MY OLD RUGS

I have been home sick with bronchitis for the past three days...can you tell...two posts within 24 hours! Feeling like I have a 90 year old set of lungs...I am still able to get on the computer..amazing..LOL! These are some of my older rugs that I had taken pictures of but were to lazy to post and now at 4 AM..unable to sleep..here goes:





The eagle rug was one of the first rugs I had ever made...I think it was my second one to be exact. I had it in hiding, because the kitties used to love to use it as a clawing rug. I had to make several repairs..now it hangs on the wall.



This small grouping, hangs in my sewing room. The two little cat rugs I adapted from antique rugs I had seen in a book, THe long narrow flower baskets rug is a design from Kindred Spirits. The small pumpkin rug was hooked and purchased from Sherry Kristoff last fall.

I'm in the process of hooking a rug, my own design, using some really different colors than I am used to. I am hoping to have it hooked soon...having some background difficulties. My creative juices just don't seem to flow like they used too!

MY DAUGHTER ON YOU TUBE...

It was just brought to my attention, that an interview my daughter, Renee, did at the Cleveland Clinic was on YouTube. She was filmed last winter during one of her post transplant visits. Renee had a pancreas transplant on July 10, 2008...here is her story..




The are so many other stories to be shared on their website:

my.clevelandclinic.org/transplant

What a wonderful gift and blessing "The Gift of Life" program has to offer.

TEDDY BEARS AND A RUG

Good Sunday morning! I have had such a nice weekend. Yesterday, I went to Kris Miller's "Thrums and Chums" monthly hook-in. I hadn't been since last summer and it was so nice to see all the area hookers again. It's such an inspiration to see what others are doing. Kris had invited a wonderful lady, who happens to have a graduate degree in story telling. She told us two sweet tales of her growing up..one especially pulled at my heart strings, since it was about her grandma and how she was such an important part of her life growing up. Such a charming lady! Next month I am going to bring my camera and take pictures of rugs-in-progress.

Since nothing really new or exciting around here, I thought I would post some pictures of my teddy bears. This first group of three, are my only surviving antique bears. I had quite a few years ago, but ended up selling them. These three I have hung onto. They sit quietly in my sewing room.



These next two little fella's, are the only two bears I've ever made. They are a lot of work..I can honestly see why bear artists demand such a high price for their creations! Plus, the cost of mohair is so expensive. They are not made the best...I don't think they could withstand the activities of my grand kids!
*****


The next photo is a Pat Murphy Bear..I purchased it from her in Ann Arbor in 1999. He is just a small bear on wheels..but he is so beautiful. She had only made two of them..because, she too, at that time, stated they were too much work. Her other bears are phenomenal!



Last but not least..is my rug "Hearts & Flowers". The hooking is finished, I just have to get my rear in gear to do the edging. It turned out pretty good, but I ran out of the chestnut colored brown wool..so I had to use other wool similar in color, but I guess that just adds to the "character" of the rug...at least that's what I told myself while silently complaining to myself! Have a great Sunday!!

MAGGIE B. RUG

Well...I keep saying I'm a slow hooker..but this one was ridiculous. I started this Maggie B. rug last winter, finished it in May..but of course never finished the binding until right before Christmas. Then...stupid me...put the rug on the floor..I figured if the old, antique rugs can hold up to everyday wear and tear..then this rug made out of good wool will be able to hold up too..right??? Wrong! I put the rug in my entryway...not thinking that people would be trudging in & out, with wet, snowy shoes and the worse...that stupid calcium/salt stuff my husband puts on the porch. I'm sure you're getting the picture...white, crumbly, water & salt deposits all over my beautiful chestnut wool!! The death of a wonderful rug.....

Well...I took a hot wet wash cloth and literally but gently scrubbed the heck out of it, then took my lint roller and rolled it every which way possible, and then re-pressed it with a hot iron on a fluffy towel. After working on it for about an hour and letting it dry overnight, I made the very intelligent not to put it back on the floor. So I hung it on my bedroom wall...much to my husband's chagrin...he's not really thrilled with the primitive look...whatever...and here it is. It doesn't look too bad for all the tortuous treatment it had been through..no more rugs on the floor!

A REAL WHITE WEDNESDAY.

With so many blogs going to a "white" theme, and today being "White Wednesday"...I thought I would show you our "White Wednesday". IT was truly a blizzard last night with snow falling about 2 inches an hour, and winds up to 40 miles per hour. Plus we had quite a bit of thunder...weird! We ended up with 10 - 12 inches and snow drifts measuring 24 inches. It may be the norm for some people...but it was probably the most we have had in years. I am a bit sick of it...but at least I was off today. My husband snowblowing our neighbor's driveway early this morning. I am cleaning out a couple of closets and then I am going to sit down and hook. Still hooking on the hearts and flowers rug..but I am almost done! Take care and keep warm!