Ring Around Our Rosie

Our little Rosie left us May 12th, and now resides in her own little spot back by the pond.  She had been ill, and had many issues that caused her discomfort.  I hooked this pillow to keep on the bench where she spent about 98% of her time.  Losing our pets, as you all know, is just so horribly sad.  She led a very lovely little quiet kitty life.  I don't know how old she was (probably about 14 yrs.) because we found her high up nesting in our grape arbor at our previous home many years ago.  She was quite a pretty little girl, dainty, and always had the very best of manners.  We miss her a lot right now, but are comforted knowing she is with us in our thoughts and memories...  Also in the backyard..... Thanks to my friends that helped me with some tough decisions, especially my dear friend Katie who gave me some wonderful words on grace and happiness.

If You Must Know.......

After reading the comments on my previous post today, I decided it was easier to tell everyone about the fence at once, instead of repeating the story at each of your blogs.  At our previous home, my husband (please check out link on the right, a recent video story on him) decided to paint the inside of our privacy fence with abstract designs.  Well..... when we put the house up for sale, our buyer did not want the fence (can't imagine why!).  So..... we brought it with us!  We don't really feel the need for a privacy fence where we live now, so hubby has set up bits and pieces around the property.  Most of it is out back by our pond.  We are so happy that the new home owner didn't want our piece of art.... well, now that the moving part is way in the past.  We just love our fence, and thanks for the the inquiries about it!

It's All About Flowers!

My Garden Hydrangea pillow is hooked, and now on to the assembly.  I think I'm going to stuff it, and hand-sew on a soft wool backing.  I had lots of fun prodding the edges!

I took the following photos around some of our back gardens this morning.  The iris is gorgeous right now, and the peonies are just opening.  One of my favorite "happies" is to make a peony bouquet and put them in an old glass Ball jar.

Hope you enjoyed a nice little garden stroll!

Pillows and Teapots

This is my latest....I'm working on a hydrangea pillow design.  I'm trying to keep my colors faded and old looking, and I'm really loving working with a different color palette than my usual brights.  I have yet to finish the motif and hook the border.  I'm then planning on prodding the edges with deep purple/rose petals.  You know, I've lost count of how many pieces I've hooked over the past 5 or 6 years, but have never done a pillow.  I'm hoping it will be the first of 3 floral pillow designs I have dreamt up.


Moving on to teapots and tea cozies............

Notice my poor naked teapot to the left.  Well, I made a cup of tea yesterday morning.  After I poured it I decided to put my newly hooked tea cozy by Primitive Spirit (Karen Kahle) over my teapot for a sort of warming test drive.

It looks just too cute, but really wanting it to be functional.  About half hour later we had a visitor.  I asked him if he'd like a cup of tea, and he said, "I would love one".  Well, I was a bit worried that my water would have cooled too much by then, and I would need to make another pot.  But, YIPPEE, the water was still quite hot after being kept all tidy and warm in it's tea cozy.  I lined the cozy (as per directions from Karen) with a quilted muslin, so that's what did the trick.  I'm sure all that hooked wool didn't hurt.

Moving on.....once again I spent too much $$ at Teal's nursery this afternoon.  After planting my pots all morning, I went and bought more for hanging baskets....also found a gallon pot of Spanish Lavender with the most beautiful blooms.  I already have a few lavender plants, but not Spanish.  So.....I'm out the door with gloves and spade!  Have a fab weekend. xo

Lavender Tea Cozy and Indigo Bunting....I Love Spring!

Finished hooking my tea cozy from Primitive Spirit (Karen Kahle) and will get to the assembly part soon.  I simply LOVE this little piece.  Started it at the Boat House Hook In, and haven't put it down.  I tried to follow her color scheme, because it just grabbed me, and I didn't want it any different.  This, with my Pretty Chicken Kitchen rug, will be my kitchen updates for the year.  Lots cheaper than new appliances, counters, and tile!   I am really anxious to begin a new pillow design, so not sure if I can wait to begin hooking again.  I'm one of those hookers who needs to finish one project before I move on to the next.  But.......enough about hooking......I jumped on getting this post done, because below you'll see an indigo bunting that was at my feeder a bit ago, and I just had to share it with you.  The photo is a bit blurred because I had to take it through the kitchen window, and the little darling kept moving about.  These tiny beauties are a sure sign of spring at our place.  Sometimes I've seen them all over the drive, and it literally looked like bright blue paper had been tossed about.

Well....off to do some yoga, and then head out to a wonderful nursey in Ash Grove to load up on annuals for the pots.  Enjoy this lovely springy Friday!

xo

2nd Annual Boathouse Hookin

The Boathouse Hookin was Saturday, and I'm sharing a few shots with you.  Above you'll see Tammy, Katie, and Renee.....a few of my Springfield hooking buddies.  As you scroll down you'll see a few pictures of rugs done by our talented crew from the Ozarks!

Felting by Vicki Hardcastle....it gets my "WOW" vote!

Pretty Chicken Kitchen Rug

Pretty Chicken Kitchen Rug.....say that three times fast!  

She's hooked, and now onto the bind off....strips or covered cord?  She will be on the kitchen floor in front of the sink, so will take a lot of wear.

What's Cookin' At Tammy's?

Tammy (middle) invited Sandy (left) and myself over for a day of wool dyeing.  We got an early start at 9:00 A.M.!

Sandy was having fun with spot dyeing......

Yum..............................

I was working with some Karen Kahle recipes for my tea cozy.

Quite a bit of creativity and experimentation began to happen............

We don't know what to use it for.........but we LOVE it!

The fruits of our labors

Thought all the wool might look interesting wadded up like Easter eggs (you'll have to use your imagination a bit).

Lonnie was bushed after a busy day of supervising us wool mavens......
We left at 5:30.....

Thoughts on Rugs and Tranquility

I've so enjoyed working on this little kitchen rug (actually about 24"x16").  I don't know why, but I just don't feel any pressure with my hooking right now.  Why would I have felt pressure in the past?  Good question.....I'm either wanting to get it done for a particular reason, such as the rug show we did in February, or I am wanting to move on to another piece.  Rug hooking is so labor intensive, that it requires quite a bit of patience (as all you hookers are well aware of).  I have been thinking a lot about slowing down and just pulling loops to see where that leads me.  Does that make any sense?  I want my work to be precise, which for me, means really paying attention to the finishing off process.  This is where I get in a hurry, want to be done, and move on to the next project.  I wonder why that is, and as I ponder that question, I realize it's from all the years of teaching and the pressure of deadlines.  I'm so happy to be at a point in life to make time my own, and my rug hooking is becoming sort of a metaphor for slowing down and just being in the moment.  This little rug is something I've been wanting to do for a long time now.  Next on my list (oops........there I go looking ahead to the next project) I ordered Karen Kahle's tea cozy pattern on linen (I'm having a love affair with my teapot that my mom ordered me from The Vermont Country Store a couple of years ago).  I thought I would design one of my own, but if you've seen hers....well, why invent the wheel!  It's absolutely one of the cutest hooked pieces ever!  So, onward, upward, and somewhere in the middle you can find me peacefully hooking away watching for foxes (one post down), practicing my yoga,  putting out flowers, and enjoying a beautiful Ozark springtime........xo

New Neighbor

I heard lots of screeching last night, and this little guy seems to have take up residence around our yard and brush pile.

Chicken Hookin'

This is the beginning of my new kitchen rug.  It will be a "stand upon" kind of rug, so I'll have to be very relaxed about that.  I believe the background will be in dusky sorts of reds, and there are a couple of flowers and a border that I haven't started working on yet.  I got a little carried away hooking miss chicken, but had fun mixing up the colors.