Tall Tales from Kansas

what's on tap for this Mother's Day weekend

If you don't have a friend who thrills at the site of a garage sale on the way to work in the morning, who also knows you and what you might be interested in, you should get one. 

This morning, I added greatly to my collection of wool strips for rug hooking when my friend found about $80 worth of material for me for a double sawbuck.  I have been needing some robin egg blues and gourd stem greens and neutrals to add to my collection.   Not to mention the prized houndstooth dark and light combination that will add depth and interest to any project.  

Thanks Karin for your sharp eye!  I sure hope Angie was watching this from the great beyond.  She thrilled at the prospect of getting something for a bargain. 

Happy Friday Night from Lawrence where the sunset light on the old fashioned Iris was at it's peak when I got home.   I have come to enjoy telling you about all the ideas swirling around in my brain that may or may not get done on the weekends.   Here is what's on tap for this Mother's Day weekend:
1.  farmers market trip
2.  go hiking in the flint hills
3.  get some sewing time in
4.  make an old fashioned coffee cake for Sunday breakfast
5.  plant the tomatoes
6.  take a nap 

If I get 3 of those things done I will call it good.

hooking is a very hard habit to break

The story of the making of hooked pumpkin #2 in nine pictures. 

And just like that we now have 2 hooked pumpkins in this house.  It is very possible that there will be another jack-o'-lantern made this year. 

It might have something to do with the fact that I saw some bright orange wool strips for sale on etsy.  Or just that hooking is a very hard habit to break.  Thanks again Mary for the inspiration and the instruction.

he must have a companion

Happy Friday!  I am not sure what you have planned for the weekend but here are a few of the things I am thinking about.  Farmers market visit.  Making some hash brown waffles.  Planting bulbs if they come in the mail.  Making the final arrangements for our Palm Springs art retreat house and cleaning up some photos on my hard drive.  Which led me to these dahlia photos that I feel you need to see.   

I am also going to draw the design and get my wool strips picked out for the Mary Stanley hooked pumpkin I am going to make this year. I set this guy out on the mantel the other night and decided he must have a companion.

If you are doing something that I may need to add to my list... do tell. 

the gnarly uneven loops and lines

With exactly 24 hours left in the month of November, armed with a nice selection of wool strips, and fueled by a ginormous piece of pumpkin bread,  I set about to finish hooking this little pumpkin. 

Once I got going, it was done in no time at all.  This morning I stuffed and stitched and found a place for him to live.

Despite (or maybe because of) the square-ish shape, the snaggle-tooth smile, and the gnarly uneven loops and lines, I am quite fond of this new addition to the mantlepiece.  

Thanks to Mary and Pam for the tutoring and inspiration.  If you ever get a chance to take one of Mary's classes you MUST do it.  I got supplies on line from Deanne Fitzpatrick and Karen Kahle.  I cut my strips from wool I purchased.  Pam tells me you can also get them already cut.  Leave it to me to do things the hard way.   

conventional in my choices versus unexpected

My new "bent hook" arrived in the mail the other day and with that I set about designing my  Mary Stanley Pumpkin. 

Linen in the hoop - check.  Pattern drawn and transferred to the linen - check.  Wool colors picked out and cut into strips - check. 

And now the fun part begins.  Figuring out what colors should go next to each other and where I should be conventional in my choices versus unexpected.  I learned when I was doing my bird that this "random selection" comes out much better with a little bit of forethought.

I like looking a this big pile of strips and coming up with different combinations.  There might be something else that could make me happier, but right now I am having too much fun to imagine what that could be. 

I could not keep my eyes on both the television and the blade

 This came in my mail box tonight.

It came on the heels of this, which arrived on Monday.

Both of the above will join the supplies below.

Which I will use to make one of these.  You better believe that if there was any way possible,  I would be sitting in the front row of Mary's class.  Since I was lucky enough to get my own personal lesson from her in June, I will be chanelling her warm creative spirit as I sketch out a shape and put my own spin on a hooked pumpkin.   My first step will be to cut strips out of this lovely wool to use for the project.  I was going to do it tonight while I watched the Roosevelts on PBS. 

Photo credit:  Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library

Are you watching?  I am completely fascinated by it.  So much I don't know about the history of my own country and the people who shaped it.  

Alas, I could not keep my eyes on both the television and the blade so no strips of wool were cut tonight.  Luckily the weekend approaches.  Chris has candy corn and cocktail peanuts on the shopping list.  Pumpkin hooking requires treats.  Special treats. 

For inquiring minds... I got my wools from here, and here (this is where I ordered my backing from), and here.   Amazingly fast and excellent service from all three.  

Related articles

no bird should be without a mate

all the better to see you with my dear

Photos of the final phases of construction of my "Big Eye Bird". 

I had the most delightful time hooking this bird.  I made a special back for him because I am sure in years to come someone is going to want to know his story. 

He is not, by the way, related to the big bad wolf of Little Red Riding Hood fame, but all I can think of everytime I see him is someone saying "my little bird what a BIG eye you have".

no bird should be without a mate

When I was in California last month Mary Stanley got me started on the art of rug hooking.  Mary is a seriously talented hooker and seeing her work would make anyone want to take it up.  I have been intermittently working on my bird since I got home.  Mostly to learn the craft, knowing my first project will not be perfect.   I didn't have quite enough wool to finish the belly and after tossing a coin to decide if I was going to:
A.  go to a second hand store looking for skirt weight wool in the right color
B:  order some
I ordered from Canada.  Home of Deanne Fitzpatrick.  It came yesterday. 

My strips are cut and I am on the home stretch now.   As you can see I ordered plenty of wool for bird #2.  No bird should be without a mate.  There might have also been some lovely oranges, yellows, browns, and reds that came with the blues... in case I need to make a pumpkin.  Or three.