Blog Archives

All work and no play......

9/29/2014

I finally found time to relax yesterday. We slept in late and then I whipped up a delicious omelet, toast with homemade grape jelly, diced fresh mango and apple, brewed two coffees and we headed for the back deck to dine outdoors. This was our first breakfast together out on the deck all summer.

Although the sun was on our backs it was comfortable enough to break bread. The pups were panting so we hauled out the swimming pool and put it up on the deck with us and they splashed around to cool off, occasionally shaking, sending droplets over us for our cooling system. The boats were going in and out, mostly out, and we watched the birds in the bath and a hummingbird flitting about the remains of the summer blooms. Nature was thriving all around us, there was good food and fabulous company with hubby….life doesn’t get much better than this! To bad there wasn't more of it! It seems our lives are all work and no play.....

Saturday night I heard the other half of nature, the predator, carnivore kind.   I counted four coyotes but there could have been more. One was howling, one was yelping and two were barking, loud and excited from somewhere on top of the neighbour’s hill.   I grabbed a flashlight and shone it along the tree line but no eyes glowed back. I’m curious about nature and had the urge to climb the hill, but I won’t go chasing these guys, giving them something to think about, maybe chasing me home. I only wanted to make sure they were far enough away so taking the pups out to pee would be safe. Hubby being home is a huge help, he can hold the air horn and the bat.   I don’t take my eyes off the shadowy bushes around our property for a second and spend my time with one eye on the four doing various squats and the illuminated brush of the flashlight. Of course the pups know when danger is close at hand, they won’t leave the deck and keep their noses high, sniffing and expelling the air as if members of an acapella quartet. Their instincts are better than mine so I pay strict attention and throw on my own maternal intuitions, we make a careful team.

This is the first day I’ve had to relax since hubby came home. I’m not sure what the word relax means at your house but for us there is no sitting around with our feet up. Here relax means away from our daytime jobs but get to work on home maintenance. We aren’t sure how long he has in the province so we have to cram in a season’s worth of work in a very short time.   We joke; he’s not here for a long time, just a good time, and maybe not even a good time considering how much work there needs to be done around this place. Imagine your own home and yard, the upkeep you do each summer, imagine none of that happening, all the maintenance piling up like dung behind the barn.   Firewood will arrive this week as well. We laugh and say, plenty of time to rest after we’re dead....really funny eh?

So I washed the car for the first time this year and the downstairs windows of the house, sticky from the salt air. Then hubby and I, him doing the cutting and me doing the pointing, trimmed the overhanging birches that have grown out over our back doorstep roof, creating an out of control growth of lichen and curling the shingles, staining the house with mold from the lack of air movement and sunshine to burn it off. So much scrubbing with bleach, oh joy on that job!

Sometimes I picture us living in an apartment, or maybe fantasizing would be a better word. It would suit the comings and goings of our lifestyle. Maybe we could live a little. Live meaning doing fun things. Existing is what we are doing, going from job to job, cleaning, maintaining, all the yucky stuff to protect our property values. Wouldn’t it be nice to unburden ourselves of yard and building maintenance! If all we had to worry about was occasionally pushing and pulling a vacuum around it would be heaven. Instead we see the deteriorating condition of our home, repairs to the rotting wood on the decks and window frames as weather beats them up. All the washing, scraping, priming and painting that needs to be done, continuous upkeep with no end in sight, like running a race without a finish line. Then there’s weeding and pruning or the yard is overrun stealing more and more of the living space. Keeping ahead of the elements is a full time job and a battle than we can’t win.

Wouldn’t life be grand without all those extra worries!!?? But I suppose this is the curse of youth, hard work toward the time when we can relax and enjoy the fruits of our labour, hopefully not from a wheelchair. As we get older, we either bite the bullet and still do the work, or pay to have it done because it never goes away. It’s a vicious circle and a waste of perfectly good energy. Possessions are high maintenance, maybe it’s better to dump it all and live a little.

I brought home my Initially Yours letter “I” the next in line and #17 of the 26 letters of the alphabet. I’m thinking blue willow, several shades of blue and a bit of white. I hoped to start Sunday but good intentions and all I didn’t even take it out of the bag. After working outside until dark then making and eating dinner, I had to do the company paperwork and pay bills so that took me to 3:00 am. So much for a day off…..

I’m now thinking I need to hook a piece for Halloween. Add a bit of zest to the holiday for the shop. A stocking sporting a witch leg clad in striped stockings and the classic buckled shoe. Perfect for the coming Scarecrow Festival this weekend, great to hang on the door, so I’ll have to whip up that design asap. Some witchy green, orange and black will be the palette and I’ll hook it in #7 to make the job a two evening masterpiece. I have Mr. Jack O’Lantern kits to put together and decorate the shop for the season....do some fun stuff for a change!!!!!

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Work widow and orphan pups....

9/24/2014

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This geology widow has once again made a trek to the airport to pick up the absentee hubby. This work separation was longer than most. I can handle two to three months without too much hardship, but 3 ½ and I’m crying the blues, with four pups chiming in as back-up singers. They know. They feel the loss. They understand daddy goes to this big place that reeks of jet fuel and disappears into a big black hole…..Alberta.

Time goes by and they listen on the phone as daddy asks if they’re being good little boys and girls, their ears perk when they hear his voice, but when I say “Daddy’s coming home!” they pretty much lose their minds.   I made the mistake once and told Honey, the oldest and more experienced with his comings and goings, that I was going to the airport for daddy.   She was whimpering as I walked out the door. Cute I thought. I made it down the driveway when I realized I had forgotten my phone so I backed up, got out of the car and heard mournful sounds emanating through the thick walls. Honey’s cries sounded like a wolf baying at the moon, pathetic and heart wrenching. I peeked in the window and there she was on the sofa, nose in the air crying out her woes for her lost daddy. If I hadn't gone back she might have carried on until we returned. I stayed until she calmed and then lied to her, said I was going to the Save Easy for chicken. Chicken being the holy grail to snap her out of thinking about daddy. That’s the last time I announced a trip to the airport and just bring daddy home with a big “surprise” as we come through the door.

There are times when I take them with me, although I usually live to regret it. They start whining when I hit the Hammond Plains turnoff, knowing the destination from all the smells.   Imagine, four dog’s high pitched whining piercing your ears. It could send the most tolerant over a cliff or into the ditch!

New regulations don’t allow dogs in the airport so we usually wait at Tim Horton’s parking lot and hubby phones after he secures his luggage. We pull up to the arrival area like a limo service and he hops in the car.   No waiting or no parking fees to contend with, and I can arrive later for the pick-up than to be there when he comes through the arrival doors. Always being on the late side, it’s a win win.

Imagine all four pups, primed out of their ever loving minds for excitement, dive bombing daddy in the passenger seat. Their tongues all licking him like he’s going though a spit car wash. His hands are over his mouth to ward off their probing tongues, ensuring the only one in there is his own. Our girl Fiz can slip her tongue past your lips so slickly, one has to worry that one of these days we'll bite it off as we speak. She's a French poodle, only makes sense she's a pro at French kissing but gross even if you love her!

So this kissing, licking, whining, jumping frenzy goes on for about five minutes before they run out of steam and begin to settle down. Only then is hubby able to part the bodies and glance my way to see the lonely, long suffering wife, taking the backseat even though she's sitting in the front…...

The "I Miss My Daddy Quartette"

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Pumpkin Pack Bundles

9/23/2014

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I have put together Pumpkin Pack bundles with the very same wools I used to do the pumpkins on the left. A total of 1 yard of wool. Three 1/8 values of dyed orange over a flesh coloured plaid.

The other wools are cut from bolts and are all washed and ready to hook.

I recommend wide cut only. I used #7 in my demo piece. This bundle comes with a free paper pattern of my design and a photo of the finished piece. Pattern is 10" x 12 1/2" and could be blown up for a larger design.

The wool provided will hook more than one pattern of the 10"' x 12 1/2"

$39.95 each

Plaid Leaf Bundles - Four fat quarters of four different plaids. Let nature inspire your hooking....perfect for this season's colourful foliage. $23.95 per bundle

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The who's who and eye candy galore!

9/22/2014

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Gene Shepherd

What an incredible journey I'm on!   I have the pleasure of meeting absolutely delightful and talented people!!! Last week the shop buzzed with the who's who of rug hooking and Saturdays was a whirlwind day with the shop bursting at the seams with rug hookers more enthusiastic than a bridal party on hen night!

Sorry to name drop, but I've rubbed elbows with Lucy Richard, Gene Shepherd and Jacqueline Hansen and all in one week.   Gene said he would love to come here to teach and I'm going to take him up on it, but don't jump in your cars and rush to the shop folks, he's so popular there's a two year waiting list so we have to get in line! Good things come to those who wait, right?

There was a large hook-in at the North American Rug Hooking Museum on Saturday that would have been fun to partake in but Saturdays are my days to work the shop so I don't get around much.    Good thing too as the numbers through here would have been upset to find the shop closed!   What a wild day!

Above - Jacqueline Hansen, an artist and teacher from Scarborough, Maine, and three students/hooking friends popped in the shop today. Jacqueline wrote the book "Scuptured Rugs In Waldorboro Style". From left to right is Donnabeth Winslow, Sara Salsbury, Amy Kaplan and Jacqueline. Great meeting you all!

More hooking royalty!!! Lucy Richard of "The Wooly Mason Jar" fame and Marguerite Poirer. I wish I had time to sit and have a gab but the shop was so busy today! Maybe next time!!!

So sorry...camera shake on this one!!!! Shelley Myers, Connie Pettigrew, Teralisa Ripley and Carol McCall dropped in for a bit of retail therapy! What a fun group! Della Ackles couldn't make it but we chatted on the phone!

My kits are well traveled. This Celtic Snowflake kit is heading to Nigeria! Happy hooking guys!

Connie Pettigrew brought in her finished "Dragonflies" rug to show me. It made my day! I love the fabulous purple/eggplant glow that pops the dragonflies off the background as if they've taken flight!!! Pattern Available

Thanks for sharing Brenda Neafsey, Dunedin, Florida! Great job!
Just sharing my finished rug, Swimming With The Fishes...she was soooo much fun to hook..thanks for a great pattern. Pattern Available

Sue Gunnarson sent this beautifully hooked "The Flock" rug. Thank-you for making my day Sue!!!!
Pattern Available

Above - Catherine MacNevin sent this fabulous rug of our pattern "Pumpkin Grinners". She said: The Orange cat is hooked with your "Orange Crush" and the white guy is done in the wool roving I purchased at your shop ages ago because I loved how soft it was. After I hooked the loops, I cut them to make him fuzzy like an angora cat. Hope you don't mind I added the pumpkin face...my 23 yr old son with Down Syndrome LOVES Halloween, and Marc insisted I make one of the pumpkins into a jack-o-lantern for him!
Pattern Available

Great choice Marc...it was the perfect addition!

Above - I received a note from Sue Woodworth with three photos of rugs that she hooked. I always appreciate seeing how our patterns are interpreted!

What a delight! The Vintage Keys had not been hooked to date so she qualifies for a 50% off coupon for a pattern of similar size. The Reindeer Christmas Stocking and Hook Me A Tree is wonderful! Thanks Sue!

Patterns Available

Finished Initially Yours "E" by
Ervina Donavan Malin
Fabulous job Ervina! Pattern Available

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They're back!

9/19/2014

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Beautiful but dangerous!

I love and respect nature but would never turn my back on it. We live very close to the woods and all the creatures that dwell within. If only they would stick to their habitats and not invade ours but there is always a crossover, on both sides.

I have four small dogs and late night pees are always concerning. I usually go out ahead of them and search the area with my flashlight, looking for eyes that illuminate like sparkling diamonds in the beam. I used to feel confident when I saw deer on the back hill and along the tree line in our backyard, but I was told that’s when the predators are near, watching for the chance to pick off the young, the old and the weak.

Two white diamonds in the night mean deer, fox,r racoons and porcupine while yellowy glows mean coyote. The back hill is teaming with nightime activity and I see pairs of glowing, floating eyes everywhere, peeking out from bushes and under trees. You would think that daytime would be less of a concern but I’m not relaxed in the light either. I’m forever searching the surrounding bushes, on alert for movement, and keep one eye on the sky for flying scavengers large enough to carry away a small animal. Some of my guys are no bigger than a rabbit, easy pickings and the perfect weight for the strong legs and talons of a hawk. My friend Mary told me of a bunny that got snatched by a hawk and how the cries faded away as they flew out of sight...a horror story that has haunted me ever since.   Being the worry wart my father so proudly molded, I never let down my guard when it concerns my precious babies.

Last night we had nighttime visitors, the evidence of torn up grass and feces were proof that at least two were involved although there could have been more, others that didn’t share the same elimination schedule. Generally coyotes hunt in packs so any number could have been in the yard. I’m assuming they were coyotes as the poop was very dog like, and slight larger than my miniature’s normal load. They also dug up the ground like dogs do, leaving small holes the size of their muzzles, around a dozen or so of them. It looked as if they rolled around in the grass, maybe rubbing over where my dogs had peed, their scent would have been all over that area. If the coyote didn’t already know four small animals frequent here, they do now, maybe thinking it’s worth scouting out in hopes an easy meal will present itself. I’ll be extra vigilant for a while and if I have any doubts, I’ll take my pups out one at time.   I’ll carry my metal bat and load fresh batteries in the flashlight to search for those pairs of yellow eyes. If any dare approach I’d go all Walking Tall on them, swing my bat to hit a home run, them running home that is, with their tails between their legs!    The worst thing anyone can do is turn your back and run away so I’d advance in a menacing way and swing that bat like a helicopter blade. Make my day!!!

I haven’t seen a coyote for some time. Once that jogger was attacked and killed and the news reported several close encounters, panic set it and there was a movement to kill them off. For a while you heard of encounters frequently but nothing much lately. Before the panic we were frequently spying them on the back hill, one night waking to the cries of a kill and the yelping and baying at the moon to celebrate. The next day I called the department of Lands & Forests and they told me to be careful, they could be hiding behind the wood pile and one of my pups would walk that way and just disappear. More than a little concerning. I don’t take my eyes off the wooded area for a second and I keep the pups corralled together at all times after dark. Once word from me and they would run to the door. They are domesticated and no longer have to worry about something larger or higher on the food chain visualizing them on a plate, but they are weary at night, they smell what’s out there and instinct tells them to stick close to big, bat brandishing momma.

I’m not deluded in thinking the coyotes wouldn’t attack because of me. Their boldness could depend on the length of time since their last meal and how their numbers compare to us. I was told I could hire trappers to come out and kill them but that thought would never occur to me but it must have gone on as the population is almost non-existent around my area.   Killing an animal for being an animal doesn’t sit well with me. Even if they got one of my pups I would be devastated but wouldn’t seek revenge and understand it was just a normal cycle of life in the wild. I would move the heck out of here though, get as far away from this place as possible, and then spend the rest of my life on a psychiatrist couch trying to get over the grief and the images that would haunt me!

I understand that four legged animals follow a code, they don’t kill for the sake of killing, nor do they seek pleasure in it, unlike the more evolved human. They are only hunting to eat and to feed their young and you can’t fault them for that.   It’s the law of the land, survival of the fastest and the fittest. Thankfully as humans, we have crawled our way to the top of the food chain so we are no longer viewed as the food. We have enough to worry about with the trials of life, mortgages, taxes and health than have to watch our necks every time we go outside.

So my property has been coyote free for a long time. I realize they are nomadic and move around a lot but almost two years have passed without sightings on the back hill so I think they might have succumbed to a more ominous end. I’ll admit my worries had relaxed a smidgen but now I’m back on high alert and packing heat. Flashlight, air horn and baseball bat, armed and dangerous baby!

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Last evening's hook-in

9/18/2014

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Ginny and her pomegranates

Another great hook-in was had by all! Some familiar faces are back after taking the summer off. We hooked upstairs for the first time since the spring.   Heat rises and it can gets pretty stuffy up there. There's always a lot of menopausal gals with red faces.   I think it was too soon to move up there as it got pretty warm, I was even complaining.   One of the gals, always too cold actually took off her sweater so I knew the rest of us must have been dying. We opened windows but there was little breeze to ease the heat from all the hot bodies.

Sure is cool at night for sleeping though. I'm now in the flannel sheets and jammies with the covers gathered over the chin. I zip up a coat to go out in the evenings for the pups bedtime pee.   If only a bit of that could find its way to the upstairs of my studio. Maybe we were pushing it and will sit downstairs until the end of September in the air conditioning.

Everyone was in fine spirits and we got to know a new recruit, Kate, who seemed to fit in with the rest of the old shoes. She's a youngin, mother of one and baby on the way.   She was keen so I think she'll be back.

I didn't realize it until this morning that I didn't get a picture of Barb's new project, drawn by her husband of their cottage.   Rats! I'll catch it next time. Lorraine is working on a gift and didn't want it seen just yet so no picture there either.

Kate working on her pineapple.

Above Audrey's bedroom rug. That gorgeous geometric border is a perfect frame to the Morning Glories. Below, Pam is now stepping out on her "Stepping Stones" rug. She's completed two of the stones and all of the bricks, wonderfully eye catching.

Deanna working on her Tessellations rug and Armenia is finishing this cardinal piece for a very sick friend. The rug is as sweet as Armenia!

Charlene's rug in focus this time. Stunning blues and greens in this stained glass design.

Lorraine Burch

Anne working on Alice

I started my pumpkins at the hook-in from the bundles we've made for the fall season. I'll post those later. I worked in a #7 cut for the entire piece. The wool is for wide cutting only. I had an old barn board frame and quickly mounted it with a piece of cardboard but I'll fix it properly later. There is something happy about looking at pumpkins. Maybe it reminds me of all the candy I used to collect in my pillow case on Halloween, seeing all the pumpkin faces in the windows of each house we tricked or treated at.

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Life's a hoot!

9/16/2014

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This guy is very close looking to the one I saw.

Last night was dark. The moon was at half measure and no light shone from any house window along the drive home. I’d worked late and although driven to scratch things off the list, sleep fog was rolling in and the yawns had started.

It was cold outside, not enough for frost on the windshield, but I zipped my thin shell to the chin and hustled the pups into the chilly car. The nip in the air implied the death of summer making way for the birth of fall.

Four houses before my driveway, I spied an owl along the right side of the road. It was just sitting there and it was so out of the ordinary, I thought maybe it was injured, possibly hit by a car? As I turned in the next driveway I was mentally wrapping the bird with a blanket for a midnight trek to Hope For Wildlife in Dartmouth. I have lots of blankets in the car but no box. My pups would have lost their minds barking, but I would have dropped them off at home and headed out into the night with my ward, doing whatever was necessary to save the little fellow.

He was still sitting along the road when I returned to the spot, so I crossed the yellow line, pulled in front of him and dimmed the lights. We stared at one another for a few moments, as I worked out a plan for capture. I was more than a little apprehensive about the claws as I sat with the car idling. Mr. Owl broke eye contact first and flew a few feet to the left. I thought maybe he was having trouble but then he soared up and away. I was impressed by the size of the legs and talons that hung down from his body, large and seemingly out of proportion but designed to snatch small mammals from the ground. I probably interrupted a kill, maybe a mouse or a grand mole is feeling pretty lucky right now. So much life and death happening while we sleep, a whole world of nocturnal activity.

I've never seen a real owl. He was magnificent, a light brown or brown/grey if the car lights illuminated him properly and those big beautiful eyes built for spotting small creatures scurrying about the night landscape. I wished I had my camera with me; opportunities like this come along maybe once in a life time....I've gone 55 years without seeing one so it can’t be that common, at least not in a town situation. In my backyard, I hear hooting in the nights and see them on television but never in the flesh, or in this case, the feathers.

So I turned the car around and drove home marveling over the experience. I phoned hubby and he asked if the guy had ears or not and quite frankly his eyes had been so amazing I hadn't noticed. If I had to swear, I would have to say no on the ears, but whatever the breed, he was amazing and so was the experience.

So this gave me the idea to design an owl pattern to commemorate the chance happening and cement the memory. Stay tuned for "Hooters"!

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Short and sweet!

9/15/2014

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Another Sunday of sleep. The sofa devoured me and then spit me out late in the afternoon. The pups piled on top of me and we caught up on all the ZZZ’s lost during the full moon.   The phone didn’t ring so there were no rude interruptions. All in all, a heavenly day off! I could whine how it was wasted but I felt rather refreshed so it must have been needed and I’m not going to beat myself up over a lost day working on the assumption there’s a lot more ahead.

In the evening, the pups got an hour of play on the front lawn.   I threw and they chased the ball until their little tongues hung on the grass.   The only pup that doesn’t play is Fiz. She’s good with one on one, but not group play, and usually sits on the edge of the lawn and watches the traffic going by, the odd person on a bicycle and any boats that come in or go out. We joke that she’s the intellect, too refined to play games or lick butt. She’s classy, except when there’s a man around, and then turns as sleazy as a two dollar hooker, drops and put her legs in the air and grunts while her admirer gives her a belly rub. She doesn’t display herself for women so there’s some kind of boy girl thing going on. We sometimes call her our "little lump" because she just sits around watching everything and is a little on the heavy side, so after I play with the other ball crazy three, Fiz and I power walk up and down the driveway until she’s taxed or I’m panting, whatever comes first.

The shop is in autumn mode, dyeing up oranges and putting together our popular fall bundles for leaves. Scarecrow Festival is coming! I’m working on a pumpkin piece and I’ll have it to show soon. I’ve been holding on to some old barn board frames so I‘m going to dust one off and use it for the finish piece. I won’t be hooking a background; I think it’ll be lovely. Stay tuned.

Then I have to get back to the Initially Yours letters as my F’n “F” has been lingering like a bad smell.

An orangeliscious basket!

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Copyright does not mean right as in 'okay!'

9/12/2014

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I’m at odds over something and don’t know whether to bring it up or bury it in a mental "ick" file. This is about copyright and although it doesn’t affect me directly, someone out there, who should know better is doing it and I need to vent it out so I can file it as a cold case and move on.   It is our responsibility as shop owners, designers and craft enthusiasts, to air out the copyright blanket, shake it out a few time a year to get rid of the thieving bugs.

You would think a guild teacher and shop owner would know better but three things have happened in the last month to prove otherwise. A couple of weeks ago, a rug hooker brought a pattern in that was clearly copied. I am the only one with the permission to produce this woman's designs and I give her a percentage of the sale which is standard practice. So when one of her designs came in on white linen that I don’t stock, I was immediately curious. It was copied poorly, with shaky lines, I wouldn’t even let a messy pattern like that go out the door. The woman told me she thought she had purchased it from me but I let her know that I don’t produce that kind of workmanship and I don’t sell that linen.   Interestingly, the shop's name was written on the bottom of the pattern so the mystery was solved. I phoned the designer afterwards and she was very surprised. A one off we thought/hoped, maybe not worth making a stink over?

A couple of days later, a customer came in and we were chatting about this and that and out of the blue, she mentioned that she hasn’t frequented that same shop since 1996. She said she had designed and hooked a rug, took it into that shop and was asked if they could have a picture. The woman was flattered and said yes. She later discovered the pattern was being produced and sold without her permission.

So this brings me to my experience. A woman came in with a quilt that had a cute design of teddy bears and building blocks. She asked me to put it on a backing for her and I told her sorry I wasn’t able to do that. She said it was ‘only’ a Mary Maxim pattern and I’m not sure why that brand was up for guiltless grabs, but I told her that it was someone’s design and I couldn’t touch it. She said she can’t draw so would have to find someone to do it for her. I wanted to stick my fingers in my ears so I didn’t hear that, but I did tell her that I would be terribly upset if someone did that to me so I wouldn't do it to others. So she came in on Saturday with the pattern and it was drawn by the same person, unmentioned above. That’s three patterns proven to be copied, one can assume there are more.

So what do I do with this? I’m not the rug hooking police and I wouldn’t want to get into that arena for all the wool in New Hampshire, but it’s upsetting. I’ve been chewing on it like stringy celery and it keeps popping back into my head like a ball attached to a paddle. In this day and age with all the focus on being honest in the pattern department I don’t get how anyone could do this. I can see why a new hooker would be unaware but an old timer?

I’m asked all the time to do up Disney patterns like Mickey Mouse and Goofy. Winnie the Pooh is highly desired for nursery rugs and I’ve refused copying that one more than I have fingers and toes. I always say, "no, can not do" and explain why. Truthfully, I would love to be able to produce those TM designs, I’d laugh all the way to the bank and back.   Dishonesty might fill the till, but I'd rather feel good about towing the 'right' line.

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Two new designs!

9/11/2014

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Historically, September has always been the shop’s busiest month and this year is no exception. It’s been crazy but a good crazy. We like being busy, we work harder and faster but I sure wish there were a few more hours in the day. I’ve been working every night for a week and although I swore I wouldn’t do that this year I find myself bursting with energy and can’t sit in front of the TV even to hook. My Initially Yours “F” progress has taken a beaten, I have too much stock to make to sit around and pull loops. So I’ve been heading to the shop after dinner and the dogs are exercised to working on things.

This energy boost can be explained. I’ve cut out all traces of corn from my diet. I watched a PBS program that said corn is on pretty much in everything these days and it can cause eczema, acne and all manner of auto immune problems. I’ve been off sugar for some time and my face is resisting going blemish free, so I’ve had to rethink what the cause might be. I’ll try anything once and I have nothing to loose except these red blisters on my forehead and chin.

Not to bore you with too much detail, corn is a preservative and put in everything. They even spray it on potato chips and inside of metal cans before they put in the soup or beans and seal it off.   Whole corn is not easily digested by our systems, and is medium to high on the Glycemic Index which means it is quickly absorbed into the blood as sugar. Not a food to build your diet around, unless of course you want a spare tire where your waist used to be. Yes, it’s delicious smeared with butter and a shake of salt, but I can easily turn my back on it because of my diabetes and now my face.   Really there’s not much left in life to enjoy, all the delicious stuff is bad for us.   I've been eating so much vegetable matter, pureed and in salad form, that my body thinks I'm a resident in a nursing home....everything goes in green and comes out that way....:)

We had our hook-in today and I was moaning about the new bout of insomnia that’s been slapping me around. Teresa pointed out that it’s a full moon. I don’t know why I don’t think of that myself, maybe I wouldn’t fight it so much, get up and do something.   Maybe I drink so much water the moon is pulling me like the tides. Maybe a dehydrated body wouldn’t toss and turn so much. Considering the amount of sleep I’ve had over the past few days it doesn’t amount to enough to satisfy one night, I’m surprised I’m not flaked out right now. It’s half past midnight and I’m sitting here writing and doing a few dishes. I just got in from the shop and thought it was best to relax a bit and not go to bed in fifth gear. I find when I’m at work I get very excited, even a bit hyper and it takes a bit to calm down. It's hard enough to sleep without my mind racing.

This evening was especially fun. I was playing with two new designs. They are pure syrup, whoever hooks them will be in danger of getting cavities. They put whimsical to shame.

The first is an upgrade from the September Pattern of the Month. The School theme of sending our babies out into the big world of education. When I was drawing it up, I thought it was cute and might make a larger pattern with fun borders. I love the two sides that sport rulers with various school related items floating around the entire border.   This rug is perfect for a a teacher to hang in the classroom, or a grandma celebrating a special little person’s first day of school. The opportunity to use colour is this design is limitedless. I can see it in my mind’s eye, it could be fabulous. If only I could hook every pattern I produce because I work them mentally as I draw the lines.

This summer when Michelle went on vacation in her Trilliam Trailer, I took some photos of and knew then I would work it into a design. She had it painted to look like a Ladybug with big bold black spots on a red background. A fun bottom border of flowers and bugs, clouds overhead and three Trilliam Trailer’s pimped out with a Ladybug spots, flowers and bees. Maybe I was tired but the name’s play on words, Trailer Park Bugs, came from the Trailer Park Boys, sometimes I think I’m clever and other times I’m not sure. I’ll see if it is still sticking tomorrow. The little Trilliam trailers will also make three lovely chair pads. I’ll work those up tomorrow.

So that’s what I’ve been up too. Sorry I’ve had to skip a few blogs over the last week or so, but I haven’t been able to arrange those few extra hours in the day. I guess they never got my memo.

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Embroidery labels

9/10/2014

3 Comments

By Guest Blogger Patsy Langdon Gorveatte

Being my mothers child, I was always wanting to do everything she did. She was a wonderfully talented woman. When she was crocheting and knitting...I wanted to do it too. When she started needlepoint and petitpoint so did I. This went on and on including, sewing, smocking, and crewel. All the while I had my eye on rug hooking. We did do the latch hook kind many years ago but never had the opportunity to try hooking with wool strips.

Recently we relocated from Dartmouth to Black Point due to medical reasons. It just so happens that we live an 8 minute drive from the Hooked Rug Museum of North America. I dropped in there one day and bought my first pattern. They promised me that if I came to their weekly hook-ins that I would learn how to hook. That, in combination with the weekly hook-ins at Encompassing Designs, I was off to the races.

My friend Chris started shortly after I did and we are both like sponges trying to absorb every bit of hooking knowledge we can find. We haven't tried dyeing yet but it's definitely on the agenda.
I have done 5 pieces since I started hooking at the end of May. One of which I designed myself. Its just a small trivet with a sheep on it, but its my own.

As you can tell from my "Bluffton Bathers" that Christine designed, I love colour. I love clean lines. I like things a bit more fun and cutesie than primitive or Victorian. I respect all rugs out there but they're not all my style.

My "Bluffton Bathers" was my very first sale. So proud of that. In some ways it was sad to let it go but it went to the best home possible. Now I will be able to see it proudly displayed every time I visit Christine Little's awesome shop "Encompassing Designs".

I plan to go bigger and more complicated as I improve but right now I am enjoying the end result of smaller projects as soon as I can. Since we moved, I have been on leave from work and have the time to work on my new passion. Its therapy for me for sure. I have met so many wonderful, talented people since I began and cherish every one of them. I look forward to so much more. Thank you to everyone who has helped me get started. Patsy

Christine here - Over the years all kinds of solutions have been presented for signing and dating a rug. Lately I've been seeing some pretty creative alternatives to the hooked signature or initials on the front. Patsy Langdon Gorveatte hooked my Bluffton Bathers and although the front is drop dead lovely, what's going on in the back is just as exciting. She cleverly embroidered the rug's information, hooker, designer etc and because of the beach theme, added a pair of flips flops. How positively sweet! Patsy has commercial embroidery machine and I'll post her business card.

The embroidered labels below are an idea I had when I first opened the shop. At that time I planned on hooking pieces to sell but as the shop got busy, that quickly changed. I came across these a while back, forgotten in the closet all these years.

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June's Winner of the Pattern of the Month Contest!!!

9/9/2014

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Janet Delo, come on down and claim your prize!!!

The judges loved your gradation colour plan! Janet wins three yards of Dorr Natural!!!
To check out our contest click this link. It's never too late to join! http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/contests

September's POM
Design is now available upon request. Free with purchase!
To read about our contest click this link:
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/contests

Even though September is closer to the end of the year, it’s seems more about beginnings than January. Beginnings for children that is. The start of their scholastic learning, the shaping of their minds for what lies ahead. They go off to school in new little outfits, shiny shoes, carrying blank scribblers, newly sharpened pencils and that coveted box of crayons.   It’s bittersweet…..

Sending our babies out into the big world, away from our watchful eye is worrisome and can be wrought with tears! For stay at home moms, their children may not have left their side since they were born, and now only five they are cast out into a world they have no control of.   Dropping off and handing over a child to a complete stranger isn’t the easiest thing to do and there can be a river of tears as you let go of that little hand.

It’s one of the longest days of your life, waiting for that bell to end the school day. You’ve been waiting outside for a while, anxious and pacing. Talking with the others moms who also wear false smiles and keep an eye on their watch. And then the bell rings and the emptiness turns to real smiles when you see them dashing out the door, down the steps and into your waiting arms. Excited and breathless, they show you the picture they coloured and are filled with stories of new friends and Miss Teacher they already love. You are proud and sad at the same time. Let’s face it; your baby’s world is now filled with more than you. That big pill to swallow is part of our own growth and luckily, each day gets easier as routine sets in.

I remember my first day of school and what I was wearing. Well, not exactly, I saw a picture of me in my little pleated shirt and book bag so the memory is easy. I remember how I felt that first day though, sitting in one of the chairs at a four seat table looking at some new faces and being shy enough to keep my head down. I was more than a little apprehensive but, by days end, I was settled and enjoying myself.   On that first day, I’m not sure if my mother shed tears as I walked towards the classroom, or if she went home and turned up the radio to dance a jig, but I know a lot of moms do a lot of crying as they turn their babies loose that first time, I did for Shane…..

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Let's Talk....A Tribute to Joan Rivers....

9/5/2014

1 Comment

I’m not a star gazer or follow celebrity careers but I'm of an age where certain iconic names are very familiar to me. Johnny Carson, Dean Martin, Elvis, to name a few and of course, right in the middle of all that male testosterone, there was Joan Rivers. I never had the pleasure of seeing her perform live and now I never will. Joan passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 81.

I’ve had many laughs over the years, enjoying her give and take. She liked to slam others in the industry but would also pull off the self-deprecating humour that I love so much. She made history and opened doors so other females could to follow in her footsteps. People could be a bit mean when they speak of her, the surgery thing always came up. There is no denying she’s the poster child for “alterations, but that’s not really our business to tell. I found her wildly interesting; never knowing what might come out of her mouth. She shocked and awed me with her well honed wit.

For those that might not know, Joan had a passion for fashion, loving clothes and jewelry. If there was anyone who knew what’s hot and what’s not, it was Joan. Since 1990, she had used her impeccable sense of style to create fabulous fashion jewelry and her own brand of clothing. Intricately involved in the design process, Joan insisted on the highest quality standards. She was a regular feature on the Canadian Shopping Channel and although I haven’t purchased any of her pieces, bling or apparel, I would tune in and watch her showcase and describe each item. You could feel the excitement for each piece, she truly believed in her product and she proudly wore her costume jewelry on the red carpet, next to the borrowed diamonds and pearls of the starlets. Joan loved big faced watches and brooches, glitz and sparkle. She was a crow after my own heart! One of her signature lines was her beautiful Bee Brooches. There are hundreds of designs, some blinged to the hilt with crystals, some enameled, sported various metals and all darling.

Many years ago when I was going webby over spider brooches I found one of her arachnid designs on Ebay and bought it. I wore it today just as a fun little thing to do for all the laughter and entertainment she has brought me over the years. Another comedic icon is lost forever and sadly, future generations will say, Joan Rivers who?

A very small sampling of her Bee brooches that she loved so much. I can't remember what she said inspired her love of this little insect, but I'm sure there is a tale to be told. Please share if you know!

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Last evening's hook-in

9/4/2014

8 Comments

We always manage to have a good time at the hook-ins. Good company, tall tales and lots of laughs. It's always a pleasure to see rugs progress. Charlene is working on her next stained glass piece and unfortunately I snapped a wonderful closeup shot of her hair, you can count the strands, but the rug is blurry. I'll get it next time! She was in the shop on Saturday to experiment with a Jacquard dye and it turned out perfectly. Dyeing is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you might get....and this time it was a touchdown!

Sue dropped in to show us the progress of her Five Star Runner, a new design we whipped up on Friday. She said, if you design it I'll start hooking it tonight and them is challenge words! So we got busy and drew lines until I couldn't see straight. I was in a funny mood that day with very low energy and was torn between napping on the toilet tank top or sitting and hooking so this got me out of my funk and all juiced up creatively. I think this is going to be a popular pattern as it satisfies a primitive preference; a simple design with a bold statement.

Honey sure loves Sue and snuggled close for a few kisses. I think the feeling is mutual! I didn't hook last evening. The pups had to go to the groomer this morning so I spent the time combing knots out of their hair and chatting with the group. It was more comfortable brushing them in air conditioned comfort than at home with my broken heat pump. They have a much happier time if momma does it. Going to the groomer is stressful enough! I hooked a bit at home before going to bed.

Three Star and Five Star Runner. This one could go on to infinity! To see the details click this link to my site: http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html

My "F is taking a bit longer because I'm hooking it all in a #6. There is a lot of detail to work around. If anyone would like the animal print behind any letter of the alphabet we can do that....as well as the Zebra strips I used behind the Z.

Working in Black and Grey tones is challenging but fun and really quite dramatic. If pressed to say which one I like the best I'd hum and haw.....each one brings something different to the table. I can't believe I am over half way through the alphabet! This is #16.

Deanna with her Tessellation houses.

Pam with her Stepping Stones

Anne with Alice.

Patsy with a sunflower design.

Patsy finished Bluffton Bathers and it's so sweet I bought it to display in the shop! Patterns available! http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html

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10 Shades of Grey.....

9/3/2014

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What can I say. The shop is crazy busy. Michelle was on vacation last week and not in until today so no parcels got out. Usually we have a speedy turnaround but short handed we can only do so much. My apologies to those waiting for orders, except for a few custom items, your parcels are in the mail today!

What’s up with this humidity? I hoped we were through with uncomfortable nights and sticky days. My heat pump has been on the fritz so my hooking has slowed to ½ hour an evening. It's uncomfortable to have wool fuzz sticking to me as the water drips down the back of my neck. I sit under an Ott-lite and although it produces very little heat, it’s radiates just enough to make me sweat like a pig at an all you can eat bacon buffet. I’m all about the comfort at this stage of my life, I no longer need to suffer for my art.

I’m really loving the letter F. Monochromatic hooking has always interested me. I like the elegance of tones of one colour, and the challenge of placing the values for enough contrast to show separation. Done in shades of grey it’s tricky to place the colours for contrast but I seem to be knocking it out of the park, if I do say so myself. I love the muted softness of this palette, as if a big cat is purring under my hook. The F is for Felidae, the term for the big cat family, also feline and feral, all puddytat related words and the reason behind the spots.

For this one I used an "as is" charcoal herringbone for the bulk of the letter with a solid black line for detail. Then I had a three value swatch and a six value swatch of Charcoal for the details, leaves and flowers. The lightest and medium value of the 3 value swatch was used for the vines and all of the animal spot centers. The six values was used for the completed flower and will be hooked the same for the other two. Shane had dyed a few Jacquard spots which inspired this colour palette. Smokey Eyes and Fog for the background. I thought it would be more interesting than just a solid grey and I love the result. It might not be 50 Shade of Grey, but it's still sexy!

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I am an Empath....

9/2/2014

7 Comments

The last few years I have been growing increasingly sensitive to the state of the world. I've always had problems but my cup seems to be running over more than usual these days. The state of the world has become a heavy burden and how we treat one another, and the creatures of this earth is disheartening.

Facebook and all the postings of animal cruelty, child abuse, the suffering of people in general have tipped me a bit over the edge. Even before the FB experience, TV and CBC radio were becoming unbearable. I stopped watching the news, the natural disasters and war, terrorism and the suffering of people in third world countries, starving children and abused animals. I was innondated with pain and the joy drained from my life.

Sunday Mornings, hubby loved to listen to CBC radio. That’s my only day off and I would find myself staying in bed or getting up and laying on the sofa. My limbs would seem heavy as if pinned down, I didn’t realize it the time but I was almost paralyzed by the weight of the tradedies I was listening to. So much human suffering. Rape, murders, genocides, hostage torture, terrorist violence, suicides; the stories were caked with unbelievable suffering and it was dragging me down. Back then, I never associated my weekend mood with the radio, I thought I was overly tired from a long week of work, maybe I was lazy and possibly borderline depressed. I beat myself up over until finally, I put two and two together and convinced my husband I would do better with music, something happy and upbeat to start my day. The experiment worked. On the days the music played, I was up and active and the days we listened to The Sunday Edition, I would almost lose my will to be conscious. There were so many Sunday’s wasted, buried under blankets not wanting to face the world, so filled with sadness I didn’t want to open my eyes.

Then I found social media. My intelligence knows we need to post pictures of animal abuse to bring awareness, work at stopping the insanity. But the heart in me can’t stand the suffering, the sad eyes, or the little dead body. My head explodes with pain, tears flow. I grow sick to my stomach and even after the picture is no longer in front of me I can’t get it out of head and the flashbacks continue to haunt throughout the day, or for weeks, even months. I’ve noticed the effects are growing worse and lasting longer. That blog I wrote about the video where that poor little baby was being beaten is still as fresh in my mind as the day I saw it. If I was an actress, that video is what I would use to bring on tears. It was as raw as it gets.

Empaths feel the energy of the people around them. Good or bad. It explains why negative people affect me so much and why positive energy makes me high.

Empath’s can take on the physical pain of those around them. We used to make a joke about how after my husband’s sciatica would flare up, so would mine. I would go months, even years and all of a sudden he hurts himself and I’m suffering right along with him. It explains so much, if only I had known this before I could have used my time to feel better about myself instead of constantly criticizing why I do things and think things. Life sure is a learning process.

I have a soft spot for animals and the underdog. I know that I would beat the evil bastard that hurt an animal in front of me. These feelings have confused me for a long time. To feel that deeply is an emotional roller coaster ride. I can go from smiling to full blown, debilitating sadness, even rage, in seconds over the cruelty of an animal or down trodden human.

Since Robin William’s suicide, I’ve been at an all-time low. I wrote a long blog after his passing but it was so raw I didn’t post it. I needed to get the emotions out, cleanse the sadness I felt so the writing was cathartic.   I’ve not been able to get him off my mind. Not the man, I didn’t know him, I only knew his work. It was the sadness, the helplessness he must have felt that bothered me. This man was so full of talent with the ability to make so many people happy, had all the resources at his disposal for help, a lifestyle most dream off, and a family that loved him, but he couldn’t stand another moment in his own skin.   That pain is so real and powerful for me, I tear up writing these words.

The other day, after talking to a friend on the phone for hours, and telling her I was having problems with out of control emotions, she told me I sounded like an Empath. I’d never heard of it. She told me she found it on the internet and thought it seemed to describe her son, sent him the link and he was blown away by how many of the 30 descriptors he related too. Later when I looked it up it was as if I was reading my own thoughts, as if someone had stolen my diary and published it.

After the shock of having the term, Empath, describe the person that I am, I began to feel better. Weights starting peeling off my shoulders like shingles in a tornado. That phone call has forever changed my life....thank-you so much Joan!

Now when something happens I don’t have to think I’m losing my mind. I can stop beating myself up for things I didn't understand. There is a reason why I am vulnerable to sadness and negative energy. Why I become depressed by the situations of the world. Why I can’t deal with confrontations from customers. Now maybe through understanding, I can change my reactions, change that self-destruct button to a coping one. I'll work on it!

Here is a link to the characteristics of an Empath. I’m sure some of you will discover, like me, that we are a special creature, not loony tunes crazy!   There is a lot of information out there...this is just one site of many.

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?70941-30-Traits-Of-An-Empath-How-To-know-If-You-re-An-Empath

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