Finally met Jan

The owner of Leola's in Ozark, MO.  I've followed her blog and been in her shop a hundred times,  but never met her in person.  This past Monday Tammy and I went out for a little shopping therapy.  We started at the tile store for Tammy's "fancy room" fireplace surround.  After a quote of around $650 and us almost fainting, we headed for somewhere we Knew we could get a bargain!  Leola's!!!

You can see some of the cool stuff behind us. I got two stamped dish towels for $4.oo each.  Sorry no pictures.  But I did come home and make a set of stamped napkins.  Really cool.  I'll show you those when I photograph them. 

Did someone say whimsical?

Or excuse me, but do you know the time?

Lovely glass holders to put a candle in.

 Are these canisters not to die for?

I've now got to pull the handles off of some piece of furniture in my house and replace them with antique lace!  Don't cha just love it?

The next day Miss Dulcy came by to give me a refresher course on knitting.  I remembered the knitting part quickly, but have never purled.  I did not pick that up so easily!  We had to take a small break and go on a yarn hunt.  There's a new yarn shop in town that we had to check out.  (Not too exciting, BTW)  Then went to Simply Fibers and I got enough wool yarn to make a shawl.  Just a long rectangle.  But now that I've actually purchased the yarn, I'm committed to Make it!

Notice anything different about me?  New hair color!  Platinum blonde!  I went to Tammy's "girl".  I told her I wanted to be blonde, but not look like Tammy's. 
And NOT yellow blonde!  I was surprised, but I like it.  This color wouldn't work for me if my hair was any longer.  I told Tammy I would look like a Real HOOKER if it was long!!!

Tomorrow Dulcy, her husband Jim, and I are going to The Springfield Regional Arts Council at The Creamery Arts Center to hang our rugs for the First Friday Art Walk.  They will remain on display for the whole month of September.  I named us the Center City Hookers.  It's me, Dulcy and Tammy showing our work.  This is the gallery I showed you earlier where I helped out with the Free art day on Saturdays~Did that again last week too!  Too much fun!!!  I'll be sure to take my camera to share with you.

Have a great week

and Peace,

Sheri

 

Mixed media class Saturday

So glad I made it to this class.  My friend Susan Goodman was the teacher.  She is so talented, especially in mixed media.  You should see her home!!!

We were first taught how to make these "memory jars".  She taught us the secret of using black caulk as the base in which to stick our stuff!  Just squirt out some caulk on the jar and spread it around evenly with tip.  Only work on a small section at a time.  And have PLENTY of damp paper towels ready for your dirty fingers!

This is Susan's half finished jar.

The beginning of mine.  It will be "Time in a bottle" 

After about an hour of playing in the caulk and pretties we switched gears and went to making Memory Books.

I started with a kids cardboard book which I had gessoed before class.  Then went crazy from there!

(Look at that Boy Hair, would ya?)

I'll never cuss doing my hair again!!!

From left: Stephanie, a long lost friend of mine from high school, who is now administrator of The Creamery Art gallery. (Where we were), her daughter August, Susan (teacher) and her daughter Audrey.

Carol and her mother Evelyn taking the class with me!

Some of Susan's work. I LOVE Meat dish!!!  It's in a silverplate serving dish!!

  

 

Have a great week!

Peace,

Sheri

Pictures of hooking at the library Monday evening.

Dulcy working on her cottage rug she started in Jane Green's workshop in Maine.

A close up of the cottage. Aren't the rocks amazing? Dulcy is hooking this in a number four cut, which is TINY for our group!!!

Marsha is working on this large ship rug.

Contemplating how to hook the "waves" at the front of the ship.

Janette and her cute pumpkin couple. I think this is Maria Barton's pattern!?!

Renee' still plugging along on her window rug. I showed the rug, but not her face a few posts back. Very cool rug!

Next, the two Peepers!

Rita is working on another darling cottage rug.

Lovin' the colors of this one. The house wool is spot dyed and looks kind of like pink brick.

This is Vicki and her patriotic rug.

I've got a few projects going. No pictures though. I do have this picture of the wool I picked out for the 3D pumpkin I'm working on. It's a pattern by Befruitful Kreations. JoEllen has lots of neat patterns on her website.

Hope the rest of the week is divine for you!

Peace,

Sheri

Whipping an edge with wool strips~A little tutorial

First make sure you have serged or zig-zagged the edge about 1/2" from your hooking.

1.  Fold your linen (backing) towards the front of the rug and insert the needle that is threaded with a wool strip of whatever size you hooked the rug with.  I usually start at the middle bottom.  No specific reason.  Leave a little "tail" that you will cover up in a minute.

2. Pull the wool strip through to the back. 

3. Bring your needle back to the top and insert it in 1 or 2 holes next to the first one.

   

4. Make sure your wool doesn't twist before you pull it down.  I think this is the hardest part of the job~keeping it from twisting.

  

5. Pull this loop through to the back too, covering the little tail you had left.

6. Just continue inserting the needle one or two holes over and whipping from top to bottom.

 

7. When you run out of wool strip leave another little tail.  (You will cover it up like before)

 

8. I start the new strip in the same hole as the last one.

9. Showing here with a different color of strip.  Again, leave a tail on the top (new) strip too. 

10.  It's hard to see, but I'm holding both the tails.  One on top and one on bottom.

11.  Then just start the whipping process again.  Covering the tails.

 

Here's a finished corner.

1. I kind of pinch the linen together to form a corner and work with it to make the turn.

2. Whip just like before (while holding the linen corner together)  Kind of difficult!

3. Many times on the corner you'll have to stick the needle in the same hole as before in able to make the turn.  You'll move the wool strips around with your fingers too.

 

When you get to the end of the piece OR you can do this when starting a new piece.  Insert the needle on the back Through three or four previous loops (that are laying flat)

2.  Pull the strip through all three loops.

 

3. Snip off this piece of wool to hide the ends.

This is the piece I was working on.  This is the FIRST rug I ever hooked.  STILL HAD NOT FINISHED WITH THE HOOKING!!!   It only needed a few strips hooked on the right side!  I took the class from Tammy in 2004 or 5.  Last night I did finish the hooking and I will finish whipping the edge.  It WILL be on my table this fall!!!

And here's a picture of how I do a piece of wool to insert a cafe rod.  I simply cut a piece of wool to fit and hand stitch it on the top and bottom.  Easy Peasy!!   

I hope you could understand my tutorial.  And I hope you can do it now too!  If you have any questions feel free to email me!

One more note,  I've started adding small bundle packages of wool at my shop!

ShabbySheepWool

Peace,

Sheri