PUNCH NEEDLE FINISHED…

Ooooops, I got the dates wrong for the Montreal Rug Exhibit hosted by the St. Henry’s Rug Hookers – should be Friday evening the 12th, Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th of May.

I just finished punching one of the Karla Gerard miniature punch needle patterns I carry – 2 Sailboats. This is actually one of my Karla Gerard rughooking patterns which I adapted and punched with lovely Valdani threads – could be hooked the same way as the punched piece or with that lovely orange sky. It was a fun project and living on the lake it reminded me that soooooon spring and summer will be here, I will be sitting on the dock, and my neighbour Andy will be sailing by. If you are interested in either the punch needle pattern (or kit with threads) or the rughooking pattern (with or without wool) let me know. And here’s to warming temperatures, no more freezing rain and sunny days…

And exciting news – I will be one of the vendors at our OHCG Annual being held in Cobourg April 29 – 30. If you have not yet registered, or want more information, check out the website

https://sites.google.com/site/ontariohookingcraftguild/annual-show.

On Sunday the exhibit and vendors are open to the public. This event should not be missed! Many rugs, many vendors and at the same time a second event, Then and Now – Rug hooking in Canada is being held at the Art Gallery of Northumberland in Cobourg until April 30. So, two wonderful rughooking events all in one city and on the same weekend!

PIX TO SHARE…

Chris shared the rug she hooked based on the painting Blue Depanneur, by artist Reb Frost – this lovely rug will be featured in an upcoming exhibit by the St. Henri’s Rug Hookers (Les Tapissiers de St-Henri)…

Here is the info on the rug exhibit and hookin in Montreal – hopefully some of you will be able to attend – what a way to make a trip to the beautiful city of Montreal even more exciting…

The Show is May 13th Vernisage & Guest Speaker 6 to 9

May 14th Show and Hook-in 10 to 4:00

May 15th Show 11:00 to 3:00

We are housed in a community center in Saint Henri:

CRCS Saint-Zotique

75 Georges-Etienne-Cartier Street,

Saint-Henri, Montreal, Quebec

France finished her William Morris sampler rug as a wonderful floor mat…

and Cindy finished making her Mola into a purse – what a great job she did…

I teach a two day class on how to make these purses – in fact, I may do a class here in the studio in the spring/summer. These purses are easy and fun to make – I think I personally have made close to 100 different ones. Fun, portable art!!!

UPCOMING EVENTS…

I will be vending at the Olde Forge Hookin in Ottawa Saturday April 1.  If you will be attending and need anything please let me know and I will make sure to bring it along.  In addition, our Rideau Valley Boots and Baskets annual auction will take place April 20. This is always a fun event – things get a little hot and crazy as everyone tries to bid for the same item! The funds raised go to a good cause! (or causes). So come with money or cheque and lots of energy. Bring your mug for coffee or tea – our wonderful members, Sharon and Joanne, will once again be cooking up their amazing chili for everyone to enjoy. I do want to point out that this year we have no cutters or frames in the auction and so we have opened it to other crafting supplies as well i.e. knitting, crocheting, cross stitch, etc. I am sure that there will still be some wonderful goodies for you to indulge in. Our Auction starts at 11 at the Community Hall on Grenville in Burrits Rapids (Ontario!). Hope to see some of you there…

And now for some pix…

A few new miniature punch needle patterns from my prolific friend, Wendy – I will be carrying these and Wendy’s other lovely punch needle patterns…

Gratitude Always…

Patchwork Bunny…

Leaping Rabbit…

Sue finished off her Karla Gerard pattern – she used a bunch of alternative fibres and techniques in the rug and then show bound it with cotton batik!…

Elaine sent me a picture of the Shelly Atkinson pattern (one that I carry) that she recently finished – love this pattern and the way Elaine hooked it!…

and this is Tara’s first hooked piece! So wonderfully textured…

FUN DAY(S) IN PETERBOROUGH…

Friday we hopped in the car and drove to Peterborough for the Fibrearts show. Weather was beautiful so we trekked up to the lift locks (of course they are not open) but it was interesting to see them from a different perspective. They are huge and date back to the early 1900’s and are so interesting to see – will have to make a point of going back in the summer when they are actually in operation.  Then off to the Peterborough Museum and next a little side trip up to Trent University where the Trent School of Rughooking is held every June for a week. This is always an amazing week of learning, sharing and laughing! (well and eating and buying 🙂 Gord had never seen Trent so it was a fun little side trip for him.

Then off to our hotel – which was JAM PACKED.  This weekend not only was Peterborough hosting the wonderful Fibre arts show but also the Special Hockey Tournament for developmentally challenged youth. What a wonderful group they were – so full of enthusiasm and excitement. It was such fun to be surrounded by these eager young people and the hotel staff did an amazing job of making sure everyone was well taken care of.

Saturday we set up and the show began! It was wonderful – all the vendors were in the same room this year and were amazing!!! Gord took pix – I am sorry it was so bright! that many came out very dark but the light and space in the room were much appreciated by everyone… Congrats to the organizers on another fun and busy day…

My friend Andrea has a fully refurbished Fraser cutter for sale – with newly sharpened 3 and 4 wheels. Asking 225.00 Canadian – if you are interested please contact me and I can put you in touch with Andrea…

 

 

LOTS OF PIX TO SHARE…

Had a fun fun day at guild yesterday – did I get anything done – well nooooo but I did get inspired by the wonderful rugs and other projects. So I am hoping they will get your juices flowing as well. Plus,  a number of people have emailed me pix of their finished projects to share. Enjoy…

Tomorrow I will be a vendor in Peterborough(Ontario) Fibre Festival – hope some of you can come.  And I will also be back at Stitch by Stitch – April 4.

Gail has 2 cutter heads in virtually new condition for Fraser cutter – number 3 and 4.  If you are interested please let me know and I can put you in touch with her…

And now for some inspiration…

Linda finished her small hit and miss mat done in many different sized strips (recycled and new)… Diane is working on a big punch needle pattern of sledders to go on her antique sled… Cindy is finishing her colourful Canola as a purse… Linda finished off Mr. Wiener for her sister as a memorial to her own little dachshund…I love how different this looks compared to my original version – the colours are wonderful…

Delande did an amazing rendition of a photo of her daughter…

And Ruby finished off a Karla punch needle – not sure who did that amazing frame but I soooo want it… 

Pix from guild…

Sharon’s Maple leaves…

Lori was working on a piece that was started by another hooker in number 2 cut! yikes!!! Not sure I could even see a number 2 without cheaters 🙂 … Susan wash showbinding her small landscape… and Jill was working on the background for her Sunflowers (wonderful eggplant and brown mix)… Pauline just finished a replication of an old damaged rug that could not be repaired… Karen was almost done her beautiful version of Karen Kahle’s Vermont pattern…
The other Karen was working on her Lunenberg rug…
And her punch needle of her son’s former home (on the way home we HAD to stop at the antique store and find a box to attach this lovely punch needle piece to – and we DID!!!)…Louise was working on the sky of her huge village rug… Andrea did a punch needle version of a pattern from an old rughooking magazine… I want to point out that this is MINIATURE punch needle done with a needle and threads versus the larger punch needle done with the Oxford punch and yarns…  and brought along her beautiful rug (pattern by Carol Feeney) done in a multitude of alternative fibres… Maureen was working on her little floral… Cathy on her hit and miss…
and Elizabeth on a series of I believe 14 risers for a customer… 

Cindy brought along her hooks for sale – all turned by her husband.  They feel so lovely in the hand – if you are interested please contact me and I can put you in touch with Cindy… Cathy brought along some wonderful stools for sale – unfinished – but this is one she finished and brought for inspiration… and Lori brought along her framed Bluenose… 
and France was finishing the border of her William Morris Sampler…

SBS, EAGLES AND PUNCHING…

Tomorrow I will be at Stitch by Stitch in Kingston – bring your rughooking and punching and spend the morning…

The other day I was out on the porch and heard the weirdest chirping sounds from outside. Now remember, it is dang cold here right now and we do still have flurries coming and a bit of snow left on the ground and the lake is still frozen so what could it be – certainly not OTTERS! Nope – looked out the window and there in the pine tree behind the house were two huge bald eagles!!! Quickly, quickly – Gord get pix please! Well we got 2 – top one you can see the one eagle starting to fly off but in the bottom one you can see both eagles in the tree. How exciting – the last time I saw them outside the house they were chowing down on something and dropping bits and pieces of their breakfast on the ground – but that was many years ago. Needless to say, we are keeping the cats INDOORS! these days!… 

While Helen was here she punched up a few more pieces and attached them to vintage butter paddles we found in Almonte last week…

and yup even I punched up a piece – Folk art Sheep … (these Karla Gerard punch needle patterns are available – just email if you are interested)…

Folk Art Sheep

Village Street

Cat Landscape

PETERBOROUGH OOPS…

I should have mentioned that this is PETERBOROUGH ONTARIO! so for all of you who live in a state or province other than Ontario that has a Peterborough – its not yours 🙂   Sorry about that!!!

Also a quick mention that I will be teaching a beginner rughooking class at Heartworks Quilt Shop – NEW LOCATION – 22 Main St, Vankleek Hill, ON 613-307-1222 May  27 from 10 – 3.  Please contact the store if you are interested or know of someone who is interested….

 

 

PETERBOROUGH FIBREFEST…

My first show of the year coming up very soooooon – last year this show was fabulous – many different fibre arts to see and buy!… hope some of you can make it…

and now for a few pix…

Sandi was the lucky recipient of this lovely wool coat at the Punta Gorda hookin in Florida… 

Went junkin Sunday with Helen in Almonte and these were her finds…

and my purchases… that funny looking long thing is a trapper’s skin stretcher!!! I WON’T be using it for the same purpose!!!…

Bonnie’s Laurel Burch Catfish… heading for Australia…

Helen finished punching this wonderful little Teresa Kogut pattern…

and Joyce finished her Canola polar bear – love the way this turned out…

 

NEW PATTERNS…

I am in the process of adding some new Karla Gerard patterns to my on line store …

These are such funnnnn patterns…

And a few of the punch needle pieces I have done recently – still to be mounted, stuffed, appliquéd – who knows! The chicken I did on the beach in St. Lucia – weather was perfect for punching until the wind started blowing sand all over my weavers cloth. I eventually stopped but not before I think I punched into a somewhat harder granule of sand and put a burr in my needle tip! I had been panicking that I would lose my one and only needle threader and instead damaged the needle itself! OH WHAT TO DO. Wellllll, I thought – a nail file. Nope don’t have one of those! cause I had just chopped my nails down to nothing before I left to remove all the dye stains! But my trusty sister did – a wonderful glass one which I used to file the burr off my needle tip! So now of course I need to add that to my list of must haves! and remember to carry it with me when I decide to schlepp along my punching! ALONG WITH ANOTHER NEEDLE THREADER! just in case!!!!

One of my Karla Gerard punch needle patterns…

Two Teresa Kogut punch needle patterns I carry… 

TOO MUCH RELAXATION!…

Some relaxation is good for the soul! But there can also be TOOOOOOO much of a good thing 🙂 . We just returned from a week in St. Lucia – a family affair with mom, Di, Gord and my sister and her husband. Had a wonderful time – great weather (I am not a bigggg lover of heat so low 80’s and little humidity worked for me), delicious meals (well maybe TOOOOO many delicious meals), beautiful scenery, lovely hosts and lots of fun things to do – even did a little punch needle on the beach and read 2 books! But by the end of the week I could hear the dye pots and the hook calling to me!

So now for a few pictures of St. Lucia…

Sunsets were amazing…

The Pitons from our Catamaran (well not OURS 🙂 …

Hmmmm someone should have told Di she was getting in backwards – I think they did eventually get that figured out…

View from our patio – all night long we could hear the waves crashing on the shore… 

Taxi anyone?…

and a few rugs…

Ruby finished hooking my Two Olde Crows pattern… 

Mary’s first hooked piece!!!!…

Karen made her seagull into a pillow…

Barb sent me pix of her Moose rug…

and her chicken rug…

and Elizabeth’s grain elevators (love those quillie hay bales)…