It's been two months...

since I last posted anything.  I am still around, just not on the computer as much since tax season began. I retired from SBC ten years ago this month, but have gone back to work for my husband full time. Our daughter, Ashlee, decided to go back to school and get her degree as a dietician. So instead of trying to find someone and train them, I said I would work.  What was I thinking!!! 

Anyway, I have been rughooking some in the evening when I get home. I did finish a challenge rug with the ebay group I belong to.  Kelley posted a picture of an antique rug and then everyone that wanted to participate did their version of the rug.  It was lots of fun!! Here is mine:

 I did a workshop in March with Sally Kallin of Pine Island Primitives.  I had bought one of her patterns a couple of years ago, so this was a good time to get started on it.  It is called "Gently Down the Stream".  She helped me color plan it and I got started on it, but didn't get too far.

 It's going to take me awhile to finish this one.  My goal is by the end of the year.  I have also been working on my "Give Ye Thanks" rug that my friends, Ginger and Sandra, are also doing.  We decided in January that we would all do this rug and have it finished in 3 months. We talked in February and decided we would change it to June. Well, Ginger finished hers already, but Sandra and I are still working on ours. I hope to have it done by the end of June. Haven't taken a picture of it yet, but will try to post one next time.


Emma has been keeping me busy too. She is 20 months old and always on the go. I keep her all day on Tuesdays while Ashlee goes to school. Sometimes have her on Monday and Friday for a little while.  With the weather being nice now, we get outside more. The other day she went into my sewing room and found my rughook and was sitting in the chair getting ready to do some hooking I guess. I had my camera close so I snapped a picture. I guess she has seen me sitting there and was trying to do what Nanna does.

This is a rug I have been working on from Karen Kahle's blog, primitive spirit.  She has a tutorial on how to do a spiral chair pad. It is using all the strips I have accumulated from previous rughooking projects. Maybe I can teach Emma how to pull the loops thru and she can finish it for me.

Well, that's pretty much what I have been doing the last few months. Did go to the hook-in in Lenexa KS in February and then the workshop in March. Getting ready for the workshop with Frank Bielec in May. Tax season will be over then, or at least not so pressing, and can concentrate more on crafty things.

I am going with Ashlee and Emma tomorrow to see the Easter Bunny and have pictures taken. The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend so hope to get outside a little more and enjoy it.

Wishing everyone a great weekend and do something fun with your family and friends.

Blessings.....patijane

What a great time at Happy Trails Rug Camp!!!

Happy Trails Rug Camp was a huge success!!!!

As you can see from the picture above, the ladies were busy punching and just having a great time.  

We spent three days with Frank Bielec instructing and entertaining us.  He kept us in stitches with his stories and jokes. He is such fun to be around and I think everyone enjoyed their time spent with him.

This is Kay and Laura from our group of rughookers here in Oklahoma. They both do beautiful hooked rugs and decided to expand to oxford punch. Well, needless to say, they caught on quick.

Kay was the first one to finish punching her project.

Becky is also one of our Oklahoma rughookers.

Ginger's mother-in-law, Pat, decided to join us.

She had never punched before, but as you can tell, she did a beautiful job on her Snow Lady.

As a bonus to rug camp, Frank drew each person a pattern on monks cloth or linen. Carol, another Oklahoma rughooker, is watching  Frank draw her pattern.

To the right of Kala and Ashley are some of the things Frank has created.  He is a very talented artist and his whimisical paintings are very unique.  I bought two(will show them another time).

Camp ended on Saturday about 4pm.  We had spent three days of laughter and fun and now had to head back home. Everyone got their stuff together, packed their cars and said their good-byes.  

So another great time spent with friends and new friends!!! 

Happy October and have a great week!!

Blessings....patijane

More about camp!!!!!

Well, camp ended on Thursday afternoon. We packed all our stuff into the car and still had room to spare.  Believe it or not, we didn't buy too much wool.

 We said our good-byes to Frank and everyone in class and headed north around 2pm.

 We let Harriett(Ginger's GPS unit)pick our route so we didn't have to drive thru Austin, Waco and Dallas traffic. Harriett took us on the scenic route and we saw lots of great countryside. We went thru a couple of towns we decided we would have to go back and visit. We made a stop at Dairy Queen for our last dipped cone since Oklahoma does not have Dairy Queens anymore. Danny picked up Ginger at the Paoli exit and I headed on to Oklahoma City, arriving home around 11pm.

Ok, so for the rest of our time at camp.

Class was from 8:30am to 3:30pm each day. After the evening program most of us would go back to the classroom and work on various things until 11:30pm or so. Frank was always there, too.  Ginger and I would  then go to our room and stay up until 1:30am and work on things. One night we stayed up until 2:30am. We just couldn't go right to sleep after all the creativity and fun we would have with the other ladies and Frank.

Tuesday: Before class, Ginger and I walked to the coffee house to place an order for the Morning Glory muffins she had to take back to Oklahoma. On the way we spotted at house that said "PIE". We decided we would come back after class was over to check it out. 

 

We went inside and the smell of pies was wonderful. There were three rooms with tables to sit at and eat your pie. We looked at the quilts, signs, samplers and other treasures to purchase before having pie. Now for the decision of what kind of pie....I got a slice of coconut cream pie to eat there AND a slice of cherry pie to go for later. Ginger had a slice of coconut cream AND a slice of pecan pie to go. We decided that would be our breakfast the next day. After pie, we went walking around downtown some more and found a few more treasures we couldn't live without.

Tuesday night, one of the teachers, Karen Kahle, did a trunk show of her rugs. Here are some pictures of the rugs. They were simply beautiful in person, but hope you can see them and imagine how wonderful they were. I love the colors she uses in her rugs. It makes the rugs look very old and antique.

Wednesday: Most of the day was spent working on our class projects. Ginger and I finished our tote boxes, sewing book, jar lid and flower pin.

Ginger drew out some pumpkins, snowman, dog, sheep and punched them to make pins and more sewing books.  You know, she is very fast and had several things finished by the end of camp.  

Frank did a trunk show on Wednesday night, but I don't have pictures. I was helping take orders for some of his patterns. He is a great speaker and had everyone in stitches from his jokes.  He showcased each student's projects and had something to tell about each one. One of the ladies in class decided we all should wear wax lips to the show. Some of us had red lips and some of us had vampire teeth.

Ginger with her vampire teeth

Thursday: Our last day of camp. Some ladies worked on finishing their tote boxes while others punched more covers for sewing books, pins and such. Here is what Ginger did:

Ginger's adaptation of Frank's dog

 Frank also drew pictures for anyone that wanted one. He drew me a cat with Emma's name on the side. I plan on hooking it and putting it in her room.

 We also celebrated Frank's birthday. He will be 69 years young today(Friday).

The dolls were made by most of the ladies in class. Frank had drawn a small doll pattern on Monday. So Monday night/Tuesday morning(1:00am) we decided to make one. When we brought them to class on Tuesday, everyone wanted to make one. At the trunk show on Wednesday, Frank showed them and he had a little story for each one. So late Wednesday night, Kala(fellow student)suggested we make a garland of the small dolls to give Frank for his birthday. When the garland was presented to him, he was overwhelmed.

This was one of the most fulfilling and rewarding classes I have ever taken. Frank is such a giving person and he was always telling us ways to do things.  I came away from his class with so many new ideas and ways of doing things.

On our way home, Thursday afternoon, he even called to check to see how we were doing. This morning (Friday) he called about 10:30am to make sure we made it home OK.  Said he had several students that left on Thursday and were driving at night and wanted to be sure they got home. I just can't say enough of how much fun I had this week. It is a class I will not soon forget.

Well, tomorrow I will post pictures of rugs from the rug show. There were some beautiful rugs brought by the students from all the classes. So until tomorrow, have a good evening.

Blessings.....patijane

The fun has begun!!!!!

Well our first day was wonderful. We started the day with breakfast and then headed to class.

The lids on the jars to the left is one of our projects

Frank showed us what we would be doing..a flower, a sewing book, and jar lid. He gave us the cloth we would punch on and we started drawing our designs out.

Frank showing how to hoop the fabric

Started on the flower and then progressed to the sewing book.  Oxford punch is not as hard as I thought it would be. I finally got the hang of it by the afternoon.

Ginger working on her jar lid

 We had a fun-filled day with lots of laughter and fun, but it did not end at 3:30pm. 

Frank showing how to finish the jar lid

 

We left to go  to Walmart to get supplies to make a jar doll that Frank had shown us. We ate dinner at Dairy Queen..no dipped cones though. We had a small blizzard instead. We headed back to the hotel to get our stuff together and head back to the classroom for some evening fun.  Frank was hooking on a rug project he had to finish by Friday. Ginger and I started on our dolls.  They turned out so cute, very primitive and will post pictures tomorrow. We stained them with coffee, vanilla, and tan Rit dye. For now Gladys Alma and Harriett Louise are hanging  in our closet upside down to dry.  Now some of the other ladies want to dolls so when we left they had started their dolls.

Back of my sewing book and flower

Back of Ginger's jar lid

Back of Ginger's sewing book, another jar lid and flower

 

 

Tomorrow will post pictures of our finished projects. Will be starting on our sheep basket.  It is so cute and can't wait to punch it.