A few frustrations

I started a small version of Norma's flower to make a tote bag for myself.  I just didn't like how it looked...

So after a lot of unpicking and rehooking I still don't like how it looks, so I am going to take a break from this and try to finish packing (28 days until we move).  Hopefully after not looking at this for a while I will be able to see what needs to be changed, or I may decide to scrap it and start over with more natural colors.

One of the ladies in our chapter hooked a hedgehog.  Haley told her that she has always wanted to have a real hedgehog.  The lady gave her a copy of her hedgehog pattern and said "If you can't have a real one you can at least hook one".  Haley was really excited about this pattern, but she currently has 3 unfinished hooking projects.  So after I found out that Hedgehogs are legal in Oregon, I told her if she hooks this hog and completes it, I will buy her a real hedgehog.  She was so excited and asked me to cut the wool and get everything ready for her.  I did, including outlining the face and body to make it easier for her.  Look how much she has hooked. I am curious to see if she gets this done...

Hooking in the park

Exactly a year ago I learned about traditional rug hooking from women demonstrating it at the park. Today it all came full circle as I got to be one of those women sitting in the park teaching others how to hook.

It was so much fun!

Ruby was excited to come and hook on her bunny. She was so good about letting other children learn and practice hooking on her frame.

Ruby with Sandy, the hooker that I met in the park a year ago that taught me about hooking.

Haley hung out and hooked with our friend Laurie. Haley has decided that hooking is boring and she wants to stick with crochet instead... but she loves attending for the social interactions with all the "sweet grandma's". Eventhough she had a frame on her lap, I,m not sure that she actually pulled any loops.

My friend Stephanie came by

There were so many beautiful rugs, I am ashamed to say that I did not take that many pictures of the rugs displayed, not even my own. It was so fun to sit there hooking and see someone go over to my rug and say "Ohh, I like this one". The proud hooker in my wanted to stand up and say "That's mine!", but I sat quietly and smiled.

Here are the few photos I did take of rugs.

This is a detail shot of one of my favorite rugs ever. She gave me the pattern to make it so I wanted a close up of how she did her background. She may be 92, but she is a master hooker!

I had so much fun and really love these ladies, I am going to miss them terrabley when we move.

Norma's garden

I have been busy packing for our big move and came across these rolled up papers.  As I started opening them up I remembered Eric's Mom giving me these. They were her Mother Norma's hand drawn quilting patterns. I thought they were cool when she gave them to me (like 4 years ago), but this time when I opened them it was like finding a treasure. Some of the patterns screamed out to me that they wanted to be hooked and I agreed. 

 
Her drawings are really light so it's hard to see, but this is the perfect design for the runner that I have been planning in my head.

Of course I have my priorities in order so I stopped packing and immediately started tracing the design onto red dot so I can transfer the pattern to my rug backing. 

I really do need to pack and paint, but I can't wait to get started on Norma's garden!

Two little hookers in training...

Makes a Mama proud!

My secret life with bees

It's 10:00 on Saturday night (the night before Mother's day) and I just finished the gift for my Mother.  Unfortunately she lives in Utah so I can't even mail it until Monday.  My Mom is one of those people that is really hard to shop for so after much thought I decided to make her a tote bag. She has more tote bags then anyone I know, but she uses them for everything and I'm positive she doesn't have a hooked one!

I'm loving hooked bees right now (and she lives in the beehive State) so I hooked her 7 little bees symbolic of her 7 grandchildren. 

The bees were quick to hook, but the background took forever.  

I added eyelash trim around the top and black and white polka dot lining inside.

When I showed it to my kids my 10 year old said "Oh Mom, that is SO stinking cute!"

I hope my Mom agrees.

Sarah

I posted about Sara a while ago and how she hand carves rug hooks. I have been waiting to see her at our meetings because I really would love to add one of her hooks to my collection.  Unfortunately she has not been to a Saturday meeting since I took this photo in February.  

So I called to check on her and she is doing fine but has been too busy to come to our meetings.  I told her I was interested in buying one of her hooks and she said that I could meet her at the senior citizen center Friday because she has a painting class there. 

So I went over to the center to meet her and found her painting a beautiful picture of a little girl. She is very talented. She pulled out a little tin full of the hooks she has been working on recently.  She also pulled out little wood vases with wood flowers all that she has hand carved.

I asked her how she was able to make all these beautiful things and she very seriously said:

"I don't do housework...I dont!"  

I was laughing as she continued... 

"I go to quilting on Monday, ukulele class on Tuesday, rug hooking on Wednesday, violin class on Thursday, this paining class on Friday and Saturday is the day I wash my hair."

Gotta love the priorities of a true artist.