AHHHHHH COOLER DAYS…

I AM A HAPPIER GIRL… I don’t do well with heat – I wilt! Now that cooler, more normal temperatures are here, at last, I am sooooo much happier. Sitting on the dock wrapped up in blankets and woolies and holding a hot cuppa is wonderful! As I always say – I can dress up for the weather but I cannot dress down!

And, finally, the trees are starting to show a little colour. Unfortunately, there was not much colour going on in my dye kitchen – for the THIRD TIME – the element on my stove died! from too much dyeing I imagine! I guess I should not complain too much – we had ordered a spare element 3 years ago when I last fried it and Gord was able to get it going again in 15 minutes but of course I panicked that I would not be able to dye. I dooooo have another stove upstairs in the regular kitchen but hmmm, I am a messy dyer and like to have everything at hand and not have to clean up mess right away so dyeing in the fancy (rarely used) kitchen was not terribly appealing – well it would mean cleaning and WHO HAS TIME FOR THAT… But all is once again well and tomorrow I will do the last of my dyeing for Saturday’s show…

So now a picture of colourful River Otters in the process of being finished by Ruth…

and Jill’s stunning completed Maud Lewis adaptation…

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A FEW RUGS TO SHARE…

Last Sunday Gord and I met up with company from Europe in Niagara Falls (Ontario not the US side). We did a ton of the touristy things – it had been almost 40 years (hmmm, how OLD does that make me?) since we had last been there and wow things have changed! We did the Walk behind the Falls and got totally soaked (NOT a bad thing because it felt like it was 95 degrees out); did the boardwalk along the rapids (which was thrilling); the Sky Wheel at night to see the lighting of the falls and, AMAZINGLY FOR ME, we did the Zipline down into the gorge. Being a tad afraid of heights (used to have difficulty just with LADDERS) zip lining was a scary proposition but in the end it was a blast! The fact that they weigh you 2 times in full view is NOT a blast but I passed the test. So while our 25 year old company was shopping at the outlet mall, the intrepid old folks were speeding down a thin wire into the foggy, damp gorge under the falls! Yeahhhhhhhh (I think we had more fun!)…

A few months ago Janice asked me to draw this rug and dye wool for it – it was to be a gift for her friend Alicia Giroux who had written and published a book called Andrea’s Lion. Janice finished the rug and sent me this picture – I think the rug turned out beautifully…

and pix of Toni’s rugs…

I just love the collage she is doing of her and hubby’s trip across the USA. This was drawn out for her by Donna Hrkmann from photos of their trip…

Trish sent me pix of her lovely Tulip Sampler rugs (designer Cheryl Krug-Wiltse)…

and Sandi sent me a picture of her African rug with objets trouves…

If you are in the Ottawa area and looking for something fun to do, Rebecca send me info about a show being held in Cumberland next weekend with artwork including paintings, stained glass, ceramics, sculpture, hooked rugs, wood benches and textile art, including men’s ties. There is also a farmers market and and delicious goodies at the Black Walnut Bakery – both closeby. More info can be found at http://www.creationscumberland.ca. 

FIBREFEST… and more… much more…

THIS YEARS FIBREFEST WAS THE BEST IT HAS EVER BEEN. A lot of new vendors with lovely work or great supplies for sale. It was busy, busy on Saturday and hmmmm dare I say a TAD warm. But despite the heat people came in droves to see and buy from the various vendors.

Coming up are a few more fall shows that hopefully some of you will be able to come to:

CGNA show in Kingston coming up October 1 …

The Cataraqui Guild of Needle Arts
Presents
2016 Needle Arts Fair
Saturday October 1st, 2016 10:00am – 3:00pm
Kingston Seniors Centre
56 Francis St. Kingston, ON
Admission: $5 Lunch available
Merchants’ Mall with more than 20 vendors from Ontario and Quebec
Exhibitions: Guild members’ work with featured artist Linda Burke
Purses and Bags from the collection of the Embroidery Association of Canada
Special display of felted sculptures by Gesina Laird-Buchanan
Demonstrations Silent Auction Door Prizes
For more information please contact Theresa at needleartsfair@gmail.co

 

and Fleece Festival in Woodstock, October 15 …

and if you have not yet had an opportunity to see The Barn Raising Project here are just a few pix to tempt you to take a little trip to the Brockville Museum to see this wonderful display of rugs commemorating a part of our heritage that is fast disappearing from our landscape. Check http://www.brockvillemuseum.com for more info – the show runs from September 19 to October 16 and should not be missed…

Preserving the Memory by Cheryl Hempseed…

The Holman Barn by Val Galvin…

Our Farm by Grace Tanfara…

The Madill’s Farm by Donna Ireland

Coming Home by Cheryl Bridger…

Man Maketh, Nature Taketh by Karen Kaiser

There is a wonderful book with photos of each of the 40 rugs along with the story behind each that is available for purchase at the museum as a wonderful reminder of this lovely exhibit.

and now for a picture of Fish Bones – hooked by Beth …

And lastly, unfortunately due to insufficient signups my class at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in Almonte that was scheduled for October 5 is being postponed to a later date.  If you were interested in this class please contact me for more details…

 

 

FIBREFEST WEEKEND…

Yes – it is here. Saturday from 10 – 5 and Sunday from 10 – 4 at the arena and Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in Almonte.  Apparently there will be about 100 vendors!!!! That is the most we have ever had I believe.  So hope you can make it to this great show!

In the meantime, I discovered a rug for my little maple syrup strainer that I bought months ago at the junk man. I was going to do a sugaring off scene in punch needle and then hmmmmmm didn’t I pick up a wonderful little mat hooked in tiny strips of nylon that I bought at our guild auction a few years ago and OH MY if fits PERFECTLY!  Don’t you love it when that happens! It was MADE for the strainer! So now I don’t have to punch a piece after all and I have found the perfect home for my sweet little hooked mat. 

Ruby sent me a picture of her wonderful wide cut primitive piece done in Laura Bozormeny’s class this summer:

and Sharman sent me a picture of her first punch needle piece (I think she may be hooked – or is that punched?):

 

 

 

CUTTER FOR SALE…

Louise has a cutter for sale – a Fraser 500 with a number 3 and 4 cutter head. I have tried the cutter with the number 4 blade and it works just fine but like all used cutters it probably could do with a cleaning. So as is the cutter is 125.00 firm – if you are interested please let me know and I will put you in touch with Louise. I could bring the cutter to Fibrefest next weekend (wow is it that close already!). Off to Lake Huron and some fun on the beach – will take my woolies with me (to wear! not hook!)… Hope you all have a wonderful long weekend…

 

RUGS BY OTHERS…

Spent a wonderful day hooking with friends on Tuesday. I played with hand torn strips and so love it – amazing how quickly a piece can hook up… This is a pattern I bought from Betsy Reed – Foxette. I got allllll of this done in about hmmm 3 1/2 hours! with a big fat hook! and strips torn about 3/8 to half an inch wide. What fun this was – now to decide – do I finish her off as a little shaped pillow or do I hook a fun background around her and make her more square (which would definitely be easier to finish and lots of fun! There was a wonderful article in the most recent ATHA magazine by Betsy on how to do a patchwork backing on a pillow and I may play with this…

A few pix of rugs sent to me…

Susan who is sooooo prolific sent me these pix of a few finished pieces…

A Briarwood Folkart Pattern I carry…

and Denise sent me a picture of her beautiful rug (a Rittermere pattern)…

and Jennifer’s wonderful Value village find – transformed with a bit of paint and a lovely rug…

As a side note – I have more critters! Tons of little baby frogs – well not babies of course as they have morphed – but I looked in my pond the other day and on almost every leaf of the lily pads there was a lovely little green and yellow frog – all the same size so probably all from the same batch of eggs. Dozens and dozens – which makes me happy as for the last few years we have had very few frogs. Not sure what happened to change things this year but A  HOPPY Pond is a HEALTHY Pond … 🙂 (looked up these frogs and oh my I think they may be bull frogs! I did see bull frog pollywogs in the pond a few months ago – had not seen one of those in YEARS)…