I finished my hooked rug! This is the first one I've successfully completed. (It's not square, I know, but I'll just call it "primitive"). My husband was always told when he was growing up, "Do
something, even if it's wrong!" so I've adopted that for myself as well, so even if there are glaring errors on a project - I continue working on it, even if it's wrong! Directly above the pumpkin it says "BOO".
It's sort of weird. Not really the sort of thing (design-wise) I tend to spend much time on making...but it adds a certain touch of whimsy, I guess. I think what I was really after was the primitive feel and texture for a fall piece. I also wanted to work on my rug-hooking skill; it takes some doing to figure it out, let me tell you!
Here are some placemats I made (they are all four the same as this one!) I wanted something fast and bright. For Halloween, since it is just for the month of October (unlike Christmas which can (and should!) overtake your whole house for what seems like many months) I wanted something somewhat garish and whimsical. We won't have them out long enough to get tired of them but it adds a brightness and childlike quality.
Here are two jewelry bags I made. I'm not telling you where I got the pattern because it was crummy and not worth what I paid for it! I'm not sure the pattern maker could have made it more tedious and difficult than she did, when this is an extremely simple and forgiving project! But I "fixed" the directions for myself for any future jewelry bags. If you care to make any - just use your dinner plates for the large circles and your sandwhich/lunch plates for the small inner circles.
Here they are opened half-way so you can get a peak at the little pockets.
Here one is opened all the way (well, almost all the way) so you can see how simple it would be to use your two sizes of plates. You simply sew the smaller circle in eight pie-shaped wedges from the center circle (I suppose you could use a coffee cup for that circle) to the edges of the pink doll circle; that, of course, is what forms the little pockets.
Ashley Rose (all of eight-years-old) told her dad and I the other day, "You know, I AM getting to the age when I need some diamonds!" Mercy! Not JUST yet, please! I informed her that was her future husband's concern, not ours! Bless her heart! Lol.
So, there you have it! A few projects finished up and now I'm ready for Christmas cross-stitching and sewing some pillow cases in the next couple weeks for the kids "just because."
Have a good day!
C. C.
It's sort of weird. Not really the sort of thing (design-wise) I tend to spend much time on making...but it adds a certain touch of whimsy, I guess. I think what I was really after was the primitive feel and texture for a fall piece. I also wanted to work on my rug-hooking skill; it takes some doing to figure it out, let me tell you! 
The wind was blowing some, which makes it very dangerous because the blades of the windmill will rotate around and sweep you off the contraption. Rob has seen guys get swept off before and he said it isn't pleasant! I asked the landlord how long it had been squeaking away, and he said he has lived here 18 years and it screached since he moved in. I thought he was simply not sensitive (in some miraculous way!) to the noise, but he just never could find anyone to climb up there and fix it. He knocked $200.00 off the rent next month for Rob doing that for him. So this morning while we were reading, I told the kids I felt I had gone deaf because I could see all the leaves moving in the wind, but without the SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH! Oh, I simply can't describe the relief. Thank the Lord for a handy husband!
This is the first painting project I ever designed and painted. It certainly won't win any blue ribbons, but it turned out exactly how I envisioned it.
Here are three more pictures of the band box. I don't think I will ever get the hang of floating the darker shadows under the design...some times it looks great, other times it looks awful - this one is somewhere in between. This is the back view. I sealed it with "Spar Varnish" spray; I hope it doesn't yellow.
Here are blocks eight and nine of my Baltimore Bunnies. WHEW! Three more to go then the borders and I'm DONE! I hope I get my second wind and finish out strong...I've come too far to quit now! After nine blocks, I think I am getting somewhat better, which is really all I wanted to do: improve my applique. The itty-bitty pieces and the points on small leaves still give me trouble, but I am forgiving of myself and just forge ahead to get the block done.
This one above here, I was just finishing up during dance class and the ladies and I were visiting about the weird way they are teaching elementary math in the schools around here right now. I guess it got me upset (the education of children is my absolute passion!) and the bunny on the left ended up with a very sad eye! I think I'll leave it, it doesn't show too much and adds variety to life: the joy as well as the sadness of it.
and a pretty card she made herself and, could it be? Yes! It is! Chocolate! And you know, the whole package smells of roses! The white bunny on the right is a lovely hand-crafted rose-scented soap! What a lovely surprise!
Thank you so much, Shell May! What a thoughtful giveaway you had; I'm so lucky to have won!
Ashley Rose made a pumpkin with hair (on the right) and a "little dude" on the left with huge hair.
Here are a few more views of them outside.
We actually got some rain here last night; it's still dripping off the table.
