1820 and 1910 so I guess that I also collect "prim." They certainly were made by artists of an older period of time. Anyway I hope that you enjoy this smattering of a much larger collection of early porcelain that I enjoy in my daily life.

Just goes to show that I am interested in something besides hooking! Speaking of hooking, I have been working diligently on my scraps rug and am about to start the border. I have been feeling that I must get some of my already started projects completed. Too many loose ends in the hooking room.

I am going to drop in at the Boonsboro meeting of ATHA today and then am joining my family for an afternoon luncheon that always ends up with lots of fun and laughter. Hope to see you in Gettysburg on Monday or in Chambersburg next Thursday. Until then happy hooking.

Doris

THIS AND THAT -

Last Thursday I went to the Grant Street hook-in. It was the first time I had been able to go for about a month. It is always a delightful time with good friends and lots of companionship. Hooking with friends is such a delightful time. There is nothing as soothing as being with hooking friends. Here is Pat working on her beautiful sunflower piece. She really has done a wonderful job of this since she is working with colors completely "out of the box" in comparison to her usual color pallette.

This is Gertie. She came for her very first hooking lesson. Linda had her hooking in no time at all and she did a remarkable job. She and I left at the same time and as we walked out together she told me how happy she was to learn something new and that she certainly would be back to do more. It's so wonderful to encourage a new hooker - after all - sharing is what it's all about.

Here's Kathy working on a randomly hooked piece. Note the "small" amount of miscellaneous worms!!!

Linda smiling and laughing about something as usual.

And Bo came to visit. He has had a hair cut and looks half as big as the last time I saw him. Such a cutie!

Beth and Jill joined the rest of us about 3 in the afternoon. Always fun to have them on board.

SUNDAY

On Sunday Jill K. came to consult with me on her teaching project. Jill will be taking her second year of teacher's training later this month. One of her assigments was to prepare a three day lesson plan for a hooking workshop. We went over the plan and fortunately I was able to point out a few things to her that she had not thought of and to suggest a few changes that would make the plan more feasible. In addition to that, Jill had to color plan a primitive rug. She is primarily a traditional hooker and I was able to help with this project. She has selected some lovely wools to do this rug with. Part of the homework from her first year of training was to hook 3 different types of small pieces. Pictured below is one of her pieces that she will be taking with her to show her teachers.

Jill had done a wonderful job on this scroll. The pink wools were furnished at the teachers workshop and the dark blue background had to be dyed later. This is a truly beautiful piece, the picture does not do it justice.

These are the wools that Jill has dyed for the rug that she had to color plan. This was quite a project. She had done some dyeing but not a lot and this was quite an experience. She was "stuck" in her color planning when trying to bring in the blue wool which she wanted to use as part of the background design. Together we "re-color planned" the rug using the colors in a different manner than she had originally planned. I think she was quite happy with the new color arrangement and the rug should be very nice.

SIDEBAR

I want to thank everyone that has called and e-mailed my mom about my condition. Yes, I was operated on last Friday. The surgery went well and I also had my teeth cleaned. (makes better breath, you know!). I am being very good, holding still for my eye drops and taking my medicine. My mom is putting my pills in chicken and roast beef - so why would'nt I take it?? I also am sleeping quite a lot and mom seems to think it is a reaction to the meds. I will go back in about 14 days to have the stitches taken out of my eye. The vet has done a very good job and my eye is not distorted as he thought it might be. In the meantime, mom is staying home with me to make sure that I don't rub my stitches because if I do I have to wear that awful plastic collar thing that looks like a cone head. She is doing a lot of hooking and a lot of belly rubbing which is making me happy. I want to thank all of my friends, especially Margaret and Pat, for caring about me.

Doris and Eloise

SATURDAY EVENTS -

On Saturday, the Boonsboro chapter of ATHA sponsored a workshop given by Jane Halliwell Green, at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Shepherdstown, W. Va. What a wonderful place to have a workshop. The room was well lighted, the chairs were very confortable, a must for an all day workshop. The staff was cordial and cooperative and the food was delicious. What more could a hooker ask?? Not much but we got much more in the person of Jane Halliwell Green.

Pictured below are some of the works of hers that she shared with us. This first piece was a small pictorial but a very interesting one. Birch trees are among the hardest to portray in hooking. A wonderful magnolia done with very wide strips and beautifully shaded.

This colorful butterfly with lattice work really caught my eye.

A very large rug done with wide strips - an ode to Merlot wine! A girl after my own heart!!!!!

This is Jane telling us about this lovely rug. How to do such a rug and how to prepare the strips for hooking.

Here she is with me magnolia rug - the whole class was very interested in this piece.

She brought several tables of interesting wool for us to peruse. Many of the attendees went home with armloads of wool.

Look at the color specturm of these wools. Some of the highest chromas that you will ever see and yet so beautiful to behold. Wonderful to hook with. Love the purples!

This is the piece that I started. I am very unhappy with what I accomplised. I never hook very well in a group setting. I am to busy listening to what the teacher is saying and looking at all of the wool available. I seem to loose my concentration. I will take some of this out and start again as I sit quietly in my hooking room and think about the things that Jane had to say about the sunflower.

I was so glad that Pat and Linda came down from Chambersburg to take this workshop. I do hope that they enjoyed the day. It was their first experience with the Boonsboro hookers. Getting to meet some new people and also to meet Jane. I had invited them to stay for dinner but after a long day of driving and hooking they were both very tired as was I. Sooooo, I shoved all of the food that I had prepared for our dinner back into the freezer with the exception of the macroni and cheese dish. I baked it for my Sunday dinner and it turned out so pretty I could not resist. I took a picture of it. See what you missed Pat and Linda? Maybe next time.

All in all, Saturday was a great day. I enjoyed the teacher, the surroundings and the companionship of my fellow rug makers. I hope that all of you get a chance to share the experience of a workshop of this kind. In the meantime, have a wonderful week, keep yourselfs well and enjoy your family and each other.

Doris

THINK SPRING!

When I find out what corner it's around, I'll let you know.

Doris