The best thing about your best friend…

She “gets” you, really Gets you.  When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer the first thing that came to mind was, “I can’t even plant a tree and watch it grow”.  I love gardening and nature.  So this spring after completing my treatment we went to the nursery and I picked out my “cancer tree”.  A red maple.  They came out a few weeks later and planted it in our back yard.  So my cancer tree has become very special to me.  So I was surprised, but then again not…when Tammy bought me a necklace with a tree of life on it for Christmas. (Actually it’s a tree of knowledge, but we’re calling it the tree of life)

 

She understands the importance of my little Charlie Brown tree.  I think she, Mickey and my mom are the only ones who Truly understand just how important the symbolism.  I think they even get my obsession with the Virgin Mary too!  No, I’m not Catholic, but I’m so drawn to icons of Her.  I bought myself a necklace with Mary on it.

This is the pendant I made for her.  I only got one pic of her wearing it and she’d kill me if I posted it.  (her eyes are closed)

I made my parents a smaller version of my Sunflower rug.

I finished the beading at noon on Christmas day and I was serving lunch for family at 2:00! 

I thought I could finish it the night before, but I wanted to have a little energy for Christmas day.

And I MUST show you our little Santa Jimmie Dean!  That’s his heating pad he’s standing on too.  No, he’s not spoiled. 

 

Tomorrow is hooking at the Brentwood Library @5:00 pm.  Stop by if you can!

Peace,

Sheri

Drumroll please….

dddrrrrrrrrrrr.  Max the cat is finished!

 

  Bound and ready to hang.  I printed a label just a minute ago, but will wait ‘til morning to iron it on so I know the ink is good and dry.  I dyed all the wool for this one.  It was so amazing trying to match the colors exactly from the watercolor original.

I looked at some old pictures of Max and I’ve done this one in three weeks!!!!  Some of the work was done in the middle of the night.  One or both of my heart meds are making me NOT SLEEP at all!!!!  I finished the eye on the right (our right) one night at 2:00 a.m.  I just could not get them perfect.  And I think if the eyes aren’t just right, it would just ruin the piece.  I think I got it!

Now what am I going to do? I have been looking at some of Susan Quicksall’s patterns.  But now I kind of want to only hook my own patterns. I still want to try to capture my blue bottle tree in wool.

That’s a good question.  For those of you who do design your own patterns, do you still purchase other artists patterns or stick with your own?

Have a great week.  I have to go to a funeral Thursday.  My uncle Ralph passed away.  My mom’s sisters husband.  I had a lot of fun with my cousins when we were younger.  They lived about 60 miles away, but we went there almost every weekend to visit my grandma and grandpa. They lived in the country on a big ranch.  I thought they were sooooo lucky.  I lived in the big city…..they thought I was so lucky!  Will we ever be happy just where we are?  I am right now.

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

Springfield Hook-in

Yesterday was the 2nd annual hook-in at the Lake Springfield Boat House.  What a great day!!!  Great weather, great food, and great friends.  I was so glad I was able to go this year.  With the surgery I wasn’t sure I’d be able to.  But I did.  I stayed all day AND I kept my hair on all day!!!

Carolyn Snyder of Cricket Street Wool was selling some beautiful applique patterns and beautiful hand dyed wool. (www.cricketstreetwool.com)

I bought this snowman runner pattern.  Like I need another thing to do…

 Tammy and me hard at work!

Tammy has more pictures over on her blog~  www.skiptomyewe.blogspot.com.

Here are a few pictures of rugs and their hookers.  I’m sorry I can’t remember everyone’s name.  

Dulcy just starting a tea cozy from Karen Kahle. I’m sure she’ll be posting some pics on her blog too. www.dulcysdoorstep.blogspot.com

 

I’ll post more pictures this week.

It’s going to be a busy one.  I am going to start radiation the first week of May and I have two Dr. appointments this week to get ready for that.  (Looks like it’s going to be a long summer too.)

Hopefully when the radiation is over I can get back to my “normal life”!  Those who know me well wouldn’t call me normal!!

Peace to all,

Sheri

 

Didn't finish by my "mental date"

I had said I wanted to finish my antique rug by the weekend. Well that didn't happen. Last Wed. afternoon I got a Killer migraine which lasted through Thurs. night. Well, that really messed up my mental finish date. I have to do that in order to get anything finished. Soooo I'm shooting for this weekend to have the hooking finished. The borders have stripes and it will be getting a bit technical to figure out. My poor little brain!

Here's my progress

The black animal at the bottom will hopefully be a horse after I finish the hooking around him. My hubby thought it was a dog. sigh.....

It's been so hot here I didn't even go outside over the weekend. Watched alot of movies and took some naps! It's supposed to be 98 today. Again too hot to do much of anything outside. I do have to go to the fairgrounds to pick up my rugs. Can't wait to get them hung back up.

I am going to start a painting project too. My sisters birthday is the 29th and I'm going to paint a Santa on an old wooden ironing board. I'll show you my progress on that too. I will try to get it primed today. That is why I have started my "mental finish date".

Used to be I would be putting on the varnish when I needed to be wrapping the gift. Too much stress!!!

Have a great Monday!

When the power of love

overcomes the love of power,

the world will know peace.

Jimi Hendrix

Peace sistas,

Sheri