Encompassing Designs
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Kits
    • Patterns >
      • Christine Little >
        • Signature Designs
        • New Designs
        • Seasonal Designs
      • Deborah Sweet
      • Susan Leslie
      • Patricia Perry
      • William Morris
    • Supplies >
      • Backings
      • Frames
      • Hooks
      • Books
      • Extra
    • Wool >
      • Abrashed
      • Custom Dyeing
      • Dyed Bundles
      • Dyed Curly Mohair
      • Dyed Spots
      • Dyed Values
      • Dyed Yarn
      • Jacquard Dice Dyes
      • Natural & Colours
      • Plaids & Textures
      • Dye Books & Swatches
  • Ordering
  • Blog
  • Workshops
  • Our Story
  • Contact Us

Wow, bell pulls make a fabulous privacy screen!

10/29/2013

2 Comments

 
I don’t know if I should kick my butt or slap myself on the back.   I only get two days off a month and completely wasted Sunday on my backside. All I did was sleep.   Now I may have needed it, but that’s a day I’ll never get back!  Surely I could have salvaged a bit of the day for something productive!  I couldn’t seem to get out of my own way and drifted in and out of consciousness, only rousing for bathroom breaks and food for me and the pups.  I felt so weary I just let it overtake me and I warmed the couch like a large lump of mashed potatoes.  

Of course my laziness came with a price. At some point my glasses fell off and one of the pups, probably Henri, saw them as a chew toy and now one ear piece is short and stubby, just enough of a stump to  lay on my ear.   The plastic was pretty ragged so I had to file down the chew marks to be able to wear them without injury. Luckily he didn’t touch the lenses and no one would even know if I didn’t blab it all over here.  


I’ve had eye glasses fatalities before, when my body crushed a pair or two in the middle of a nap, usually within the first week of purchasing them.    Someone should make rubber frames that collapse and mold to your head as you thrash around in your sleep.  Of course taking them off works but Sunday I was pretty dopey and the TV was on so as I drifted in and out, I watched whatever was on before fading to black again.   It's very interesting that I struggle with sleep in bed, waiting, always waiting, but on the sofa it's as if the upholstery is soaked in anesthetic....absorbing into my pores, knocking me out as if  I'm in the ring with Ali leaving no chance or time to think about removing my specs.  Maybe I should move the sofa upstairs.....and the bed down in front of the TV!     
 
I meant to go to work on Sunday to clean up my office so I could start Monday fresh and organized.  The new classroom is all ready to roll but all the stuff I cleared from there is now piled in my office with a goat path to my computer.  There's at least three hours of hard labour in there, shifting and filing and doing a final purge of all the stuff I've been hanging on too because of delayed decisions....I've got to learn to deal with things in the here and now, not put it aside for another time.   Once the chaos in the office is under control the upstairs will be just as I always envisioned it.   I'll have seating for 20 people in a brightly lit room, perfectly conducive to hook-ins and workshops.   Plus the new pattern room downstairs has a table with seating for up to six or more, and two upholstered chairs for any overflow. 

I want to start a hook-in during the day, which day of the week is still undecided, although I am leaning towards Wednesday.  We hook the 1st and 3rd Wednesday evening of every month  so why not declare hump day all about hooking.   I hope it will slowly build so rug hookers feel comfortable and treat my studio as a home away from home, a place to chat, meet old friends, make new  acquaintances and of course hook with abandon.  It will be a free venue with coffee and tea and maybe a treat. I might even have a door prize now and then to make it interesting.  I’m actually looking forward to sitting and doing a bit of hooking myself…ownership should have its perks right?  I don’t get to play much so stealing an hour or two can’t hurt and maybe I'll finish up a few of the projects I have on the go.

I had the best compliment the week before last. A customer told me that the gals in their Halifax group were discussing my shop and they all described it was “lively”.  They said things are always changing and new items are always out.  They say the shop is very colourful and inviting.   I also play great music and although I know it may not please everyone it certainly pleases some because I hear the odd comment of how great my selections are. I love music to work by, it pumps me up and pushes me forward.  Without music I’d fall into a funk and drag my feet and derrière around the shop like a zombie.  I lot of people who come by are my age so the oldies but goodies put a bit of pep in their step and I sometimes hear them singing along or bobbing ever so slightly.   I love classic rock and pop, the upbeat stuff that acts like sugar in the veins without the health risk.   I had Shane make a 'My Favourites' list and any song that ever moved me is on it. Great beats and soothing melodies, blasts from my past, monumental songs for the events in my life.  
 
So I was beaming from ear to ear at the appreciation of my "lively" shop!   I work hard at mixing things up and displaying our wares with a bit of finesse and I appreciate that it's noticed.   The comment made my week!
 
So I started cleaning up the office tonight, finding places to put things and a few pictures I hadn't seen for awhile resurfaced.  This delightful photo below was sent to me to show what the customer did with two of my patterns, one with cats and the other with dogs.  They're bell pulls, long slender pieces perfect for that little nook or corner.  The cats are funky as cats can be and the dogs were more realistic but hooking them in the same bright colours is far more exciting.  Then they merged the two with their own design of fish. How bloody clever and great carpentry!  Wish I’d thought of that!
    Click the link to view the patterns on my site and scroll down: http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/signature-designs.html
Picture
Saw Cheese......How Much Is That Doggie...both patterns are 9 1/2" x 46"
A couple of years back Jerald Furgurson of Washington sent this picture to show me what my bell pulls looked like in a clever privacy screen.  The dog and cat designs are mine and he came up with the fish to pull the two together. 

You might not remember me but I was in your shop the fall before last and bought two of your designs, Say Cheese Bell Pull and How Much Is That Doggie....Bell Pull.  I added another panel of my own design, the fish, and made them into a folding room screen.  Everyone loves your dogs and cats! 

Jerald Furguson

2 Comments
Pam
10/29/2013 06:30:45 am

What a great idea!!

Reply
Jill
10/29/2013 10:41:56 am

Happy to see things are going well for you Christine. Beautiful product! You have always been so very talented. Happy birthday wishes also to your baby boy today. Take care!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Christine Little has been ranked #5​ out of the 60 top rug hooking bloggers by Rug Hooking Magazine!

    Picture
    Picture
    Max Anderson, Australia, recipient of my Nova Scotia Treasures rug.  An award of excellence for promoting Canada through his writing.  
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Picture
    Picture
    Gift Certificates are available for that special rug hooker in your life!  Any denomination, no expiry date! 

    Picture

    Categories
    (Click on the categories for past blogs)

    All
    Announcements
    Beginner Class
    Christmas
    Colour Planning
    Contests
    Copyright
    Coupon
    Customer Rugs
    Cutter Servicing
    Dyeing
    Equipment
    Featured Hooker
    Giveaway Draw
    Guest Blogger
    Guest Blogger
    Health & Fitness
    Home & Heart
    Hooked Rugs
    Hooking Groups
    Hook In Talk
    Initially Yours
    Jibber Jabber
    Just A Bit Of Fun!
    Life's Experiences
    Life's Experiences
    New Design
    New Ideas
    Pattern Of The Week
    Patterns Hooked
    Pets
    Rants
    Recipes
    Rememberingfbe7326ff7
    Rug Schools
    Show & Tell
    Show-tell
    The Rant
    Tips Technique
    Tips Techniquef0cd117ab4
    Visitors
    Workshops

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture





















    Picture
    We have a pot to "Fiz" in!

Shop Hours:
Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 
Saturdays 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
We are closed during ice and snow storms
​so please call ahead.  If school is cancelled we probably are as well.  

Toll Free: 1-855-624-0370
Local: 1-902-624-0370​
encompassingdesigns@gmail.com

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

​Follow us and keep up to date
on our specials, new products
​and events!
Picture
Picture
Picture


Home
Shop
Ordering
Blog
Our Story
Workshops

Contact Us




​​​© Copyright 2023 Encompassing Designs. Website by SKYSAIL