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How "Sweet" it is!

1/19/2016

6 Comments

 
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Shane and I were so pleased to nab Deborah Sweet for our team.  The stars were aligned perfectly when someone mentioned to her that we had a “Now Hiring” sign in our window at the exact time she was looking for a change.  Tired of the food industry, she wanted to explore something different and being an artist, perhaps that is what attracted her to our door.  She applied; we hired, and have loved her since day one!   I tell her often that she’s perfect and mean it sincerely.  She's perfect in general and a perfect fit for us! 

Deb took our beginning class a few months back and designed a smart, original design. I was suitably impressed but not surprised.  She's proven to have a keen eye for detail and advanced spatial concept, the reason why her patterns are so precise and well-drawn.   I can delegate jobs with confidence, a freedom I’ve not had before, knowing that she will share the vision and make it so. 

We’d talked about her art experience so I knew there would be fun things to come, a line of “Sweet’ patterns perhaps, both figuratively and literally. But after she brought in her portfolio my socks blew off immediately after losing my shoes.   Deborah Sweet is not just any artist, her work is incredible!

Her subjects and colours are very tuned to my fancies.  Rich palettes always attract me first, the subject is always secondary and she grabbed my attention big time as I turned the pages with my jaw hanging.  Her work is bold and realistic, it demands attention and deservedly so.  I am truly in awe, and a bit sad that she doesn’t dedicate all her attention to her talents but she says there is something said about getting out of the house. 

Deb came to the hook-in two weeks ago with her second project, drawn out on linen and ready to pull loops.  I was floored!  Not only did she lay down a perfect seagull drawing but she water painted the backing to show where the colours and shading should go.  I’m sure you will be as blown away as I am and together we will enjoy following her work as it progresses. 

Years ago, some rug hooking patterns came coloured in, giving the artist a feel for what the pattern could look like when finished.  Today it is rare, if at all, but what an interesting concept.  Using markers and coloured pencils, I’ve coloured in areas to help determine the background in some of the busy Morris patterns from the scrolls and leaves.  I would dearly love being able to offer this service  for unhooked patterns that don’t have a photo to use as a planning guide, but there aren’t enough hours in any day. 
  

Here is a short biography of Deborah Sweet

Picture an only child in 1950’s small-town Ontario, born to introvert parents, far from the company of boisterous cousins.  What else to do with such solitude but read and draw?  Thus was my introduction to the arts in the village of Beamsville.  Around age eight, on a trip to visit relatives, we were taken to the old quarter of Quebec City.  I was fascinated by street artists’ displays and for the first time, realization dawned that drawing and painting could be pursuits enjoyed by adults. Until that moment, the only artwork I had seen was one Group of Seven reproduction hanging on the wall of my public school.  During my high school years, art classes introduced me to the history of art and I was allowed to take a few painting lessons.  I ‘dabbled’ until I was employed by Grimsby Public Library and Art Gallery.  I enrolled at McMaster University as a part-time student of art and art history.  As it does, life intervened with the advent of my own family and I continued to ‘dabble’.  A desire to be at home with my children led to the start of a crafts business in 1985.  I joined the board of the Lincoln Regional Arts Council and continued to paint sporadically. 

The turning point was our move to Nova Scotia in 1991, and my friendship with painter, Helen Opie.  She introduced me to The Lahave Life Drawing Group where I further honed my observational and drawing skills for six years.  Thanks in part to Helen’s enthusiasm and encouragement, I put my crafts business on the back-burner and painted more and more.  For two glorious years I reveled in the thrill of painting non-stop and felt I was finally hitting my stride with my solo shows at The Moorings and Black Duck galleries.  During that time I became the third best-selling artist represented by The Moorings.  Again, life intervened, a full-time job became necessary, and my painting time and energy severely curtailed.

Encouraged by the owners of The Biscuit Eater Books & Café in Mahone Bay, I had an almost sold-out show there in late 2009.  More inspiration came in spring of 2012 when Helen Opie invited me to a week-long artists’ retreat on Long Island in the Minas Basin.  The images I gathered there became the foundation for another show at the Biscuit Eater in 2012 entitled “More Than Cappuccinos” with friend and fellow employee Carmel Rose Smith.  In 2014 I was invited again by The Biscuit Eater to create a solo show.  “Between Heaven and Earth” was an exploration in acrylics of the various meanings associated with flowers. 



6 Comments

The who's who and eye candy galore!

9/22/2014

1 Comment

 
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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! 

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

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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

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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

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

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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!
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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
1 Comment

Embroidery labels

9/10/2014

6 Comments

 
By Guest Blogger Patsy Langdon Gorveatte
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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
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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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6 Comments

It doesn't get much better than this!!!

7/16/2014

1 Comment

 
Good gravy I’m having a great week.  Lovely compliments and eye candy coming out of the woodwork.  So many talented rug hookers bringing my patterns to life!   What’s a girl to do but gush and post.  I tell you now, it doesn't get much better than this. 

I don’t mean to steal these gals thunder, I don’t pretend that my little drawings place more importance over the rug hooking, but I do feel like a small part of a team when I see pictures of my completed designs. 

All in all, this sure is shaping up to be a fantastic week!  5000 plus likes on my Facebook page, the compliment of the year from a customer and eye candy to feast on.....candy might be dandy but rug hooking doesn't rot your teeth!  

This first design is called Peking Dragons, and I designed it for Armenia Corkum back in 2001. The Main Street Hookers all decided to hook an Oriental design and I custom created this pattern for the occasion.  She choose the colours she loves and although they were beautiful, Caroline went with the colour palette that makes me jump for joy.  I'm a primary girl, give me red, yellow and blue any day and I'll be singing in the rain!  This rug would fit in my house perfectly! 

I asked Caroline to say a few words about her masterpiece. 

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Hi Christine - Thank you for your kind comments about my rug, and more especially, for creating Peking Dragons, such a great design in the first place. You're probably wondering how I came to have that pattern. Apparently, about 10-12 years ago, you drew it out (or as I was told, had a Chinese lady draw the symbols) for a fiber artist here in Fredericton. I know her first name was Mary, but I can't think of the last name for the life of me. Anyway, when she died, some of her rug hooking materials were passed on to the Cathedral Matters to do with as they saw fit. Thus, earlier this year, for a donation to the Cathedral Matters, I acquired the pattern. The linen still had the original tag on it, with a price of $70. I fell in love with the design at first sight, and after some thought, decided to dye the wools in colours I thought would suit both it and my living room. The background is 4 shades of blue, mixed together in a bag, and randomly selected and hooked in straight lines to conform to traditional oriental rugs. The brick shade used in the symbols was abrashed with black to give it a mottled colouring. I've been a little obsessed with hooking for the past couple of years....this was a great piece to try as my first "large" rug. I started it on April 7, and finished it this past Saturday, July 12th, hooking virtually every evening for 2-3 hours. You would think I'd be glad to be finished (and I am!), but of course, I got right back to work on another mat. One day, when I finally get down to your part of NS, I'm looking forward to dropping into your shop. Your patterns are really wonderful.

Best wishes, Caroline Montgomery Simpson

And next but definitely not least, Janet Delo is hooking "Alice" and was in the shop on Saturday for a bit more wool and some show and tell.  She certainly made my day.  After seeing this work in progress I was floating, my feet barely touched the ground.   There are not enough words to describe how much something is liked, loved and appreciated. Janet's colour plan is perfect for this design and she's working in the traditional #3 cut. She's used spot dyes in some of the floral motifs and Eggplant (Dorr) for all of the scroll lines. Everything is perfectly balanced and complimentary.   I see Celebration Magazine in its future and I'm going to use this plan in one of my Initially Yours letters! 
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Thank-you both for sharing and helping to make me current and interesting on my Facebook and Blog.  Without everyone's help and constant supply of delicious rugs to view, I wouldn't have the wow factor!    Bless you all for sharing!  Both patterns are on my Signature Designs page.  Click the link to view.  http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/signature-designs.html

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Louisa Horne is exercising her artistic prowess in the drawing and hooking of her three King Charles Spaniels.  I remember that one is Casey and another Finnegan but sorry I can't recall the third one's name.  For all you Canadian baby boomers you'll remember the beloved children's show with Mr. Dressup and his two sidekicks, a boy Casey and non talking puppet pup, Finnegan. 

This rug is going to have a huge appeal. A forever keepsake of her precious furry kids.  They look so real you want to stretch out your hand to get a lick and give a pat. 

1 Comment

Another sleepless night.....another pattern finished! 

7/9/2014

1 Comment

 
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The night before last I felt as if I was bedded down in a seedy motel equipped with a faulty neon light flashing on and off right outside the window. No, I’ve never stayed in a seedy motel, but I’ve seen enough dives on TV; roach infested, pay by the hour rooms, that left little to the imagination and more than enough experience to offer a comparison.    

The Mahone Bay power was rocking to a steady beat of on and off.  I was still awake at 1:30 am when the power cut out the first time.  Click and then blackness.  Click and then everything started flashing.  The heat pump  kicked back in and the motion detector light in the hall came on.  The house alarm groaned, the smoke detectors coughed and the clock radio sputtered.  It was out and then in and then out again, sometimes all in the same split second.  At first it was like repeater gun fire, on and off bang, bang.  Then it stayed on for a few minutes and then went out again.  Each time causing a series of clicks and hums as electrical components whirred back to life and then croaked again from the lack of juice.   All in all there were about 25 outages, hopefully controlled from power central, if not, there was some crazy stuff going on that needs investigating. 

I noticed around the third outage, Honey, my oldest poodle started to do the shimmy shake.  She’s always been nervous around loud sounds like gun fire, (hunting season noises from the wooded area behind our house)  and fireworks.  I guess she thought we were being invaded because she crawled up and laid over my neck, her soft underbelly vibrating like a washer during spin cycle.  I wrapped my arms around her and snuggled tight but the tremors continued.   The crazy off and on continued for over an hour with lights flashing and clicking sounds to disturb all of our sleep…except of course for Fiz, my red girl,  who is always undaunted.....her snores adding to the din of the night.    

The power has never fluctuated like that.  Sure it goes out occasionally but never spasms like a nervous twitch.   At one point I started wondering if it was our house or the entire town and got out of bed to keep an eye on the street light down the road.  I didn’t have long to wait for confirmation, within minutes the town to was in blackness.  I crawled back under the covers and snuggled Honey and then noticed that Jake was taking up some of the paranoia, standing and panting and then shortly after Henri followed suit.  Both of the boys crawled up around my head and snuggled so close it was like wearing a dog hat.  Poor little things were nervous Nellies but I loved that they came to momma to protect them.  They like to act tough but really they are like little children afraid of the big scary things of this world. 

So all these interruptions, compiled with the fact that sleep was eluding me, I might as well have got up and hooked, put on my miner’s head lamp and pulled a few loops in the dark.  There is nothing worse than wasting time in bed awake, waiting, waiting, waiting for sleep to engulf me.  It’s frustrating but you can’t get up because you never know when the sandman will hit. 

I finished the O today at the hook-in, sadly pulling the last few strips to complete the rug.  I really enjoyed this one, the colours were electric and I couldn’t help but smile from the glow.  I asked a man once which dog he loved the most.  He had just lost an older guy and had adopted a new fellow.  His reply was interesting.  He said he loves the one he has now the most and I marveled at the sense of it all.  Being a bit of a pathetic drawn out mourner, I could never get over the lost love of a precious pet and move on easily, but as life goes on so does love, it needs to be nurtured and spread around like butter on toast. We should always be in the stasis of love, never sad from the past that is now gone, we have our memories to carry us forward.   Our hearts have many chambers to fill with love for our furry kids.   I talk a big tale; hope I can follow my own advice when old, old, very old age claims one of mine. 

This is how I feel about these Initially Yours patterns.  The one I like most is the one on my frame.  As I near completion of each initial I begin to grow excited over the next one.  I’ve decided to do the G next.  G is for Gregg, my hubby and the colours are subdued on this one.  Browns, Turkey Red and a delicious plaid that encompasses all of the colours and will blend a custom mix.   I was so busy at work today I didn’t get the G drawn out so I am hookless tonight.  Maybe a break might help get some laundry and the dishes done.  Not as much fun but a necessary evil.      
1 Comment

The ABC's of rug hooking!

7/7/2014

7 Comments

 
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What a fabulous weekend.  It was too windy Saturday evening and too hot all day Sunday to work outside so I was happy to play, and play I did.  I hooked my heart out and then hooked some more.  The storm came and went and left a few leaves in the yard and knocked over the clematis tuteur, but other than that we were unscathed. Other didn't fare so well. 

I opened the shop on Saturday despite the wind and a few people wandered in while Charlene, Patsy and I hooked.   I started and finished the A and then began the O Sunday afternoon.   I'm pretty jazzed about the greens and purples, they literally glow.

So far, I am still pushing the endorphins as I think about, and colour plan each letter.  This O represents the 9th letter with more ahead than behind me, but the creative juices are flowing so I’ll ride the wave as long as I’m having fun.   I feel the poster, the end result from all these letters,  will be perfect for colour planning so it will be practical as well as pretty.  I can see it in my head as clear as day and that's what lights my fire. 

The A was hooked for my Aunt Audrey.  I'm still picking through the letters that mean something and then will fill in the ones that don't.  I could have said the A was for the storm "Arthur", but who wants to celebrate something that causes destruction.  A is also for Ashley, Shane's girlfriend.  Pretty with delicate pink flowers and a mossy green letter. I feel the darker green plaid offers a depth to the background as if looking through a dense bit of foliage.

The O is hooked with three value Mint and Blue Violet, Purple Rain spot and Jolly Green Spot.  O is for Olsen, my mother's maiden name.  It could also stand for "Over" the moon because this is the 9th letter I've worked on!  
I am in love with the Purple Rain effect!   I have enough of the letters hooked now that you can see how colourful the poster will be.  If you would like to see how they are shaping up, click this link:  http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html

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7 Comments

Happy Canada Day!

7/1/2014

6 Comments

 
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All I can say is thank god I never tried cigarettes and liquor as a teenager.  With my kind of addictive behavior I would be a two packer and big time boozer today.   I’ve always gone at things with a fever. It’s all or nothing, hot or cold, no in-between or half way.   I’m gung-ho and think of nothing else until the fizzle as I burn down to ash.  Over the last few weeks it was my gardens, but now that the infernal heat has set in I’ll be hiding indoors for a stretch and focus on other things. 

Now I’m consumed by the Initially Yours patterns.  I want to sit and hook them all which comes with a load of frustration that I can’t do them fast enough.  Like all true obsessions this current one is ruling my life.   I can’t sleep because my brain is colour planning and I’m staying up way too late at night when I should be in bed, not that I sleep when I crawl under the covers, because I’m colour planning!!!!!

Words that best describe me are that my eyes are bigger than my stomach.  This statement usually pertains to food and I’ve had plenty of obsessions there as well, but overall it describes me to a T.   Some might say it’s a bit manic but for me I get excited about different things at different times, I focus with tunnel vision on the topic of the day and those thoughts fill my brain exclusively until I move on to the next big idea.   With my Initially Yours patterns, I hope I can keep up the momentum to do all 26.  I have 6 completed now, 20 more to go and that seems daunting.  Twenty!!!  I might need a hurrah from the crowd to keep it up!   The killer of this desire will be procrastination, an annoying attribute I’ve not been able to conquer.  I bought a book once on how to cure myself of putting things off, but of course I didn’t finish it…..  Hopefully the fuel that flames my butt keeps burning hot and strong so I don’t become complacent in this latest dream. 

I brought two new patterns home for the holiday, not that I have a chance in heck of getting them both done.  I have the M and the O.  The M is for McWhirter, Shane’s surname and the O is for Olsen, by grandparents on my mother’s side.  The dilemma is which one to start first.  If only I could tackle them both at one time but I have to be strong, I have to regiment myself to do one at time or  past behavior dictates there will be a pile of semi-finished initials around the shop.  If only I didn’t have to sleep and eat or go to work or perform daily functions, I would be able to bull ahead 24/7 and get them done by the middle of August.  I  can visualize them finished and made into a poster and I want to bring that to fruition asap because Christmas is a comin and I have more stockings to hook! 

I had the O all ready to go with a palette of greens and purples, two very complementary colours but Shane has been giving me heck, apparently when I first started hooking the initials I promised him an M pillow for his apartment so I drew off the pattern  yesterday and put the colours together.  He wanted reds, blacks, greys and white.  This intrigues me and I can see it in my head so I am dying to start it.  So many itches to scratch and only two hands!   

Just last week I was obsessed with the perfect garden.  I can’t get too distracted with letters the weeds will creep back…..I have to balance all the compulsions.  I jump from one thing to the next like a frog on lily pads.   If only cloning could be perfected.  I would love to have four or five of me to do all the grunt work, the housekeeping, the shop, the gardens, chief cook and bottle washer while I sit on my rump and hook or do the fun things in life.    Right now it is so stinking hot outside it snatches the breath away.  We are out long enough for the pups to pee and spray down my thirsty annuals and then back to the cool, dry air of the heat pump. Mr Fixit guy came over last evening and now my house is Nirvana!  Even the pups don’t want to sit outside; they lift their legs and then run for the door. 

So last night I finished the B and I was itching to start a new one but the clock hands were rolling up to 1:00 am and the angel part of my brain said it was time for bed reviled by the little devil that wanted to play some more, chase the endorphin rush of putting loops down on a fresh new backing.  Usually I finish one project and then go to the studio to put together all the ingredients for the next one but this time two are all ready to go on the kitchen island.  The temptation was strong to jump right in.  This morning I awoke to the decision that the M is next and as soon as I post this I’ll assume the position on my favourite hooking chair, and tune in Juno, a movie I taped the other evening.  The star, Ellen Page is from Halifax, NS.  I must be the very last person in Canada to see this!  The movie won an Academy Award for best original screen play.                                

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Happy Canada Day all!! "B" Happy!!!!

6 Comments

Wednesday

6/25/2014

5 Comments

 
A busy day today.  Today was hubby's and my wedding anniversary of 23 years.  He is away so I had lunch with Patsy and Heather joined us later.  Then we had a hook-in, the first one for the 4th Wed of the month.  The gals decided there should be two daytime hook-ins so we will hold them on the 2nd and 4th Wed of every month.   The 1st and 3rd are still on for evenings.    

There wasn't much time for writing so let's make it an eye candy day!   These are some of the rugs sent in or posted on FB in the last few days.  Not everyone is on FB and it's fun to share.   Except for Lucille's rug, all patterns are available on the website. 
Fran King hooked our design Tutankhamen   29" x 37"
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Kicking Up Your Heels hooked by Marjorie Duizer
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Crocks & Jugs hooked by Adena Clark
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Mermaid Mosaic hooked by Harold Conrad ----- Sharla hooked by Rhonda Musgrave
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Ladybugs I hooked by Barbara Taylor ----  Ladybugs II hooked by Adena Clark
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Sisters Linda Ruth and Lucille (right) posing with Lucille's masterpiece.   With permission she hooked a Adam Young painting called Brown House.   Absolutely breathtaking! 
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Blue Rocks hooked by Judith Lewis
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5 Comments

Glor-E be!

6/3/2014

10 Comments

 
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Another Initially Yours pattern hooked....only 23 more to go!  Hopefully I get a little help from you all out there who have purchased your special letters because I won't be able to hook them all.  In the meantime I'm having fun.  I used a shop plaid for the background #072 and #010, a lovely light teal, for the vines.  Bittersweet Three Value was the orange influence and Anjou Pear Three Value for the gold. 

All dyed wools are on our site:  http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/wool.html

Once again, I hooked all the colour using a #6 and all the plaids in a #8.  This brown was so fabulous I didn't even have to wash it to felt it.  The weave was very dense and I was in a hurry so I cut it as is.  I'll be using a piece of this as the backing for the pillow this rug will be made into. 

I hooked the E a bit different this time.  I needed to use the middle value Bittersweet against the darker background of the brown plaid as the third and darkest value, the herringbone,  didn't stand out.  I like the effect.  There is so much you can do to make these letters sing! 

I also hooked the Anjou Pear flowers with the lightest value to the outside for more contrast as well.  The E represents my father's name, Earle.  I know he would have loved these colours.  I only wish he was here so I could him this pillow........
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So the P is next.  I see pinks and purples and swirling delights.  Can't wait to get started! 
10 Comments

C is for completed!

5/31/2014

7 Comments

 
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I decided to hook my namesake initial 'C' from the new line of adapted patterns I've called Initially Yours.  I previously hooked the 'L' with a totally different colour scheme and thought "wow" this is an opportunity to play with colour!   All of the motifs are basically the same from pattern to pattern so they all jell nicely together.  The C was a lot of fun and consists of the primaries, my favourites, with a bit of green. The background was one of our shop plaids (#062) that sported a teal tinged navy.  I used three value wools for the motifs, Dory Gold, Flamboyant and Lime. 

This piece was hooked in #6 for all of the colour and #8 for the background. I love how this particular plaid spotted the surface with texture, giving the pillow a depth that only a fabulous plaid can do.  It took me three evenings to complete so I figured I'd do a few more.  I love turquoise and brown so I think I'll do the next initial with this colour grouping...the question is which one....hmmm...... 

To view the designs click the link:  http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html

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7 Comments

Whirlwind Tuesday!

4/29/2014

1 Comment

 
PictureMR. LUCKY
What a whirlwind day!  It started this morning with the release of the little mink I rescued and delivered to Hope for Wildlife to be nursed back to health.  He's a fighter that guy.  After a run in with a vehicle he's blind in one eye but as feisty as ever.  We released him in Mahone Bay today and he made a bolt for his new lease on life.  We call him Mr. Lucky!  I plan to write a blog about his release this evening with all the cute details!   This is the closest I'll ever get to a real mink...coat that is!

The busy shop blind sided me so I didn't get upstairs to blog although I tried several times...it wasn't meant to be.  Now it's almost 6:00 pm and I have to go home for dinner...where does the time go? 

So I thought I would post some eye candy pictures of what Shane has been up to in the dye kitchen.  We are stocking the shop to ceiling level!  It was a cold day today and the need to "bundle up" fit in with all the bundles he's been creating. 

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FRUITOPIA-
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SPRING PASTELS
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BLUE VIOLET
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HOT PINK
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We are busy stocking the back pattern room. 
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News Flash!

Rug hooking has taken off in Uganda! A week or so back Mary Schlech was in the shop to take some rug hooking supplies, Sock Monkey kits, frames and hooks to two young girls in Uganda. The hooking bug has bitten and Mary found burlap bags from a coffee shop, burly yarn, and crochet hooks for others that were excited to try. She says there is no stopping these amazing women and girls. She said she had trouble explaining a sock monkey, settled on "a doll"! Most completed their project in 2 days
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1 Comment

Initially Yours

4/25/2014

12 Comments

 
PictureL IS FOR LITTLE AND LOVE!
I couldn’t sleep the other night and after wrestling with covers, tossing and turning with a whole lot of groaning, this thought balloon popped into my head.   Then, fired up, I couldn’t get to sleep at all, finally drifting off around 4:00 am.   It seems the bedroom and the bathroom yield some of the best ideas! 

So I’ve come up with 26 letters of the alphabet, a small project, 16 x 16 that is perfect for a pillow topper.   I immediately jumped to the "L" and took it home last night to hook but didn't get settled in my hooking chair until late in the evening so didn't get it finished as hoped, but there is enough done to get the picture of how cute they will be.  I worked it in bright colours to add fun to the design.  Normally I would have used the primaries as my entire house is red, blue and yellow themed, but this one is for the shop and will have a price tag for the summer trade.   Next I’m thinking about hooking the letter M for my son’s surname.  I’ve never hooked anything for him so a pillow for his apartment would be a nice gesture.  He wants it in colours to match his furniture, reds, browns, black and grey.  A completely opposite colour plan but will be just as lovely.  I hope to use plaids for a rich, study sort of look. 

The patterns are not very detailed so I hooked in #7 and #8 for the speed factor but it can be hooked in smaller cuts for those who prefer it.  The line of designs will be called "Initially Yours" so when ordering ask for Iniatially Yours and the letter you wish to hook. 
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html

I now have the red dots made for each letter and we will work on getting them on the website asap.  The designs are all basically the same, featuring similar motifs arranged differently.  The letters are a strong focal and uppercase. A perfect  size pattern for gift giving, especially for a newly married couple!   You can also use the letters for first names and have personalized pillows for each family member, an heirloom the kids can take with them when they move out of the nest on their journey to adulthood.  A small project that packs a big punch.  


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12 Comments

Taxes, a short rant and some eye candy.....

4/24/2014

10 Comments

 
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EYE CANDY HOOKED BY COLETTE GATES! "DRAGONFLIES BOUQUET" 36" DIA.
Yesterday was all about taxes.  The night before I was up until 3:30 getting the paper work ready and wasn’t capable of forming a sentence when I got home. Too stupid to blog.  The trip to the accountants yesterday was unfavourable so the mood hung like a fowl stench for the rest of the day.  I’ve learned not to write when I’m miserable as the drivel that comes out of my head is tainted with negativity and that isn’t the approach I wished to take.   I can’t say I slept last evening because numbers were rolling around in my head like ocean surf, pounding my poor brain to mush.  My accountant says every year I cry and wondered where the tears were for 2013, but I’m beyond those now.  I think it’s time to face facts.  I will never pull a paycheque from this business.   Mahone Bay and surrounding area is too small a population base for the traffic I would need to be in the black.   I’m not willing to pull up stakes and move to the city so it is what it is….a small craft business with limitations. 

The thing that consoles me is that I provide a decent living for my son and get to work with him every day.  That is priceless for me.  If I wanted to get rich I’d be running a Tim Horton’s or one of the fast food joints that make fast money.  For me the joy is being able to play and be creative. Thankfully I have the best husband in the world that supports me and allows me to have the freedom to pursue an artistic outlet without having to worry about lining my pocket.   I’m a lucky girl…but if that hunk of man ever leaves me, my door will be closed in the blink of an eye  and I’ll be brushing up my resume……so let’s hope I don’t piss the sweetie off!

I’m still reeling a bit from the grey day yesterday so it might be an opportune time to whine a bit about something that’s unfair.  Maybe if more folks did this, business would be better so maybe it’s a fitting topic after a bad news from the accountant.  I would also like to take the time to say thank-you to those that do this as I wear a smile you could see for a mile!

When you show off your gorgeous hooked rugs and have them printed in various newsletters or magazines it is paramount to list the designer of the rug.  This is the way to bring awareness to our work and support our shops to keep us going.     Having a rug featured in a magazine is a coup for the both of us.  Bringing attention for your excellent execution of the piece, your hooking and colour choices is grand, but it is just as important to the shop, and or designer, to gets a plug for their contribution.   That equates to future business; that means helping to keep the doors open. 

The last newsletter of our NS Guild posted a picture of a rug that made the cut for Celebration’s Magazine but there was no mention of me or my shop as the designer for the pattern.  I only pray that the Celebration editors know the score and I am mentioned there or I might have a bloody fit.  Maybe I shouldn’t leave this one to fate and email someone to make sure they know but damn I shouldn’t have too! 

Then there was a William Morris rug shown in the same newsletter that has been hooked as a fund raiser and although Will is the designer, I tweaked the pattern for rug hooking and it is sold in my shop so at least a mention of Encompassing Designs would have made me happy.  That was two for two in one edition of the newsletter!  What is the good of showing off a fabulous rug without mentioning where the pattern came from if purchased, so others can experience the fun of hooking it as well? 

I can count the times this has happened to me on my toes and fingers and on Shane’s digits as well, maybe even more.  It’s a standing joke around here, not that it’s a laughing matter.  But I guess if you don’t laugh, you’d cry.    We say, “Yup, forgotten again, hahaha”.   I do notice it happens with other designers as well…back me up on this with a comment please so I don’t look like the only unlucky soul…if you don’t I might become paranoid and think it’s a conspiracy against me!  I’m on the soap box for all of the unmentioned out there!    

Rugs that receive accolades, are featured in shows and articles that don’t mention who designed them is unfair.  I never know if it is neglect or done on purpose to claim it as their own.  I’ve had that happen to me several times when someone asked me to design a custom rug and then the person says they did it.  The design is my artwork, even if you brought forth the basic concept….my artwork, my design.   So all I’m asking is to please give the designer credit so their work can be appreciated and maybe help support their shops to remain in business!  Word of mouth is a bit of free advertising that we can all use to keep in business.  Anyway that’s my rant for today…..

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CELTIC CROSSROADS DESIGNED AND HOOKED BY CHARLENE SCOTT
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CELTIC SWIRL HOOKED BY CHARLENE SCOTT
10 Comments

Grenfell Rugs

4/9/2014

8 Comments

 
Thanks so much for sharing Dick!
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Auctioned piece that sold for $5400.00
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Dick's Adaptation of a Grenfell rug.
This wonderful 21"X28" mat was estimated to sell for around $1500.00 at auction Tuesday night in Dover, NH. The estimate was WAY off as the gavel dropped at $5400.00. Worth every penny, I think. My poor adaptation will keep me happy for years…or until one of the kids "runs off" with it! A "tip of the hat" to the Grenfell Mission, the artists and the inspiration that the craft still supports. Dick Barr

Grenfell Mission is a medical and religious mission founded by Sir Wilfred Grenfell in the late 19th century in St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The purpose of the mission was to help the poor with food, clothing and medical care, as well as improving their global economic conditions. The mission was created by Grenfell and modeled after a Boston hospital founded and managed by Jessie Luther.

Grenfell Mission was famous for its burlap rugs, which were sold to hospitals in the United States and Britain. Encouraged and promoted by Dr.Grenfell, the rug makers of the mission used designs created by Mrs. Grenfell. Beginning in the early 20th century, the International Grenfell Association (IGA) hired Jessie Luther of Providence, Rhode Island, to set up and direct the Grenfell Industrial Department. Grenfell established retail shops in England and in several U.S. cities. These shops were staffed by volunteers and augmented by traveling salesmen. Following the death of Dr. Grenfell and the surge in machine-made rug production, the business gradually failed. Grenfell rugs remain highly prized by folk art collectors.

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The quiet months of February and March were known as the "matting season" along the rugged coast of northern Newfoundland and Labrador. It was a time of respite from the fishing season. Generations old by the time the Grenfell Mission began, the roots of mat hooking lay with the founding English and Scottish settlers. The women all hooked, most from their earliest childhood.

In 1892, when Dr. Wilfred T. Grenfell arrived from England, he met courageous, hardworking people who were fighting terrible odds against chronic disease, hunger, poverty and exploitation. From his determination to alleviate their distress, Grenfell's medical mission began. His conviction that outright gifts of money, food and clothing would offer no long term help led to the development of a cottage industry known as "the Industrial," which produced distinctive handicrafts including hooked mats. The mat industry rose to peak production in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It began to decline as the effects of the Great Depression reached the region and fell off dramatically after World War II.

In 1905, Grenfell met Jessie Luther, an American woman who had set up a sanitarium with crafts as part of the treatment. Excited by her methods Grenfell encouraged her to come north. In 1906, Luther journeyed to the tiny settlement of St. Anthony on the northeastern most tip of Newfoundland to establish a weaving project by which the local women could augment their families' meager and unreliable income from fishing.


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Map of Newfoundland (chrome).
Silk or rayon stocking material, dyed; 42" x 31 1/2";
Mat maker unknown, ca. 1938.

8 Comments

Hit & Miss....hit me....how did I miss it?

4/8/2014

12 Comments

 
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I didn’t realize I could have so much fun hooking something so simple.  A customer asked for a Hit & Miss project on Saturday and we put the wool together so I could assemble a kit.  She choose bright  colours with  a black grid and was pretty enthused but then changed her mind, thinking maybe she would rather hook something more relevant to her taste and wanted to think about it some more.  After she left,  I looked at the pile of wool and what came to mind?  I swear I said......"Then I’ll do it myself, said the "Little" red hen!"  I figured it would make a great new kit for the summer tourist trade.   I didn’t realize how much fun was awaiting me. 

So I made up a pattern yesterday and took it home and started around 9:30 in the evening.  I watched it evolve and was struck by how soothing this traditional style of hooking could be. Most of my projects are thought provoking and more complicated as far as shading and colour placement go, but this straight line format was just as exciting, watching the colour pile up on the backing.  The colours play off one another, complimenting and highlighting the one next to it, bold and strong against pastel and soft, perfectly matching as a whole.   Line after line, hooked without much thought except for never using the same two pieces together sure makes for quick work.  If only the clock hadn’t foiled me by running out of time.   Begrudgingly I put down my work and went  to bed thinking if only I had another two hours I could have finished it, but then again there is tonight!

I now have a taste for this very savoury dish and I think I’d like more.   I’ve always admired Hit & Miss rugs but for some reason never thought to do it myself.  I’m so happy for the gal who brought it to my radar.   This old dog learned a simple new trick.  Of all the hit and miss going on around me I wished I’d clued in earlier, but then again, better late than never!

12 Comments

Spring where art thou?

4/1/2014

6 Comments

 
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I'm feeling a bit responsible for this terrible weather!  I swore I'd have my Spring Bunnies With Tulips done for April 1st and although I stayed up until 2:30 last night and made a valiant effort I fell short of the mark.  There is only about two hours worth of work to complete so it will be finished by the end of the day, with the help of some toothpicks to hold up my eyelids. Unfortunately, the deal I negotiated with Mother Nature, to flush winter down the toilet had a March 30th deadline and I failed to come through.  She prevailed with high winds, ice pellets and more snow!   The punishment?  We will now have 15 more days of winter.  So sorry folks, I let you all down.....

I still have the lace to hook in the border, finish the two bunnies and that last tulip.  I over-dyed a plaid with red violet for the border and Shane dyed up a very pale Lavender for the lace.  The three fingers of the plaid in each piece of lace makes it look like cotton eyelet with a background showing through.   So little left to do and then the whipping! 

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We've had some eye candy come in.  Hopefully these lovely golds and greens will take the edge off the winter blues.  This piece is called FENCED IN and was hooked by Tanya McNutt.  It's listed under my Signature Designs.  She mixed it up a bit and make the flowers proddy which gave this whimsical pattern even more punch.  I love that she added a black sheep, one that jumped the fence.  Clever and adorable! 

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This piece is called PUMPKINS 4 YOU and was sent in by Donna Thompson for her mom.  Donna, tell mom she gets a 50% discount off her next pattern of like size.   This note came with the picture!  Thanks for sharing!

"To help you remember us, my mom Dot Chisholm and I visit your shop every year at the end of the summer. Mom loves your shop. When we were there last Sept she bought this mat and the wool to hook it and I think you told her you didn't have a picture of it. Here is the finished mat."   
 

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Patty Tyrrell hooked my Tails Of The Heart.  I always knew it would be stunning and she proved me right!  I love her choice of colours.  The fun play on words describes the tails shaped like hearts. Being the first time hooked Patty gets a certificate of 50% off her next pattern.  She's going for the Crocks & Jugs. 

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Mermaid Mosaic, designed by Sue Cunningham, hooked by Judy Gill.   Blue being my favourite colour I can relate perfectly to this rug. To date it hadn't been hooked and I can't think of a better colour choice and this rug would fit in my home like a worn in pair of shoes, comfortable and at ease with my blue and white China.  Judy is also entitled to a 50% discount on her next pattern for being the first to present a hooked picture.

6 Comments

We must never forget.......

3/24/2014

1 Comment

 
I had a difficult Sunday.   The shop was really busy Saturday and by the time dinner was over I was useless for anything except warming the sofa with my backside.  Every now and then hubby and I do a marathon of TV so we watched two movies that had been around a while but had escaped my radar.  The Help was the first and although there were comedic parts I found little to laugh over, except of course for the payback pie which I applauded vigorously.  The way Black people were treated then, and still now, is an abomination, and I get choked over the travesty of it all.  

So already in a sad mindset, I definitely made a mistake when we noticed Schindler’s List was on and started watching it. I sat through the entire movie with my mouth agape and tears in my eyes.   The acting was very realistic, showing the callous indifference to human life it its rawest form.  It was horrific to watch the suffering and murder of so many men, woman and children whose only crime was the culture they were born into.   We all know of the atrocities Hitler committed against the Jewish people but seeing it so graphically portrayed made the truth even more real.    

Then I couldn’t sleep.  I am a very sensitive person.  When upset I stay upset for a long time.  It doesn’t roll off my back easily.  I’ll go to my grave trying to understand how flesh and blood people can be viewed as non-human; vermin; rats.   I know a fair amount about the Nazi’s, have seen a lot of documentaries and read several books on Hitler. Not out of fascination but trying to understand how such a monster can walk among us.  I think I was 20 when I read the Nuremberg Trials, trying to understand the thinking of madmen.   It’s so big you can’t get your thoughts around it all and if you let the heaviness consume you, you would sink to the depths of despair and never resurface.   Maybe if I had a bit of prejudice in me I could understand the insanity of their logic, but I’m a clean slate on that front.  I’m a product of my mother who believed we are all equal, the only separation is whether we are kind or evil. 

So there was a lot of tossing and turning into Sunday morning and then discussions all day with hubby.   A lot of times I am ashamed to be part of the human race and maybe why I find so much solace in my dogs. 

So while I was in that dark place I opened my novel and did a bit of writing.  The blackness that engulfed me was the perfect mindset for delving into the psych of a killer.   So I spent the day reading to get reacquainted with the story, editing and adding thoughts to The Charnel. It was stimulating to be back in the saddle and I really need to squeeze out the time to work on it this close to the finish line.    

Finding extra time in a day is a challenge.  Maybe I need to dump the cable TV. I bitch how there is nothing on and get angry at the crap that is offered.   Most of the favourites we follow could be watched on the computer.  It’s just so easy to plunk down on the sofa and snuggle with the dogs and get lost in the comfort and warmth of the fire.  Although now, that even comes with a mitt full of guilt.  We just watched a show on PBS that said sitting is a killer.  Our bodies need to move, and move frequently.  Get up often for breaks, a drink, a snack, just walk around, don’t sit for a prolonged time because it is the short road to health problems.  Sorry, I guess I am still full of doom and gloom from the weekend…..and after watching the weather channel to be told of the pending storm and winds about to bear down on us, maybe I won’t crawl out of this funk until later in the week.  WHERE THE HECK #*(^#!^*@%&? IS SPRING?????

So to lighten the mood……A lot of you are following Armenia Corkum’s progress on Facebook on her Crocks & Jugs showpiece.  She’s using all plaids, herringbone and textures for the crocks and jugs, a beige plaid for the background and the borders will be decided last.  The jug on the far right is a light grey herringbone not in the picture below.  The rusty orange herringbone jug in the center is spectacular and that wool will probably be used as a thin line before the border to tie it in.  She is having a lot of fun with this project!  I was told Saturday that she will do a second one for a gift for a loved one.  She bought a lot of the plaids when we had the sale so there is enough to do the second rug.      
   

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The plaids are numbered from left to right and show on the website.
#065/054/056/048/068/069
To view on the website click this link:
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/plaids--textures.html
1 Comment

Thanks all for sharing!!!

3/21/2014

3 Comments

 
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Hello Christine!

I continue to enjoy your blog. Check up on you everyday.Thanks for taking the time. Sometimes I read a paragraph or two, out load, for my wife to enjoy. She's the hooker in the other recliner on the far side of the wood stove.  I always wanted a Grenfell rug…maybe someday, but in the mean- time this adaptation of one I saw in an Antiques magazine will have to do. 
Keep up the Great work,
See you this Summer!
Sincerely,
Dick Barr

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Hi Christine:
 
I had ordered some wool a few months ago and was very pleased!  I am attaching my Santa rug which I just completed using these wools.  I am so pleased with the results.  (The lighting isn't that great in these pics and don't do the rug justice)
 
I was diagnosed with Parkinson's 4 years ago and haven't been able to hook for a few years.  My doctor has prescribed a new med which has made such a difference. 
My motto since receiving my diagnosis is "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain!" 

I decided to try hooking again and am glad to say that I am able to and believe the hooking is actually helping my hands.  I am so excited to be able to hook again!!  My only problem is which rug to hook next!!

 
Have a great day!

Wanda Golds
 

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Fine Beer Served Here by Adena Clark.  This pattern was designed in my first year of business. No one seemed to like it so it never sold.  I never knew why, it had a splendid message and who doesn't like a fine beer!  #1 selling alcoholic beverage in the world?....probably?   Adena found it in my seconds bin, a place for patterns that don't sell or have a slight mistake in the drawing and had the same thought as me....sweet mancave piece!  I was so happy someone finally saw the merit of this piece so now it has a hooked face and is very lovely!  Then by chance someone else ordered the pattern only last week before I had the finished picture so maybe the vibe is out there!  Maybe I should do one, "Fine Wine While You Dine"?
3 Comments

Oy vey, what a day!

3/13/2014

7 Comments

 
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I must say I felt a bit like Santa at the North Pole yesterday.  We loaded up the sleigh....I mean car, with a lot of parcels, to send out to all the good little hookers.  More will go tomorrow as there is only so many you can wrap in a day!   We are busy little elves here in hooking land!  Michelle does the wrapping and usually the post office run but had an appointment and left early so I had the pleasure of taking them to the post office.  Michelle who works for me part time, is a poached employee of Canada Post where she's worked for 30 years, so she is very familiar with the process.  I leave your parcels in good hands!

It’s raining cats and dogs right now so the snow will be gone soon.  It left a trenched rut in the driveway as it washed away the crushed gravel to the base of the hill.  It’s also above freezing so the harbour will be clear of ice soon.  Is Spring on its way or is this another tease?  

Yesterday we had a bit of excitement when the front door knob fell off.  We had to call in reinforcements so Hubby to the rescue.  Once again the lifetime warrantee of the very expensive door handle was used.  Hubby took the broken parts to the hardware store for replacements and we were back in the business of warmth.  It was pretty chilly in the shop for a bit with it open to make repairs.  Just one exciting thing after another to keep us hopping.


Shane is leaving for a week’s holiday in the sun. A well deserved vacation.  He’s been in the dye pot all week,  his skin must be steamed to perfection and the lanolin in the wool makes for velvety soft hands....a perk for his girlfriend!  The shop felt like a fast forward movie yesterday, all moving at a hare’s pace.  I never got upstairs to blog and by the end of the day I had two grey cells left and that wasn’t enough to fuse together a sentence.  

I took the sack of parcels to the
post office and then skipped off home after grocery shopping for spare ribs.  I put them in the oven and made a beeline for the sofa for a predinner nap.  Woke up at 8:00 pm to meat falling off the bone and made a bit of rice and veg and dinner was served. I prefer days that are pumped with adrenalin and the phone ringing all the day long.  It's music to my ears.  I like the pace of it all.  Being fast paced, it works in a bit of exercise, something I never get enough of.

The hook-in was fun.  I finally got upstairs after organizing what parcels would be going and I worked on hubby’s bedroom floor mat for his side of the bed.   The highlight was two sisters, showing  new projects.  Linda Ruth has started Humphrey, a big ole bulldog.  It’s not a small rug per the usually for Linda Ruth but this one need to be proportioned to the size of the big boy showstopper.   It’s for the Rug Gallery in her antique barn this summer.  Her sister is hooking her own geometric design with a super colour plan.  Those two definitely fell from the same tree as their tastes are very similar.

It’s March break right now and usually it's quiet but this year we are buzzing right along.  Nancy will be home with her daughter and Michelle is working at the post office so the shop will be quiet as Shane and I don't talk that much when we are in work mode.   He puts his ear buds in and I am in my head until a customer comes in.   It’s Shane’s last day before his holiday so we’ll have a few chats about business and the week ahead.  I’ll be in the dye pots, something I’m actually looking forward too.  I’ve always enjoyed dyeing but don’t get to do much these days.  It will be a nice break from the normal day to day stuff.  I might play around a bit and work on some things I’ve been thinking about.  I’ve just purchased 100 skeins of washed white yarn and want to do a few baskets of just sky and water.   I’ll visualize, execute and enjoy.  Love baskets on the floor filled with dyed wool, like a big bag of colourful candy.

I saw a saying this evening.  A meal without wine is called breakfast.   Something about that hit the funny bone and I’m thinking it should be made into a rug.  I also saw one that said, “I’m so excited about spring I wet my plants”  I can see that as clear as day too.  Too bad I couldn’t project my thoughts directly on the paper, get rid of the middle man drawing stuff,  laser stare it on linen.    I’ve been collecting sayings for years, anything that would translate to a hooked rug...soon time to work on a collection!


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HUMPHREY in the making.
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7 Comments

Cotton Dish Cloths

3/3/2014

6 Comments

 
I don't think I have the skill to knit my way into a sweater but that doesn't stop me from fooling around with the craft. I've made the odd scarf, odd being the key word.  I have a problem with tension so it looked like an hour glass, too tight, too loose, too tight and so on.  I do like the feel of knitting, the clicking of the needles reminds me of the "chirping of the sparrows', the sound made by shuffling Mahjong tiles. 

I do like knitting cotton dishcloths.  Long ago, I discovered them at a craft sale and started making my own ever since.  They seem more forgiving, probably due to their small size.  I can almost manage to finish one without dropping a stitch and making a hole.  I've tried a few patterns, mostly simple squares.  I can knit as long as nothing happens, if I drop a stitch, I'm not able to figure out how to make it right and that means either unraveling it all or accepting the hole.  Every dishcloth I knit seems to have one hole.  I just can't seem to knit any kind of perfection.  I guess like me they're flawed and therefore special!  If anyone asks, I say I do it purposely, the hole represents a place to put my finger to hang on to the cloth.  

I held a rug hooking workshop at the studio a few years back and Bette Young gave me this round dishcloth instruction.  I screwed it up six million times and she fixed it for me....the patience of Job that woman!  It was definitely challenging for me with all the counting and being distracted.  I like the roundness of this design.  I've posted the knitting instructions as a picture file if you wish to copy and paste it to print off. 
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I have a fabulous Martha Washington side table that holds all of my hooking tools and knitting supplies.  The sides each have flip up tops that expose deep pockets that take the  length of the knitting needles nicely.  The front drawers are perfect for hooks and whipping needles, thread and all the notions needed for crafts. 
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6 Comments

March's Pattern of the Month

2/28/2014

1 Comment

 
It's not too late to join our PATTERN OF THE MONTH CLUB & CONTEST!!!  January and February patterns will be available any time if you wish to catch up.  January's will not need to be hooked and presented for judging until March 30th so there's lots of time!  These patterns are only small, 17" x 12" so hooking will be a snap and maybe you'll win a 3 pack of Dorr Natural or the grand prize of $500 shopping spree!   So far, three finished January patterns have come in...it's very exciting! 

March's POM

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I wasn't able to get in to edit my website all day today due to complications with the website provider.  I'm saving my Friday's blog to post on Monday!  It was a long and frustrating day! 

March is a very busy month.  Being a woman, I felt "Woman's History Month" should take first seat so there are silhouettes of woman dancing, holding hands, all shapes and sizes, young and old.  The dancing also ties in with the National Association for Music Education Day so the treble clef and music notes commemorate that special event. 

Of course the Daffodil is the most popular symbol for the month, second in line the Shamrock, for a a bit of Irish luck on St. Patrick's Day.  I made it fancy but hooking it just a simple green will do.  

The cross to the right of the Shamrock can represent one of two events.  Good Friday as a religious symbol.  I hid the base of the cross from sight so that it could also be the symbol for the American Red Cross.   Hook which ever one is near and dear to your heart.  
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Mahone Bay Oriental

2/26/2014

2 Comments

 
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MAHONE BAY ORIENTAL HOOKED BY JANET PERCIULIS
I woke early this morning with expectations of a great day.  The air was crisp and cold but refreshing after a toasty night under the covers.  I love fresh air, like to throw the windows open every couple of days to let the stale air escape and bring in the new.  Sometime I even sleep with the window cracked if the fire in the wood stove is especially hot.  The heat drifts up the stairs and almost mummifies us.  I don't like sleeping with the door closed so the only alternative is to open the window. 

Hump day in Mahone Bay is refuse pick-up.  I bagged up the garbage and wrestled the large compost bin to the road.  It's a man's job, especially since it hasn't been emptied since Christmas. It weighed as much as a hippo out of water as I struggled to get it down the long driveway.  Not a bad bit of exercise to start the day and it felt so good I ran back up the hill to get the bags and had a jog to the roadside and back again.  The air was cold on the face, I didn't dare lick my dry lips or I'd have to rub olive oil on them for days as they crack and split.  Olive Oil is my healthy substitute for chapstick, natural and tasty although it comes with a pasta craving!  The harbour has a light skim of ice again, after that warm spell last week it had cleared and I could once again hear the waves lapping the shore. I had high hopes that spring was coming but now we're back in a deep frost. 

I lit the fire and put my four eggs on to boil.  I chop three with butter in a bowl and share them with the pups and take the extra one to work for an afternoon snack.  Eggs are nature's perfect food and for a diabetic the protein is good.  My
cholesterol is perfect after years of this breakfast regime so I figure, don't fix what ain't broke.  I threw a dozen or so lamb kidneys in a pan for the pups breakfast.  Cheap dog food and they love organ meat!  Cooking it stinks up their house with the smell of urine but I love my dogs and deal with it.  There might be a bit of retching when I slice them up but it entertains the dogs as they hang around my feet waiting for a morsel to fall off the counter.  They can smell what's coming and salivate...kidney is the dog's chocolate. 

Michelle, one of my new employees bought my poodles a laser pen at the dollar store so I played with them until they were so out of breath and collapsed on the floor panting.  Only three get it. Fiz, our princess, is much too refined to lose her mind over such a silly game. She watched from her perch on the sofa arm and I could almost hear her thoughts as she stuck her nose in the air. We call her the fun police.  If Honey, our oldest girl gets too excited she will jump down, corral her and  growl as if to say, watch it sista, show a little class! 

I felt alive this morning, eager to start the day.  I had time to spare so I turned on the computer to see if there were any emails and was absolutely delighted to see a picture of my Mahone Bay Oriental rug come in.  I'd just posted the pattern last week, finally drawn for the shop after the initial one I designed for the client almost a year ago.  To see it hooked elevated my day from great to fantastic!  I knew then that nothing could spoil this morning and I'd ride the high of it throughout the day.  Nothing.....absolutely nothing....brings me more joy in the shop than seeing one of my designs hooked!   Staring at a computer screen, I can control my emotions but not so much when they are brought in for me to view in the flesh. Sometimes, much to my embarrassment, my face turns beat red and I tear up.   I don't mind being a blubbering fool in public, I just don't do it attractively and don't want to put anyone off their lunch.  This mug doesn't portray a cute little sniffle, my skin turns fifty shades of red, especially the nose, I puff up like balloon and look like someone strangled me, the only thing missing is the Petechial Hemorrhage. 

So now there is a picture to post on the web and attach to the Mahone Bay Oriental pattern.  I love what Janet Perciulis of Calgary, Alberta did with the design.  Her colour choice and distribution really brought the details of this design to life.   Janet's hooking looks perfect and that handmade crocheted fringe is fabulous!

To view other Oriental & Persian Patterns click the link and scroll down:
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/signature-designs.html

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Regional rugs of our beautiful area!

2/19/2014

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I post a lot of eye candy on Facebook and sometimes forget the audience is greater on here, so I'm doing a show and tell of some recent submission of our patterns hooked.
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Mahone Bay, hooked by Janet Delo, designed by Sue Cunningham.  Wow.  A place near and dear to my heart!  My shop is the farthest building on the left out in front!  Great job Janet! 

So I thought I should post a bit more of our regional designs and show off
Lunenburg Harbourside. 

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Lunenburg Harbourside, hooked by Sue Cunningham
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Lunenburg Harbourside, hooked by Lynn Boggs
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Lunenburg Harbourside hooked by Faye Canning
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Some new designs at the shop...

2/17/2014

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We are very excited here! 
Three of January's, Pattern of the Month pictures, have already been sent in! 
The deadline is March 30 so there is still plenty of time to join our club and submit your entry for a chance to win a monthly draw of 3 Yards of Dorr Natural.  

Click this link to find out about our  Pattern of the Month Contest!!
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/contests.html
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WOOL, WOOL, WOOL Give Away!!!

A new Design, "THE WOOLLY MAT-TERS"......how cute and whimsical is this one!!!  
Three woolly sheep hooking in the parlour. 

Click on this link to direct you to the New Designs Page for details
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html
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THE WOOLLY MAT-TERS

Just in time for our Nova Scotia Guild Rug School coming in May.  William Morris will be taught by Doris Norman.   These two pillow sized adaptions of the larger Strawberry Thief pattern, is perfect for those who would like the William Morris experience without hooking one of the larger pieces.   Just one would be lovely, but the two on either sides of the sofa would be extraordinary! 
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Click to view all of our William Morris, and his wife, May Morris designs.
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/william-morris.html
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Shane making bling......

2/14/2014

3 Comments

 
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It would appears that Shane is a natural at making jewellery.  All I have to do is show him the basic technique and he is figuring out a way to do it easier and faster.  This is a pair of earrings he made for his girlfriend for Christmas.  She found a picture in a magazine and he loosely followed the design and came up with a similar concept with improvements. 

He used freshwater pearls and sterling silver.  He bent metal to make that the backbone and then added the pearls along the out edge by stringing wire through each pearl and then wrapping it around and around to secure.  The findings he used to make the dangling pearls on the bottom have a fancy ball tip, not open loops as the original had.  This way is more classy.  His creation is more polished, more what an artisan would create.   Ashley has a beautiful long neck and prefers longer  earrings and I can’t wait to see how lovely these will look on her.  What could be better than a boyfriend who makes jewellery?

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Below is some of momma's bling......pieces that are packed away for another time, another place.  I had a lot of fun playing with beads but couldn't serve two masters and be efficient at both.  Someday, I bring them all back out to play...maybe the next time Joan comes to visit!


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    We have a pot to "Fiz" in!

Shop Hours:
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We are closed during ice and snow storms
​so please call ahead.  If school is cancelled we probably are closed as well.  

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P.O. Box 437
Mahone Bay, N.S.
Canada B0J 2E0

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