Category:

Raving about roving!

Well, continuing with the booby theme, I got caught in my skivvies last night.   To stage the story, I went home for dinner, removed my shirt to save it from food stains, I tend to wear what I eat….you’d think my big chin would create a catch basin or at least deflect falling crumbs and dripping grease but no, so to play it safe I took off my blouse to dine in front of the TV.

I don’t sweat at least not doing everyday things. I can wear a top until it gets soiled and I do. I’m no slave to laundry and most of the time I have so much backlogged I have to wear an item more than once or go naked. I don’t know the laundry habits of others but I don’t find anything wrong with wearing a piece of clothing more than once if it isn't stained but maybe that’s a redneck thing to do? So now that you know my dirty little secret I’ll continue.

So I’m too tired to cook and have to go back to work so I bought a Save Easy roasted chicken for me and the pups, throw together a salad and I’m sitting in front of the TV watching a few taped programs of Coronation Street, secure in knowing there is no one around to see me. Oh, and I wash my face as soon as I get home to give it a rest from make-up and that’s a frightful thing so I'm happy no one is there to see me. I’m relaxed and as happy as a pig in a trough.

So roll ahead an hour and the dogs wake me from a very deep sleep. The night before I was awake, tossing and turning until 5:00 a.m. so it didn’t take much to drift off.   There is nothing like waking to four dogs losing their minds in an attempt to warn me of an intruder. So I focus on the back door that had been left open with only a screen between me and whoever was standing on the porch. I’m still a bit disoriented and as my eyes clear, I see Armenia Corkum standing on the mat, now being jumped on and licked by my guard dogs.   It didn’t take long for me to realize I was in my bra, plate on my lap and no makeup. Horror hits me like a mac truck.

I dashed to the study grabbing my shirt off the sofa back as I flee. Now decent, I'm buttoning it up on my way to the kitchen. She said she didn’t see anything and for her it wouldn’t have mattered but it could have been anyone standing there; I don’t even want to think about it!   That afternoon we’d phoned everyone on the list but Armeniia wasn’t at the cottage and didn’t get the message about the hook-in being cancelled. Oooops!

I’d cancelled out of sheer exhaustion. The night before there was a trip to the airport and then no sleep until early morn and it was crazy again yesterday at the shop. Considering previous years, crazy is a good thing, but that leaves little time to address orders during the day.   We are trying to move into the new space and all is ready to go except for the shifting of shelves and staging the shop, which all falls on my plate...I'm anal and need things just so. I just need a few hours to play! In the meantime, we are working like machines and almost have everything finished on the order board and I taste sweet victory, so your parcels are on the way!   Then I can concentrate on making the new space as cozy as the rest of the shop.

So after being awakened and slightly refreshed I went back into work. Every night this week I need to dye wool and prepare items for the shop. I dyed half of the roving that’s been sitting around for months and worked on a couple of patterns to be darkened today. By the time I left the shop it was 1:30, looking forward to getting horizontal and hopefully finding sleep!

So here is a pic of some of the roving I dyed for little bundles. It was fun. The curls of the wool are fabulous and the shine of the colour divine!   Tonight I’ll finish off the rest of the roving with more jewel tones and some earthy colours. Then to weigh and assemble into bundles and design a tag. What a delightful splash of colour this will provide for the studio.

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Mermaid attraction.....

9/4/2013

Sailor's Lure...28" x 96"

What is it about mermaids that intrigue us? A mermaid is a legendary aquatic creature with the upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide and are sometimes associated with perilous events such as floods, storms, shipwrecks and drowning. In other folk traditions they can be benevolent or beneficent, bestowing boons or falling in love with humans. No evidence of mermaids has ever been found but we like to believe they have and do exist.

At Encompassing Designs we're mermaid crazy. I've designed several patterns over the years and don't plan to stop anytime soon. Mermaid rugs are pure fantasy, allowing us to explore our artistic side to showcase a wide range of colour palettes with no wrong or right to the decision.

I have two large mermaid pieces; one in the shop and an even larger beauty in my upstairs bathroom. I have a half wall separating the room from the back staircase and I knew as soon as I saw her in a chandlers tent at the Wooden Boat Festival she was perfect to recline on the wall. Her presence adds mystique and atmosphere to the room and she's amazingly done, antiqued to perfection to appear 100 years old. Carved and then partially painted as if worn from years of sea winds and salt air, she was rubbed down with shoe polish and then buried in the ground to add to the aged patina. She's a real beauty and her eyes follow you about the room. Sometimes when I'm washing my hands at the sink and glance in the mirror her reflection gives me a start. I love everything about her and plan to work her into a rug pattern somewhere down the road.

The mermaid in my shop is a facsimile of a maidenhead of a great ship. She's bare chested and voluptuous; indicative of woman of the time. The figurehead embodied the spirit of a ship and was originally believed to placate the gods of the sea and ensure a safe voyage. Almost every prow had a carved figure looking down at the waves, and the variety was immense. Today's figureheads are all reproductions of originals in museums and maritime collections and are an evocative and decorative reminder of the bygone days of sailing ships.

A reclining, sultry vixen of the sea, resting comfortably in our bathroom.

She's mounted on the ceiling and sometimes goes unnoticed with all the colourful distractions of the shop, but at times she's zeroed in on and becomes the main focus. A child may wonder why Ariel, The Little Mermaid, isn't wearing clothes, or a man becomes breathy and excited asking if she's for sale; or a tall guy will bump into her, duck and then look up to see they've been accosted by a resin chest.   People have posed with her, wives have taken pictures of husbands grinning from ear to ear and one man posed with his nose between her cleavage just because. All in all she's attracted a lot of attention and by the shear numbers of requests to possess her, I think there are more than a few mermaid enthusiasts out there.

Over the years there have been many comments....I'm told I should stick pasties on her chest, paint the nipples to give the breasts a bit more life and other suggestions too rude to mention.  One time I was a bit creeped out when an older man, almost hyperventilating with excitement asked to purchase her. He was insistent that everything is for sale and to name my price.   I could tell by his reaction that he was more than enthralled by her and a female customer in the shop at the time saw it as well.   We shared a look between us as I told the man that she was very expensive and he probably couldn't afford her but he thought she was divine and well worth any price.   He asked one more time to buy her and I politely turned him down and by this point I just wanted him to leave as it was becoming rather uncomfortable. It was the way he stared up at her and licked his lips. The man left and the woman customer said "It's not like she has the anatomy of a blow up doll."   It was a side splitting comment and we laughed like fools, because I had been thinking the same thought.  Anyway, never a dull moment in the shop!

So a couple came through the door last week and I overheard a conversation that wasn't mean for my ears but being in close proximity at the work desk, it couldn't be helped.  I suppose if you expect a semblance of privacy you should do such things in private, not in public or in front of someone who likes to write about incidents and happenings. They weren't rug hookers, just browsing tourists having at look at all the shops in town. Personally I found it heartwarming that a couple in their middle to late seventies could be that playful with one another after all these years, but maybe they were newlyweds and still reeling from endorphins.  I wasn't about to ask.  I'll try to capture the essence of the moment although a video would do a better job.    It's one of those things were actions speak louder than words but I'll do my best to describe the pelvic, hip grinding motions.   I was torn between thinking it was sweet for their ages and wanting to giggle.

So the couple came in and the woman went directly to the kit display tree. Hubby, in tow spied the mermaid that hangs over that area and although I couldn't see his face I imagined there was a twinkle in his eye to match the pep in his step as he sidled up next to his wife who was fully engrossed in the assortment. I heard him say in a hushed tone, "Can I have one of those?" and as he said the words his hips trust forward and he touched the front of his pelvis to the side of her hip, a quick thrust forward and up like a flasher in a park sort of stance.

The wife, now distracted from the kits said "What?" and he pointed up and said "Up there." and once again he did the pelvic thrusty thing. They seemed totally oblivious to my presence or else didn't care, but she looked up and saw the mermaid's hovering chest and as she looked he said again "Can I have one? and she replied with sparkle, "Don't be so foolish" and very playfully gave him a little shove." He laughed and so did she and then continued to check out the shop with him in tow. I usually engage customers with conversation but I kept my head down and focused on the pattern I was drawing, although I looked up to say "Have a nice day" as they were leaving the shop.  The older man smiled and winked at me as he headed out the door.

Our shop figurehead, watching over the sea of wool in the shop.

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Helen Sands, a rug hooking sister from Ontario

8/31/2013

I met a very talented rug hooker and had a great chat. She came in looking for the pattern "Alice" but unfortunately it wasn't on the rack so I’ll make it up and mail it out. Helen Sands is from Ontario and she hooks with a group called the "Frontenac Rug Hookers" that meet Thursday mornings in Harrowsmith, North of Kingston. Usually there is 16-18 attendees every week for fellowship and to share the joy of rug hooking.

Helen herself has been hooking since 2006 and she has been enjoying it very much. She likes vivid colours although she says she doesn’t do any of the dyeing herself. I had a look though Helen’s portfolio and it was an impressive lineup of pieces and I saw a few of my designs in there so I wanted to show them off.

She said The Herd was fun and different from what she usually hooks. I like the vibrant rust background framing the sheep. She hooked the critters in yarn and the rest was done in #4 cut wool strips. The Strawberry themed pattern isn't mine but too pretty not to showcase. It's a Joan Moshimer design and although she couldn’t recall the name we figured Strawberry Basket was close enough. It was featured in the Ontario Guild Newsletter awhile back. Good job Helen!

The Herd....sort of says it all!

The last rug is Condo Living. If I was a bird I’d be hanging out in this swanky neighbourhood. The primary colours bring this piece to life. They are my favorites so I love what’s she’s done with the colour planning.  She said she bought the pattern from me when I set up shop in Belleville for the AGM.

Hubby Ron was in tow as most husbands are, although most prefer hovering outside the door to keep the sidewalk straight.   Don't worry guys, a wing back chair is on the way for taking a load off while waiting for the better half to fondle wool. Poor guys, popping into stores all over town with as much enthusiasm as a pin in the eye. Guess they love us eh?

Ron didn't seem to mind and I found out he's also a crafter, teaming up with Helen to sell their wares at the local markets. Obviously proud of his wife's handiwork he was the one who mentioned showing me her portfolio that was filled with beautiful rugs. Helen also does crocheting and sewing and Ron makes Muskoka cedar lawn furniture.   I wasn’t sure what a Muskoka chair was and he explained it has a curved back, like the Adirondack but more comfortable. Interesting and lovely couple, retired and exploring their creative sides together.   A lovely couple!

Joan Moshimer pattern "Strawberry Basket"

Condo Living...in the swanky part of town!

3 Comments

Sweet and sour in the first hour......

8/26/2013

9 Comments

Lotus, what a beauty you are! 35" Dia.

Saturday was a mixed soup of sweet and sour. The first customer through the door was the sweet; Margaret Tupper sporting another hooked masterpiece of one of my designs. My goodness she's brilliant and I have a great deal of respect for her work. Her colour sense and hooking execution is tops.

I swooned at the sight of "Lotus", with its Asian influence. A floral delight, with a large Shou center motif and stylized Shou's along the outer border. This pattern was certainly conducive to monochromatic colour planning. From white to navy the colour placement was such that the rug just glowed and blue being my favorite, the rug spoke to me in sonnets. Well done Margaret, I bow to you!

I knew Lotus was going to be a stunner, I imagined all kinds of colour combos while it was still on the drawing table from pastels to deep saturated colours. I've seen a partially hooked version at rug school in pinks and greens and it was beautiful but to choose blues, be still my heart! What a way to start the day, like eating the cake first, topped with whipped cream and French vanilla ice cream with a wedge of the finest Belgian chocolate just because.

My eyes misted as they embraced the rug and it lifted my spirit to a childlike enthusiasm. Right then and there I experienced a creative rush and I could have taken on the world, hooked my own masterpiece, finish writing my novel, cleaned my house and still got to bed by midnight! I was super charged with an electric energy. It was going to be one hell of an incredible Saturday in the shop, it could only soar from here.

Thinking back it seems less of a coincidence that she picked that particular day to bring in the finished rug. At times it appears that the world revolves around my ups and downs; it was as if the universe knew August 24th would be trying, directing Margaret's hand to hook this rug with extraordinary flavour in time to save me from what would happen next, balance the sweet with the sour to come out on the right side of normal. Sounds sort of narcisistic and believe me, I don't really believe the world revolves around me, I'm just sayin it seemed like more than happenstance!

And then came the sour. The chain that dragged me into the darkness, destroying the bliss of moments before. The kind of customer that makes me wish I didn't have the shop, was at home with my hubby and pups, gardening and living the life of a princess, no stress and no fuss, just me and my rainbow. I'm not happy that people can effect me in such a negative way but I think we all cringe to greater or lessor degrees from an ornery look, hurtful words and disapproval. Really? Who likes controversy? I'm working on handling these kinds of situations but it's baby steps. Just when the world is going along peacefully and I let my guard slip, someone comes along and sets me back a page or two. I'll eventually get to the point where I can deal with the situaton without loosing my will to live but in the meantime I'm a balloon that looses its essence with a pin prick.

A woman breezes in with shields up, ready for battle. She was out of breath and annoyed that I was a bit late. And I had been.  I worked in the shop until 1:00 am the night before getting an order ready for pick up that morning and by the time I got to bed it was merging on 2:00 am and then I couldn't sleep because I was wired from buzzing around the shop at warp speed so I lay there watching the hours roll by and finally when I did fall asleep it was almost morning and then I didn't hear the alarm. Hubby and I figured out this Sunday that I've only had three days off in the past two months and I've worked more nights than not. I'm a bit on the exhausted side but you have to make hay while the sun shines and this is my busiest time of year. I'm not complaining about working so much but I'm not a Walmart, I'm only one person, running a little craft business, so if I'm late in the morning just know there's probably a good reason behind it.

Anyway, this woman came in with attitude, annoyed at the cutter I sold her years back. She told me it didn't work and her hooking group said it was definitely not a good machine.   Before I continue on this tale, let me peel back a layer to explain how I handle the sale of any cutter.  First, I inspect and try the machines as soon as they come in to make sure they are in working order. At the time of sale, I do a demo in front of the customer and usually teach them how to cut wool and they practice on a piece or two until they get the hang of it. If you buy extra blades I take them out of the packages and run my finger along the edge to assure the buyer that they are without any nicks and are sharp and smooth as a baby's bottom. I then sign the boxes and write on the date they are sold to prove they were inspected.

So this woman takes the cutter out of the box and I can see it's in sad repair. If this machine was a sick human it would have been in the fourth stage of a terrible disease and the last rights would have been performed.  It had been severely abused. The tension knob had been tightened on so hard I struggled to loosen it and I'm no shrinking violet, I've got an arm on me and as strong as any man my size. All the cutting kits and stirring pots have built my biceps to an impressive stature.

To give you an idea how tight it was, the handle wouldn't move and because of this someone forced it and broke the internal gear so that it no longer was tight to the shaft, the set screw was stripped and needed tightening with an allen wrench.   Even though it wouldn't turn, the handle flopped in and out of the housing, which is easy to fix with the right tool as long as they set screw isn't totally ruined. This was the least of the problems at hand.

Then the wheel was on wrong. I told her it was but she totally dismissed me. I took the wheel off and put it back on properly but she wasn't impressed. She wasn't willing to accept any fault on her part, the cutter was flawed and I was responsible. It wasn't tight to the base as it should be, almost 1/4 inch out which means it wasn't properly aligned over the roller ball so it only made contact with the right side of the blade. So she or someone in her group ground on the tension until it couldn't turn any more trying to make the contact between all three blades and the roller. She admitted the cutter worked until she changed the blade and that's when it went downhill. Well dah, the blade was put on wrong, of course it didn't work. We like to pick at men for not following directions or reading instructions but it just goes to show that some women don't read instructions any more than they do.  The cutters come with pictures to show you how to work the machine, backed up with words if you like written instructions.

I've never felt sorry for a piece of metal before, but this was a good time to start. The right side of the blade was so crushed the metal was white and twice as wide as the fine points of the other two. It had to have groaned and protested as someone tried to use it. There had to have been the smell of burning material, maybe the reason the metal was white.  And, with that kind of damage, I'll bet is wasn't 100% wool that went through it. I've seen some awful horror stories of what is done to cutting machines but I'd never seen this before. The wheel was toast...no sharpening would have saved it. It was DOA.

She asked what I planned to do. Her intent was for me to reimburse her for the machine and the two extra blades which she brought with her and actually pushed at my face.   She also said repeatedly that she had to be on the road in 15 minutes to get to the airport and it was clear she was blaming me for being late. Clearly I was ruining her day. I had been open for about 20 minutes before she even came in, you'd think she would have been standing on the door step waiting for me, not out having coffee or shopping if the airport was that urgent. It was all Chop chop! She wanted me to jump, the question was how high. Why she brought it in last minute in a huff I don't know, why not the day before when the conversation could have been less hurried or less stressful for the both of us. She'd been living in this area for months. But then again, maybe that was part of her plan for me to be flustered and agree to let her dump it on me and bare the cost of the repairs and shipping? But....I don't know and shouldn't assume. I told her that I don't fix machines, that she needed to mail it to Crawford Purdy in Truro and if she left her credit card I would gladly address it for her and have it shipped to her home in Montreal. She looked at me as if I grew two heads and said that mailing the heavy cutter would be too expensive for shipping. I told her that he was the only one qualified to fix the problems, especially to the state her cutting machine was in. It was clear she was fine with me sending it away but she wouldn't be paying for it herself. I said the only recourse was to arrange to have someone drop it off at Truro as it really had nothing to do with me.

Clearly insensed, she huffed about the time again, having to leave for the airport immediately, fretting that it was too heavy to take on the plane. Her friend suggested the woman leave the cutter behind with her brother. She headed for the dor. I said, "Am I right in assuming you expected me to fix your machine?" She said yes, she felt I should have offered. I told her that I was not responsible for the damage, that she broke the cutter. I then reminded her that when the cutter left the shop it was in perfect working order but she was already banging out the door.  Am I missing something? Why would I bare the cost of the repairs and shipping. Judging what was needed to resusitate it, with mailing costs it would have been at least $200 or more for parts and labour.

Another customer unfairly angry when I did absolutely nothing to deserve the bad press I will get from her wagging tongue.    She mentioned several times the group she hooks with told her to bring it back to me as it was defective so the negative jam is on already spread. I know I can't control what people say, but it rots my socks!   I work so hard to offer top quality and dependable products, to be maligned unfairly hurts my business and is the reason why I am telling my side of the story....hopefully it helps to balances things in the universe. This whole thing was beyond my control...like being attacked with a knife in the dark, you don't know when it will hit, or see it coming, but it sure hurts when it does!

What kind of world do we live in when you can break something and then take it back to the store to demand a refund. I don't live in this world. I would never do that in a million years to anyone. My mistake, my consequence, make your bed and lie in it was our family motto. Maybe you can get away with that at Canadian Tire with all their insurance and multi-millions or billions in sales every year, but I can't afford to clean up mistakes I haven't made. I'd be out of business! Some customers I can't afford to have and dealing with them absolutely knocks the wind out of my sail. I find myself traveling back to tougher times, my former life when I was a victim of an ruthless lout.   I'm still working on growing a backbone but it's one vertebrae at a time and like Rome, isn't going to be built in a day.

So the woman left not willing to take ownership for the damage to the machine, thoroughly disgusted with me and will never shop in my store again, probably her friends will agree so the boycott begins. The banging door caused my shoulders to droop, my head to sag and the joy of the morning drained like an unstopped tub.

Margaret, still perusing the patterns, had overhead the conversation and said kind words, telling me the woman was out of line. She said people like that make her angry. I got a hug and that made me feel better. I took another look at Lotus until I was able to smile. If Margaret hadn't been there to save the day with that gorgeous rug  and sweet hug, I would have been absolutely doomed and probably dragged the black cloud home to ferment in misery for the rest of the evening.    One of these days I want that kind of negative situation to run off my back, I want to laugh at the silliness of it all, not beat myself up for things out of my control. I'm trying to elimiate stress through positive thinking and hard work, I'll get there eventually, if not, I guess I'll die trying..........

9 Comments

The Story of Sid And Sadie

8/23/2013

24 Comments

It was love at first sight. Sid saw Sadie across a crowded toy room and was smitten immediately.   He put his best foot forward and courted Sadie and the pair became inseparable. After a little monkeying around, they tied a double knot.

They were quite the pair walking down the isle and at their reception they danced toe to toe, taking a bit of needling for acting like a couple of crazy socks.   Everyone they knew attended the wedding; distant cousins, the Anklets and Kneehighs, Uncle Tube and Auntie Crew. A jock friend, Athletic arrived last minute, while the Thrum family flew in from Newfoundland.  Grandpa Argyle arrived from the British Isles. The cast of characters filled the first three rows in the church and Sid's brother Bobby, a sock of the cloth, officiated at the ceremony.

Like Noah's ark they arrived in pairs and pretty much everyone made it accept for a couple of Leotards that were totally out of fashion and not missed.    At the reception, the crowd was scarfing down the food and watched as Sid did the garter stitch and made a few yokes about his bride.   The guests threw rice stitches as they left for their honeymoon.

Their wedding was a blissful yarn and during the honeymoon, a seed was stitched  and nine months later they were stocking their family tree with a pair of little sockettes, Knit and Purl.     Unfortunately tragedy struck and the Knit one went missing in an unfortunate dryer incident and the Purl one disappeared after being tinkered with by the Afghan Hound, family pet the following week. Devastated by the loss Sid and Sadie didn't have the Red Heart to make any more little socks.

And because knit happens, in the fifties, during a mid life crisis, Sid got an itch and became a woolmanizer, falling head over heels in love with the curvaceous Barbie, the new toy in the box. He gave Sadie the slip, knotty boy, to pursue his new paramour but their relationship lacked stuffing, she was only using him to keep her feet warm and dropped him like a stitch once Ken came on the scene.

Sadie had been terribly hurt, what was she a muggle?   Sid knew he was a heel and didn't try to pull the wool over her eyes but hoped they could patch their life together. He didn't try to push his affections on her because she had two long sharp sticks but dropped to his knees and begged for her forgiveness, and when it came down to the knitty gritty, she decided to give him a second chance but not before dropping a few stitches on his legs so he couldn't wander off again. He was grateful for her forgiveness and it saved him from unraveling.

So to advance this yarn forward, although their love had worn a bit thin, with time they were able to patch the hole and lived a darned near perfect life.

**************************************************************************************

Now lets get down to the knitty gritty. The first person to guess how many sock names and puns, wool terms and knitting references I have blended into the above tale you will win 2 patterns, one of Sid and the other of Sadie, in 16 x 16 size on linen or burlap...your choice. Click the comment button above and leave your guess. If no one hits the total I'll choose the closest number. Good luck!

24 Comments

Kaleidoscope Designs for rug hooking....

8/19/2013

7 Comments

Kaleidoscope Universe, designed and hooked by Charlene Scott for Art Hits The Wall 2013

A kaleidoscope is a cylinder with mirrors containing loose, coloured objects such as beads, pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other creates a colourful pattern, due to the reflection off the mirrors. Coined in 1817 by Scottish inventor Sir David Brewster, kaleidoscope" is derived from the Ancient Greek kalos, "beautiful", that which is seen; hence observation of beautiful forms.

A Kaleidoscope operates on the principle of multiple reflection, where several mirrors are placed at an angle to one another, so they form a triangle. The angle creates several duplicate images of the objects. As the tube is rotated, the tumbling of the coloured object presents varying colours and patterns. Arbitrary patterns show up as a beautiful symmetrical pattern created by the reflections.

Modern kaleidoscopes are made of brass tubes, stained glass, wood, steel, gourds or almost any material an artist can use. The part containing objects to be viewed is called the 'object chamber' or 'object cell'. Sometimes the object cell is filled with a liquid so the items float and move through the object cell in response to a slight movement from the viewer.

Recently a customer requested a Kaleidoscope design and having never done one I needed a bit of background. As my son says to me, every time I ask a question pertaining to the computer, Facebook or otherwise....I hear the annoying three words..."Google it mom!" I find that rather annoying when I just want the answer yesterday. I don't have time to waste on research when I have a perfectly computer literate, genius son available at my beck and call.

Apparently Kaleidoscope designs are relatively easy to construct in Photoshop if you know how to manipulate the program, so I turned to Shane to learn the technique and come up with a few designs. This is just one example using a simple Destilfink found on the internet. Two of the designs have the bird's head toward the center and the middle one is with the tails forming a cross as the center motif. he first and third design is the same except for the little hearts I had him add around the center square that seemed more interesting than the little smiley faces.

The bird's heads are together and the design is untouched.

The bird's tails are together creating a neat cross like center.

The bird's heads are together with hearts added around the center square.

Art Hits The Wall - Rug & Quilt Show

Kaleidoscope designs were the topic of this years Art Hits The Wall rug and quilt display. Try and catch the show – you have several venues to choose from up until Nov 24!!

What do you see when you imagine a Kaleidoscope?
Entrants have captured these images in fiber art for the 2013
Art Hits The Wall event.

Imaginations have run wild with vivid colours in various
shapes and sizes. Designers have created pieces of art as unique as they are for this juried show. Don't miss it!
Aug 6 – 19
Coastal Queens Place
8100 Hwy 103, Port Mouton, NS
902-947-3140

Sept 3 – 28
Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design
322 Charlotte Street, Sydney, NS
902-539-7491

Oct 7 – 19
Nova Scotia Fibre Art Festival
Cumberland County Museum and Archives
150 Church St.,
Amherst, NS
902-667-2561

Oct 23 – Nov 24
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Yarmouth
341 Main St.,
Yarmouth
902-749-2248

7 Comments

Release your inner hooker!

8/16/2013

Meet lovely Marta, Toronto's newest rug hooker!  She popped into the shop yesterday, got the demo and decided to take the hooking plunge.

Her first attempt at pulling loops was nothing short of perfection. Her line looked awesomely close to mine in appearance and I'm supposed to be an old pro. I said to her. "It's time you released your inner hooker girl" and she replied, "Well, I've let go of my outer hooker some time ago." Being in business as long as I've been, I've heard every joke imaginable on the hooking theme. Such an original response was worth a share.

So Marta left the shop with a Celtic knot kit, a hook, pine frame and a whole lot of enthusiasm. I liked her fun personality a lot. She's friend material and I hope she takes my advice and moves here!

             Hot new pillow top or chair pad designs for the cottage or boat!

I've just completed a series of beachy style pieces perfect for pillow tops or chair pads. I hope to add to this collection with a few nautical designs but these eight starters were for a client who requested specific design elements.   Details can be viewed on my website by clicking this link:
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html

4 Comments

Giddyup......

8/13/2013

Monday (yesterday) was a day to stay in bed with covers pulled over the head.   Just one of those days that come along once in a while when everything goes wrong and you don't have the energy to fight back. The entire morning I waved a white flag as I tripped over my own feet, stepped on dog bones, cut my hand and felt a deep rooted lethargy. I dragged my feet all the way to the shop and if someone had whispered in my ear...."play hooky, go to the beach" I might have grabbed a towel and the pups and turned right, instead of left, at the end of the driveway.

I'm a non-spontaneous kind of gal. I'm as inflexible as a wooden ruler so last minute suggestions are never popular. I have a mapped out plan and stick to it. The rule says, get up Monday and go to work and I obey, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. So I dragged my weary bones into the shop and didn't even have my purse tucked under the counter when a high energy, happy customer came bouncing in, pummeling me with sweetness. Even though my shields were up, her happy-go-lucky banter penetrated the fortress and I could feel my contrariness begin to dissolve.  How anyone can be that cheery I'll never know, she must have had Wheaties, sprinkled with pixie dust for breakfast, not hard boiled eggs like me.   I'm not a morning person at the best of times and throw in insomnia from the night before and I'm nothing short of a Grinch.   In another life I was probably a cat, staying up all night and sleeping all the day long.

And then Chris McNeil dropped by with a completed Giddyup...! and that was an end to the Monday morning blues.   My frown turned upside-down and I had a smile you could see for a mile. This little bear is as cute as a button, waving and smiling, how could you not smile back? A few months ago, Chris asked me to custom design a pattern with a bear, a rocking horse and a ball and this is the result. She did a great job hooking it and I'm loving the rug.

So the rest of the day carried on normally. The shop was busy with tourists and Deanna and Charlene dropped in for chats. I couldn't ask for a better time. Today I feel peppier and energized for week ahead. I don't know why Monday was so dark but I snapped out of it and I'm going full steam ahead. I guess we all have days like this, luckily fewer than not.

Sue left a comment on yesterday's blog to do a girlie sock monkey, maybe called Susie or Sally, with shapely red lips and a bow on the hat. I think that's a plan. Sid and Susie here we come!

The Giddyup...! pattern can be viewed on my site by clicking the link:
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html

4 Comments

Monkey business............

8/12/2013

8 Comments

What is it that makes the Red Heel Sock Monkey such a beloved part of our lives? Is it their Nostalgic appeal, their charming personality, or some other mystical phenomenon. All we know is that we can't get enough of these little guys.

Children and adults have enjoyed Sock Monkeys for over 100 years. The original crafter who created this lasting icon is unknown, but the creativity behind this wonderful doll has brought joy to millions.

The Red Heel Socks were first manufactured in 1890 by The Nelson Knitting Mills in Rockford, Illinois. The Nelson Knitting Co. was the first company world wide to manufacture socks. These sturdy and comfortable work-socks were worn mainly by farmers and factory workers. In 1932, Nelson Knitting Mills first introduced the red heel on the Rockford sock, to distinguish their product from the many imitators.

The making of sock monkeys came about on its own by clever crafters using a humble sock to make a beloved toy. These quality socks were intended and used as work socks, but they became so much more when the Sock Monkey was born. In 1951 Nelson Knitting Mills started to include the directions for the Sock Monkeys with every pair of Rd Heel Socks.

So I thought I would devise a small kit with the sock monkey to help excite children of all ages and inspire them to hook. I'm asked a fair amount if I have kits for children but alas, although I've had a line of funky fish in the past at the moment there was nothing specific to kids. So this is my rendition, a simple square of smiling sock monkey...cute enough to pinch his cheeks!

He is hooked with black herringbone for the hat and outer border. A grey herringbone for one of the border lines and face to look like sock yarn. Heart Red for a border line and mouth and heart red herringbone for the hat pom pom. White for the face and hat stripe and one line of border. The eyes and nostrils are in black and the background is a simple beige.

Somehow my childhood missed this rage and I hadn't heard of the sock monkey until lately. I know my head was in the clouds for the first ten years of my life, but truthfully I've not laid eyes on a sock toy other than a few snake puppets I made out of old socks that my mother sewed button eyes on. Recently, I bought a knitted sock monkey for my pups and they love to tug on their gangly arms and legs. Ah well, no time like the present to experience a bit of history.

I was quite taken by the amount of monkey business on the net. Apparently I'm not the only one capitalizing on this antique child's toy. Everything from shirts to postage stamps are sporting the sock monkey's over zealous smile. I don't get the rage or feel the need to surround myself with paraphernalia but he's cute, I'll give him that, and makes a sweet little kit for the shop.

Say hi to Sid, the sock monkey!

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Chester race week revisited in wool!

8/10/2013

The gun sounds and they're off!   There's not a sight more colourful than a fleet of sailboats regaled in full spinnaker.   This will be the view at the Chester Yacht club next week.

Race week has been a part of my life for two decades but this year hubby is sitting it out, going back to his roots of puttering with small boats. He's done the Marblehead, St. Pierre Miquelon races and several regattas around the Maritimes but has decided to hang up his big boat sailing for enjoying the smaller craft.

Race week is a younger man's sport anyway. Early mornings, boat prep, long days in the heat or driving rain, getting beaten up by stumbling from port to starboard and back, loosing your balance and tumbling, pulling on ropes, skinning shins and other various boat bites, sunburn and aching bones. And then it's party central every evening with too much drinking, eating, then grabbing some ZZZ's and back at it the next day. Male bonding, salt air and rum soaked sweat...arrrr! Four or fives days of this and one needs a vacation to recover before entering back into a landlubber routine.    This is the first year hubby opted to stay home. I can't say I'm upset as that week was always chaotic, upsetting our rather tranquil lifestyle. There comes a time when every man needs to stop playing hard and live a life that doesn't leave bruises or crippled joints.

A passion for the sea runs in hubby's veins. He's been sailing since a small boy when his father bought him a Flying Junior. His influence is responsible for my love for all things nautical and he actually came up with the name of my company of Encompassing Designs because I started this venture creating compass rose patterns. The name was perfect and grew with me, encompassing all that I would do.

Sue Cunningham did a great job on the Race week design above. The lettering along the top and bottom is the nautical alphabet from A-Z. Sue used a blue plaid with a spec of green for the entire background that pops out the boats.

Below is the compass rose that inspired my company's name. Called "Sunny Day", this was the first in my line of compass rose patterns. I hooked it in basic colours, as is finds from Frenchy's. This picture doesn't do the rug justice as the colours are dull or altered. I've used nautical gold and reds with vibrant blue and a bold teal. The rug is now dulled downd from being my German Shepperd's favorite resting spot and back in the day when this rug was hooked I didn't have the best camera so this poor quality photo is all I have.

Meeting Max started my love for dogs. Before him I was a cat person but he changed me forever. He was beautiful both inside and out. Sweet and gentle and handsome beyond words. I hurt so badly when he died I wanted to crawl in a hole and shut myself off from the world. Many years later Honey helped me heal and the love of poodles began. I still can't look at Max's picture without tears...for many years he was a best friend and companion and he will never be forgotten.

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New items at the shop!

8/9/2013

All items can be viewed on the website for details, colours and pricing.
Click the link:
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/extra.html

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Visitors from Ottawa hooking at the shop

8/7/2013

Alex happily hooking grass on her whimsical pattern.

Alex, 17 from Ottawa, learned to hook at her Grandmother's knee at the tender age of six. She smiled recounting the memory of sticking her grandmother's favorite hook in the crack of a tree stump, tugged a bit too hard and broke it off. She was worried she'd be in big trouble but her grandmother was very kind.

Her first finished rug was an oval chick holding a flower and she has since completed two of Sue Cunningham's designs, Beach Ballet and Buoyant Beauty and a funky fish with pinks, blues and yellows. She likes the whimsy of Deanne Fitzpatrick's designs and she also likes to draw her own.

Mom and dad are very proud and tell me that Alex is a very talented actor who participates in drama class and in the latest production, she played a singing Snoopy. Alex is also very conscientious of helping others, traveling to Baja, Mexico on missions to build homes for the poor.

I formed a quick opinion of Alex and the parenting she has received, liking the family dynamic immediately. I listened to her interact with her mother, Jenna, as they picked colours from the rack. She knows a thing or two about colour balance and position. Jenna says she relies on her daughter for help colour planning and hooking her projects. I was impressed at her polite social skills and demeanor.

I also liked the way her parents haven't indulged or spoil their daughter. Parents come in the shop all the time and buy whatever their children request as if no wasn't a word in the English language. Hey, I'm not complaining but I found it interesting how Alex picked out what she wanted and then paid for it out of her own money and worked out what she could afford to buy and still have some spending freedom for the duration of her vacation. In all my years in the shop, this was a first. Teaching this kind of life skill is priceless, setting her up as a responsible adult who won't spend beyond her means. Not having every whim land conveniently on the plate is the best lesson any parent could teach a child.

Mother and daughter spent an hour or so in the shop hooking and chatting and later dad popped in to say hi as well. It was nice to have the company. Jenna also brought in a pattern that she hooked for a show and tell so that was the cherry on the day!

Jenna hooking a Deanne geranium pattern.

Condo Living.....40" x 24 1/2" Pretty swanky housing surrounded by a feast of sunflower seeds so they don't have to fly to town for provisions. Hooked by Jenna.

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Spiders; much better on the lapel than in the garage.......

8/6/2013

Laura Kenney, Morning Routine

Well, it was quite the weekend.   Saturday started out with a visit from Laura Kenney, Artist who popped in for some sari silk. I had a kick butt moment forgetting to snap her photo so I could post it on a blog. For those of you who may not have heard of Laura, she is a fabulous rug hooking artist producing whimsical pieces, sometimes with a message, sporting clever titles that never fail to conjure a smile.

I’ve been following Laura for several months on Facebook waiting for the piece that speaks to me so I can comment “Sold”. My friend bought one of her pieces called Weighty Issues, a woman with head bent down, standing on scales. I loved it! Some people just have that extra something special and Laura’s is definitely one to watch as she climbs up the ladder of artistic success, quickly skipping rungs on her way to the top.   Her pieces show in galleries around the province, hanging alongside names of note.

Her humour and bold colour sense is unique and pleasing. I hope she did well at the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival this weekend. I would have liked to check it out but I had to keep the shop open for the Mahone Bay Pirate Festival and Regatta. I’m listing her website link if you would like to check her out.   http://www.laurakenneyrugs.ca/

You can also follow Laura's work on Facebook    https://www.facebook.com/LauraKenneyArtist

Working Sunday was rough. I had a very late trip to the airport Saturday night and didn’t get home until close to 4:00 a.m. Got to bed around 5:30 and then had to rise at 9:00 am to prepare for work. I would have given a small toe to be able to sleep in but that wasn’t in the cards. I dragged butt around the shop until 5:00 came…it was a very, very long day.   A lot of interesting people popped by the shop, a family from the US that were a delight so I was kept entertained but I was never so happy to see the end of a work day.

I came home to a delicious steak on the BBQ and then a spot of TV. It was wonderful to put up tired feet and watch a good movie. I was on the fence about working the Natal Day holiday and hubby pushed me over to the 'stay at home' side, reminded me I hadn’t had a day off for a month straight. Although I felt a bit guilty I finally acquiesced and stayed home, more for his sake than mine.

Now, with lots of time on my hands I made a delicious omelet and green fried tomatoes for Monday brunch. Slice the tomato thick and fry in butter with a bit of brown sugar and cayenne pepper. So delicious! After cleaning up we talked about doing this or that, maybe driving down to Green Bay so the pups could play in the ocean but I hummed and hawed and finally decided to just have a staycation day. I was out of sorts, fiddling and didn’t know what to do with myself. All I’ve done is work both day and night for the past month and having nothing pressing to address left me out of sorts. I’m not a lady of leisure, I’m a hard working woman and knowing there were orders to get out at the shop left me feeling a bit guilty. It felt wrong to just sit and twiddle my thumbs. I whined a bit and then drifted off to sleep and had a small nap in the chair by the window as the sail boats breezed by in the harbour.

Later we went out to the garage and I was struck by the number of spider webs and pods hanging around the windows, a sure indication that the eight legged critters weren’t too far away. So that set the order of the day and we vacuumed out the entire building from top to bottom, ridding the place of hundreds of pods and a matching number of spiders. If all these colonies had been allowed to hatch it would have been the perfect stage for the sequel of Arachnophobia. Undesturbed for months, they multiplied like rabbits, building webs over all the windows and leaving piles of dead bodies of unsuspecting bugs that happened their way.   I was amazed to see the numbers and equally creeped out.   I don’t like spiders much, especially after one killed by sweet Louis so I put the pups in the house and we went to work annihilating the free loaders. Like I said before, indoor crawlies are immediately disposed of, my small world isn’t big enough for us to share a domain. The spiders didn't have a leg to stand on, or eight in this case!

We sucked them up in the shop vac and to make sure they stayed, I stuffed a rag in the end of the nozzle as visions of a great escape played in my mind. Spiders like their space, the reason why you see one per web, very respectful of one another because crossing the lines means a hasty meal for the bigger of the two. I'll try not to think about what's happening in the confined space of the vacuum bag as they fight to dominate territory.

To shake off the afternoon's massacre we treated ourselves to dinner out. We invited Shane and his girlfriend Ashley and headed to the Grand Banker in Lunenburg. They have the best burger with aioli sauce and a fried egg.   Tender and juicy, just the way I like it. All in all it was a lovely day, spent with the people I love.

Now back to spiders…..I may not appreciate them in my home but for some reason I like them in precious metals and Swarovski crystals.  I received my first spider brooch as a gift about 20 years ago and that started a long reign of purchases. I don’t know when it became an obsession but I’d often find myself up until 1:00 or 2:00 am to snipe the final bid on Ebay. That should have been the sign things were out of hand.

But...253 brooches later, I had to force myself to stop, take stock and pull the brake on that insanity train. I vowed I would wear a different one every day to get value out of my money but for some reason that never happened. Maybe I didn't want to loose my title of the Crazy Dog Lady to become the Weird Spider Woman. I had mixed reactions when wearing the odd pin and in retail it doesn't pay to have customers running and screaming out of the store.

Not wearing them presented questions. What is the use of a brooch if not to be worn?   What purpose do they represent in a box, gathering dust in my bedroom, forgotten as if they don’t really matter? And that's when I realized, if the truth was to be told, they don’t. On the large scale of things they register very little. It became painfully obvious it wasn’t the brooch, it was the acquisition that attracted me, having to have it at all cost as if life hinged on that current purchase.

There was a tough lesson to be learned and I did a lot of soul searching to find it. That was the last time I felt compelled to purchase things that really served no purpose. I was buying them for comfort, as most obsessions are based. I justified having it at any cost, as if all life hinged on a successful bid. I was obsessed, no other word best describes how I felt.   In the past I had the same preoccupation with blue willow dishes and later beads, although in all fairness, I bought the beads to make and sell jewellery as a business, not just to covet them...but I did go overboard.

Having to have it, covet it and then once it arrived it lacked the emotional luster that drove me to buy it in the first place. After the initial unwrapping it counted for little and then I had to move on to the next acquisition to try and get the feeling back.   A costly fixation that was fueled by unhealthy emotions dredged up from my past.  I felt out of control, sometimes ashamed and hid the fact of what I was doing, like an addict and his drug, so I had to take a long hard look at myself and the reasons that might be behind this behavior. I was able to dissect and breakdown the feelings that forced me to need unnecessary external things.   After I cracked the code, I felt so much better as the driving force behind this obsession devoured way to much of my time and money.

Those days are now gone and I’m quite relieved.   I wonder how I even found the time to hunt down and buy all that stuff.    When needed, I am now able to find comfort within me, no longer chasing a hollow, temporary fix. I keep the spider collection as a reminder of my new indifference so I don’t fall back on old habits of seeking comfort through inconsequential items.

Sorry the picture doesn't do them justice as they are quite blingy and beautiful.

Spider brooches were worn by the Victorians for good luck, and was a stunning example of the their enthusiasm for the natural world. A lot of the pieces I've acquired are antique, some vintage and others brand new. Several stamped the Czech Republic are fairly ornate and have a bit of wear, an indication they were popular accessories. Some are solid precious metals while others are plated and the rest just common metals. Several designers today have a spider or two in their collections, Heidi Daus, Kenneth J. Lane and Joan Rivers to name a few. For the most part I have them colour coordinated by the case, anal that I am. There are many pins I've drooled over encrusted with diamonds and other precious stones priced in the thousands but they were way out of my price range.....my budget was more about beer than champagne.....

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"A Bit Of Egypt" in Scotland.....

8/2/2013

By Guest Blogger Brigitte Webb

I saw this pattern when Christine sent me a picture taken of her shop while attending Rug School in 2008. "A Bit Of Egypt" was hung on the wall behind her cashier table and I fell in love with it and asked to purchase it.  Christine told me it would be a one off, that she would not be reproducing this pattern again. She does sell a smaller version of the same design but this was the biggy and a one-of-a-kind.

Hearing the size and then actually seeing it was two different things.  When I received the parcel in the post I laughed as I really had no idea how large it would be.  Until then I had only hooked about three or four small rugs and all of them combined didn't come close to the size of this Goliath.

I only had a small non gripper rug frame that I had been given as a gift and I just looked at the wonderful pattern thinking I am never going to be able to hook this, but of course I did. It took me a long time to decide what colours I would use but when I finally made up my mind I started sending for them from The Dorr Mill Store as I could see the colours on their site and choose the ones I thought might look good together. If memory serves me correctly the background wool alone took about eight yards in total. It turned out to cost a great deal of money to make this rug, to the tune of £2000 but I was still working at the time so did not feel too guilty. It was an absolute joy for me to make.

I hooked it in 4, 5 and 6 cuts using the Bliss machine, a small cutter that had suction with a short arm for cranking so there were a lot of turns of the handle, not a great favourite of mine. I now have two Bolivars which I love. Anyway I started hooking the center of the design from the middle outwards as the book tell you too and really just tried to place and balance the colours in a way that spoke to me of Egypt. I had to hook it across my knees.

It took me about three months from start to finish, which probably does not sound long considering the size of the project but I was absolutely keen and still am doing something so enjoyable. I guess one would say I'm hooked! One of the first things I loved about rug hooking was that you see results of your efforts immediately. I love this design and the finished rug was definitely the wow factor in the exhibition I held in our town. At present it is safely rolled up and protected from light and moths, waiting to go down on the floor in our home extension some day/year!!

I forgot to say, apart from recycled heather wools, most of the materials used were new "as is" wool straight off the bolts.   Someone asked if I would sell the rug and I had to say I could not, I would never recoup the time and money it took to complete and I love it too much to part with it.

This is the picture I sent to Brigitte of Rug School 2008 where she spied the floor to ceiling "A Bit Of Egypt" hanging on the wall. It took days to draw, a ton of straight lines and large motifs and the reason why it's a one off. Occasionally I do a monster design just for the heck of it but never do the pattern twice. Of course if someone sweet talked me, I might do another one....maybe.

4 Comments

Lilies under foot.........

7/30/2013

“If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily” - Chinese Proverb

Gardens are so polite. Each species of flower takes its turn to shine, coming and going passively without stepping on each others toes. The peonies are gone for another year and now its time for the lilies to take center stage.   I have so many different types and each one is breathtakingly beautiful, from the common tiger lily to the huge show stealer, the incredible Star Gazer.  You haven't lived until you've looked into the heart of a lily, deep into the nucleus with all its delicate pistils and stamens and colours painted by Mother Nature.   There is something ethereal about the lily's perfection. Seriously, if you've only admired this flower from the lawn chair look deep into its core and you will be amazed at the beauty before you.

I have three separate gardens and everywhere I look there are lilies in all ranges of colours and size. Even the rain can't take away from their grandeur and although I did notice the presence of a little red bug that has seriously tried to devour a few of the Asiatic lilies. The leaves have more holes than greenery and the flowers themselves are looking pretty ragged. The strain of being eaten alive has dwarfed the flower heads so they are smaller than previous years.  Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come, I want my precious lilies to thrive and pleasure my eyes for decades.

I loved lilies so much I wanted to immortalize them in a hooked rug. I hooked this piece several years back, designed it for a class with Jane Halliwell. My friends were all taking pictorial instruction and there I was with exaggerated flowers but I kept my ears open to all the tips they were given.  Jane was an excellent teacher, lively and fun and left an impression on us all.

I used dip dyed wool for the leaves and flower pods and the flowers were six value swatches using the Blue Willow formula. The background is Antique Black from back in the day when the colour was more of a vibrant dark green. Today it seems to be more of a muddied greyish green, dull and lifeless which is rather disappointing. These days, I've resorted to over dyeing the Antique Black with Brilliant Green dye to give it the punch it used to have.     It was a good choice for my background as it made the flowers pop.

The above rug is hooked in #8 cut as I wanted it to be painless and over quickly. Flower shading is lovely but not my cup of tea so it was a git-er-done, have the T-shirt and move on experience. I opted for blue lilies, artistic license as this rug was meant to go in front of the French doors in my blue and white themed dining room. Man likes to manipulate nature so at some point they'll mess with genetics to create a blue one, and I'll be first in line a the gardening store.

Unfortunately, I messed up on the whipping. Not using cording meant the edge rippled like ribbon candy so I was a bit put off and less enamored with the rug so it hung around the shop where dogs called it bed and the sunlight faded the colours. I'm sitting here trying to remember where it might be as I just realized I haven't seen it for some time.

The orange version below was hooked by Gorman Wilmot and she opted to add a fifth flower head in the center by taking out the large pods.....quite striking.

Hooked by Gorman Wilmot

Back to my gardens.....I have/had three variegated hostas that are the size of hippos. They line the front of the back garden and grow larger every year. Under the cloak of darkness, the deer sauntered down off the back hill and mowed off the one on the left so all that remains are spindly stocks....looks like a bad haircut with Tasmania devil clippers. How sad for my view!

My Hydrangea bush is loving this weather. She's showing off more this year because of the moist soil. She's dripping with huge blue globes, except for the top as the deer had those flowers for dessert after the hosta main course. Darn those forest rats, not so fondly dubbed by my hubby, but I have to admit they have fabulous taste!

And thanks to all this rain, my concord grapevines are dripping with more fruit than the last several years combined. By fall there will be a sea of bluish, sweet tasting grapes tat I snack on when I take the pups out for their business. There is something very rewarding about eating off the land. Previous years that have yielded a bumper crop we made wine but I'm far too busy this year. Instead, I can see a big stash of grape jelly in my future. I can't eat it all myself, but I like to make it and share! I have so much colour and beauty in my life...I feel truly blessed....

These are a few of the lilies from my gardens. Everywhere I look there is beauty.

4 Comments

A feast of colour....

7/27/2013

Felted zippered bags

Braided rovings

Three foot long bags of roving

Yesterday was like Christmas at the shop. Parcel after parcel arrived with goodies. More plaid wool to stack the shelves, we now have an inventory of more than 60 different patterns and colours. I love plaids and how they hook up, so much texture to bring the rug to life. The new colours are a soft chartreuse green, a county red, a very nice blue and a soft maroon.

Those little felted notions bags sold like hot cakes so I ordered more and this time found another sheep motif in the larger bags so I got those as well. These come in the same array of fun colours as the small round bags do. So cute and practical to hold your hooks and scissors or use as a make-up bag. A woman was in the shop yesterday with one that she's had for a year. She uses it as a wallet and it looked brand new so they wear very well.

I now have in braided fleece in a slew of colours. Great for hooking or felting. Then the piece de resistance is the three foot bags of beautifully dyed roving that look like rainbows. The colours are delicious! A soft pastel coloured bag, a bright bag of fun colours and deeper tones for the lover of the antique look. Perfect for hooking and felting or just fondling!

Unwrapping those boxes and adding more colour to the shop was so exciting. I stayed late to play and arrange it all and I couldn't wait to get to work this morning to see it all again!

http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/extra.html (click the link to view details and pricing)

Plaids, plaids and more plaids!

3 Comments

Shiver Me Timbers....the pirates are a comin!

7/26/2013

Shiver Me Timbers by Emily Trimm

Arrr matey....shiver me timbers! Soon the pirates will be weighing anchor and sailing to the waters of Mahone Bay. We have a festival every year that brings the scallywags out in droves, donning eye patches and parrots and adopting the swashbuckler slang to get in character.

I personally don't get the need to fall over a dirty, rum soaked, middle aged man living some fantasy of raping and pillaging, but the tourists seem to like them with their manly swagger and rough talk. I've had a few laughs seeing women posing with the pirate actors for pictures and there's breathless swooning as if these facsimiles are god's gift. I prefer my men clean shaven and smelling soap fresh so I don't get it. I see the appeal of a man in uniform, something clean and smartly cut, but scruffy, dirty looking costumes and dirt smudged faces aren't my cuppa. Different strokes for different folks I guess. I prefer my pirates in a rug and came up with this cute little pirate weather vane a few years ago. Mary was the first to hook it and the rug is in the shop on display.

The Pirate Festival & Regatta brings a fair amount of people to town and the chandlery tent on the government wharf usually yields a must have treasure for my shop and maybe a mermaid or some nautical paraphernalia for the house. That's about all I have time to participate in as the shop is usually busy.

Shiver Me Timbers hooked by Mary Doig

Shiver Me Timbers hooked by Sue Cunningham

http://www.mahonebay.com/festivals-events/pirate-festival-regatta.html

The Mahone Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the 2013 Mahone Bay Pirate Festival and Regatta on August 2-5.

The festival continues to build on 23 successful years of the Wooden Boat Festival and more recently the Pirate Festival and Regatta. It's all about a community's celebration of our region's historic and sometimes playful relationship with the sea. Classic boats, pirate exhibits, marauding buccaneers, musicians and competitive sailing events will entertain and engage the whole family.

Mahone Bay has been a treasure since 1754. Piratical activity in Atlantic Canada has been well documented but rarely witnessed.

Join us in Mahone Bay for exhibits on the history of local piracy. Experience pirate history for yourself and go on a tour of Oak Island. Watch out for the 200th anniversary of the Burning of the Young Teazer.

Good food and music are synonymous with Mahone Bay festivals. Watch musical buskers performing throughout town. Pick up a commemorative coin. Enjoy a drink, try some local seafood and take in the beauty of Mahone Bay. There is no doubt you will bump into someone famous and rub shoulders with a pirate or two.

Classic and modern yachts, large and small vessels will compete for prizes and trophies. Less formal competition is planned just for fun; build and then race a boat completely made from recycled cardboard or compete in the famous dory races in front of the three churches. There are many prizes but expect stiff competition from marauding pirates. Prizes are awarded daily. Visit our famous summer flea market, our shops and restaurants and experience the beauty and excitement of the 2012 Mahone Bay Pirate Festival and Regatta. Parking areas are located throughout Town. If you come by boat, take advantage of the marina facilities that are available, including hot showers and tender service. Join us, but remember: DRESS LIKE A PIRATE!

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What's new at Encompassing Designs......

7/26/2013

2 Comments

Sari Silk in a number of colours, mottles and solids.

Sari silk, felted purses and bags. Cleaned out my private stash in the bathroom and have it all labeled to go. Pleated Pendleton skirts taken apart and the yardage is rolled, priced individually.

Shane designed several postcards for the traveling hooker and summer trade.

All these new items, sizes and pricing can be viewed on our website. Click link: http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/extra.html

Metallic Sari Silk, great sheen!

Felted bags perfect for scissors and hooks!

Felted notion bags or change purse!

Picture perfect postcards!

2 Comments

Rug hooking colour planning made simple.....

7/17/2013

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I believe most things have more than one use. Colour planning a room is no different than coloured planning a rug. The moment I saw this book I knew it would make a great guide for those who struggle with colour or are looking for something different...this book could be the answer. I've ordered in a few copies for the shop.

The way in which each of us views colour is unique. Our vision is tremendously complex and sensitive. Many external factors, such as lighting, adjacent colour and surface texture influence how we see colour. In the book they stick to some simple colour principles which can help you to successfully mix colour. Master these and you will be able to mix colours with confidence.

$19.95 Soft Cover

256 pages of full color throughout, 50 palettes.

It's hard to imagine a more comprehensive look at color scheme possibilities.
--Los Angeles Times

What a cool idea for the color challenged among us... 200 combinations fit for a king and queen and their royal family.
--Booklist

When it comes to decorating, the endless color choices available are enough to overwhelm the most determined home decorator. The Color Scheme Bible solves that problem and this lay-flat paperback edition is sure to be a popular choice.

With 200 color scheme ideas to choose from, The Color Scheme Bible is an easy-to-use and inspiring reference to using color in the home. It describes how colors interact and the effects they have on a room. It explains how to choose colors that complement each other for a subdued effect, and which colors and combinations energize.

And for those of you who experiment and dye wool to sell, this book is also a great source for names to suit each new colour.

Features include:

How color creates ambiance and atmosphere

Colour Theory
Colour palette directory
Using a colour scrapbook
How to make a mood board*
Colour and emotions
Colour and mood
200 distinctive color schemes inspired by nature, art, travel, and even a favorite possession
50 recommended palettes
A "How to Use This Book" guide

*Mood boards are an inspirational collection of items to help in choosing specific colours, patterns and combinations. Paint chips, wool snippets, wallpaper, magazine coloured photos, upholstery fabric etc. The items are a representation of your research and taste.

Below are but a few of the samples of the 200 colour schemes in the book.

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Tina's Roses, a lovely bouquet.....

7/15/2013

6 Comments

Opening up the shop Saturday morning was total chaos. For me of course, not anyone else, and hopefully they couldn't see how rattled I felt behind the smile. I got there 5 minutes late to see someone at the door trying to get in. I had the pups with me and had to scramble to get them upstairs. In my frantic tone they were confused so ran in all directions, it might have been funny if I wasn't so annoyed. I unlocked the door not wanting to keep the woman waiting and hoped to corral the pups and pull myself together. Then the phone rings and I guess by now I was panicked trying to get the dogs upstairs that were all barking at the fun we were having while more people poured in the door. Now there are eight people in the shop and the lights weren't even on yet. I'm sweating bullets now and thank goodness my deodorant held up or it could have been a rough day.

I was trying to talk on the phone to a customer from California while hustling Honey, the last of the stragglers upstairs. The youngest was still barking and I was shushing, begging with my eyes to please be quiet! Normally I can quiet them with a snap of my fingers but a pack leader is no good with ruffled feathers, they sense it and take advantage.   I pride myself as being in control of my four furry kids and it irks me when they don't listen, usually at the most inopportune times!

People stood in front of the cashier counter laughing and talking loudly so I couldn't hear what the gal was saying on the phone. I must have apologized and asked her to repeat her address a dozen times, each time adding to my angst. The dogs were still barking in the background...oh joy! I couldn't have written a play and orchestrated it any better. A chaotic comedic angst; I felt like Lucille Ball at the chocolate factory. If only I was the type of personality that could laugh that kind of moment off, but not me, old uptight ass. Finally the order was taken and I hung up....poor woman on the other end of the line...what must she think? Encompassing Designs is a three ring circus!   As soon as the phone was in the cradle the darn thing rang again and then again and then again. The dogs finally settled in, probably thinking mom was loosing her mind. By the time all the orders were taken and I'd addressed the in-store customers I was wiped for the day. For the first time in my life I thought a drink might be nice, something strong to steady my nerves. I don't ever think that way but for the first time I needed something stronger than Decaf coffee.

Shane was late although technically he wasn't. He works most Saturdays but it's unofficial. He saunters in whenever he's ready. He never looked so good as he sauntered in the back door. Only then did I begin to relax. I was wound like a spring and once it's coiled tight I don't unwind none to swift.

So once the blitz was over and it slowed to a constant trickle I took a deep breath and let it all go. The wooshhhh of it almost took out the window. I would have been absolutely fine if not for the noisy pups. I've handled buss tours without a blink but I really hate for people to hear my dogs barking and I'm sure it bothers me more than them but I was raised to be conscientious about other people so I worry. When it's warm I hate to leave them home in an unconditioned house panting so I bring them to work so they can enjoy the cool air. Of course being late set me off a bit, annoyed with myself even before I got there. So the dogs and being late put me in a right state.

Despite the crazy beginnings, what a lovely busy day it was, I don't think there was ever a time when there weren't people mulling about. A lot of people from Ontario, I think every second car on the street has the telltale blue and white license plate...and lots of Americans as well. The town was electric all day with yard sales and sight seeing and we had a constant stream until we closed.

The highlight of the day was a visit from a hooking angel. She walked in the store with a drawstring bag tucked under her arm and I knew there was about to be a show and tell and a show it was! Th woman had completed Tina's Roses and it was beautiful! She'd sent a picture of the Poppy Spray below a month or so back and told me she would soon have the roses finished and I knew they were going to be spectacular and she didn't disappoint!

Margaret Tupper, who has only been hooking for four years, definitely has the talent for floral rugs. She hooks in a #4 cut so is able to give the detail needed to make the flowers come to life. She is also an avid dyer, producing all the wool for her projects I asked if she would be putting this piece on the floor and she said it would probably end up rolled and stored away. She said she'll wait until there is an event or special occasion and give the rugs to members of her family. Never one to miss an opportunity, I put forth the suggestion that I am up for adoption but alas she already had children who would always come first...

Margaret is a busy rug hooker who gets around, participating in three groups. Her regular group called the Rug Rats from Nicholsville, the Fundy Group in Kingston and Rags to Riches in Berwick.  Because these two patterns were never hooked before she qualified for two 50% off coupons for future patterns and she chose to combine them for the pattern "Lotus" and I can't wait to see what she will do to make it shine.

The Tina's Roses design came from an old towel. I'm dating myself but remember back in the day when powdered laundry detergents offered a bath towel, a hand towel or a facecloth in the box? I can't remember which one, ABC or Tide but this towel had survived 40 - 55 years. A friend had it stored in their basement and it was virtually new. The pretty roses and scroll work caught my eye. Now you're probably saying shame on you Christine, with copyright lectures and all. I weighed my lust for the design against the chance that after all these years anyone would care and I went for it. So glad I did as this pattern is an old fashioned, traditional beauty!

Tina's Roses

Poppy Spray

Both patterns can be viewed on the site: http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html

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Anne's rug

7/13/2013

By Guest Blogger Anne Holmes

I designed this traditional looking rug for a client to fit a specific location. Called Donna's Primitive, she wanted a mix of floral and geometric so I did a brick style center and a garland of flowers and berries around the perimeter. I've had a few updates on the pattern but I think a health problem has slowed down the completion. I hope Donna is feeling better and back to hooking soon. In the meantime Anne Holmes, one of our Main Street Hookers took a shining to the pattern and decided to do it as well. In Anne's words:

I used the Ecru from Christine's shop for the bricks and a light taupe plaid for the background of the floral garland. The rug is hooked in #6 cut and the colours were the ecru, Amethyst and Shamrock from Christine's dye books which I died myself.

The pattern was given to me by my stepson and his wife for a Christmas present. I chose these colours to correspond with the duvet, pillows and wall colour in my daughter's bedroom. The mat that was on the floor of her bedroom was made when I first started hooking in 1992. The pattern was drawn on burlap for me by Muriel Peveril and it had a teddy bear with five blocks in front of the bear and I put ANGELA in the blocks. My daughter is now 31 and I think the mat has had its day and we needed a more grown up version to take its place for when she comes home.

Anne Holmes

Donna's version of the pattern. Beautiful creamy tones with hits of gold, green and red.

"Donna's Primitive" pattern: http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html

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Small Caucasian sampler....

7/10/2013