March began with the Spring Fiber Fling in Wildwood Florida!  We had a full house of rug hookers, spinners, weavers, knitters, wool appliqués!  And more!   

Are you interested in learning decorative stitches in rug hooking?  I will be teaching this pattern with all decorative stitches at the Florida Tropical Weavers Guild Annual Conference, March 15th to 18th at Lake Yale Conference Center.  Check out all the possibilities at FTWG.org!  Mini classes, vendors, 2.5 day classes, and MORE!

New hand-dyed wool from my dye pots are now listed in the website store under Specialty Dying.  These are one of a kind, 1/2 yard each.  Several different color ways to choose from, ready to be mailed to you!

Two new wool appliqué kits to make your own needle case.  Each kit comes with all  the wool to complete the project.  Finished size is approximately 4" x 4", with six pages inside to organize your needles and pins.

Find these in the Products and Services pages.

To Everyone who placed orders during the hurricane!  Thank you for your patience while we were cleaning up from Hurricane Irma!  We still have several trees to be removed (hoping tomorrow!!). We are extremely thankful that none hit the house.  The studio is reorganized, all neat and tidy for a few days anyway, 

I finished this stained glass design during the hurricane.  I used my trusty Beam N Read Light,  hang it  around your neck light when the power goes out and you can accomplish anything!  This pattern is sold by Honey Bee Hive Rug Hooking, designed by Jane Flynn.  I believe I will frame it.

Spinning when the power is out is easy!  At least during the daylight hours. At night I was able to use a power block and a LED light from the studio. This is Alpaca fiber and I am going to use it as is.  I kind of like the soft color.  I am always told MORE TWIST!  So I did, and added more twist when plying.  It was such a twisty chaotic mess and not photo worthy, not happy at all.  However, the magic happened in the soaking.  Now I am delighted with it.  The fluffy yarn is wonderfully balanced.  Can't wait to get it on the loom!

A little progress on Gainesboro this summer.  As I look at the photo I can see a couple places that need to be fixed.  A swirl that does not swirl enough, some shadows needing more depth.

A camera is a great tool to find the little things requiring a small and easy solution.  Try changing the setting to black and white to see dramatic lights and darks in your own rugs.  You will be able to  visualize any values that are too close and don't show up.

Now, on to the next scroll, and finish that rose in the middle!

Gainesboro will be my summer project - too hot to dye, too hot to be outside.  So with the AC and a fan I will be hooking this large 60 inch round pattern.  I purchased the Pearl McGown pattern drawn on burlap and transferred it to linen. Not an easy task.   Using the "Scrolls are Easy" book by LaVerne Brescia I decided to dye my wool with the formulas in the book.  Dip dye, swatches, painting.  I began hooking this with Sally Ballinger in February this year.  I hope to post weekly updates as the summer goes by.  

Right out of the dye pot and ready to go to Punta Gorda next week to the Searsport Harbor Hookin'.

Stop in my booth and say hello!

These sweet little snippet baskets are made in the USA!  Just the right size to put on your frame and catch all those little snipped ends.  The baskets are 3" x 2.25" and have a magnet in the bottom so it stays in place.  

The hooking is done and ready to be made into a little tote bag.  The pattern is San Miguel, a 12" x 12" spanish tile design available from Honey Bee Hive Co.  Some of the wool is my own hand-dyed, some I purchased from another teacher, and I used Noro Silk Garden yarn also.  The yarn gives the inner border a little more texture and sparks of color.

The back of the bag will be this fabric woven on my rigid heddle loom.  The warp is 8/2 unmercerized cotton.  The weft is my own hand-spun art yarn.  Wool, silk and some other fiber.  I played it with a shiny metallic embroidery thread for more sparkle.  The fabric will shrink a little when I wash it and that will give it more texture, and hopefully be the right size for the bag. 

The hooked piece and woven fabric look pretty together.  

Now for a trip to the local yarn shop for the wonderful handles.

I hope to have this completed in time for the fashion show at the Spring Fiber Fling in March.  Click on the Spring Fiber Fling tab for more information.

A couple cooler mornings here in Florida means I can get the dye pots out and start filling my shelves with colorful hand-dyed wool!  Here are some seasonal colors to start with, ready to go to the Strawberry Rug Hookers event in Tampa next month.

Exciting vendors, educational demos, beautiful rug exhibit,  wonderful location and hooking area.  Did I mention they are providing desserts?! 

The Belleview Florida  library asked me to bring in some of my items for display for the month of September!.  Some of my hand-dyed wool is on the bottom, a few rug hooking pieces are hanging and on the shelves.  I took my gold scarf that I made on my rigid heddle loom.  A knitted felted bowl (finally learned the double pointed needles so pretty happy with that).

If you are in the area stop in and take a look!

We were in Alaska on an EPIC adventure!  Here is one of the bears we saw on our way to Denali.  Kind of a friendly guy, though I think getting out of the bus would be a bad idea!

All orders placed while we were away will be sent out this week.  Thank you for your patience.

Thank you to all who have registered for the Spring Fiber Fling!  It will be here before we know it!

More pictures coming soon, we have so many to sort out.

A small mat, only 9" x 14", that can be finished in time for winter.  A few decorative stitches and sparkle will make this project fun!

I hooked Flaky with a dark blue and green plaid background, no moon out tonight!  Giant snowflakes and star accented with some sparkly yarn.  

I will have the pattern available on linen the first week in September!  

What was I thinking when I started weaving a scarf when it is over 100 degrees outside?!  I have had this pretty yarn for about 8 months and this week I wanted to use it in a project that I could start and finish in a couple days.  The yarn had some sequins built in and I was worried about it being scratchy, but after a quick soak  in lavender scented soap it came out extremely soft and I think it will be perfect for a Florida winter.

Here is a reminder of Spring Fiber Fling 2016.  Look at all our guests enjoying time with friends, working on their current project, and having fun shopping, learning great new techniques during the demonstrations, viewing the wonderful fiber and rug exhibit..... And, of course, waiting for the door prizes to be announced! 

Lunch this year will be catered by Hardwood Smokehouse in Ocala.  Award winning BBQ! 

To register click on the Spring Fiber Fling 2017 tab on the tool bar. 

Pumpkin Patch at Night appliqué kit is back in stock.  This little kit is a great sampler for all the embroidery stitches you have been wanting to learn!

I attended North Central McGown Teachers Workshop in Newton Iowa last month.  My class focused on surface embellishments used along with rug hooking.  This is my original design.  The main background is hooked with #8 cut strips of my own hand-dyed wool.  Included in the surface embellishments are needle felting (eagle), knitting (tree), beading, appliqué with Texture Magic and Tyvek, embroidery stitches with ribbons and threads, hooking with silk fabric, roving, yarn and added some charms.  I also used a Lucet tool to create a square cording for a nice sharp finish on the edge. Students were busy all day with learning new techniques, using new fibers and materials, and creating their own design.  

First stop was was March Madness in April Hook-in, Franklin TN, by P is for Primitive.  I was privileged to hear first-hand Lisanne's' announcement about her purchase of Cushing rug hooking business!  Congratulations!  

Next stop - a few days with my dad near St. Louis.  Of course we head for the wood working shop to make our lightweight collapsible footstools.  These are the tops all stained and top coated, drying outside the garage.

Footstools are finished and back in the store.  

I always stress good posture for any fiber artist.  Using a footstool helps to sit up straight and keeps back and shoulders comfortable.

At the Hook-in St. Louis I gave away gift bags to lucky winners!  Here are some of the winners!  Thanks for visiting my booth!

Another winner at Hook-in St. Louis!