A FEW MORE MINI PUNCH NEEDLE PATTERNS…

I just finished punching another of the new mini punch needle patterns based on the artwork of Isabelle Rollin. This one, entitled Chores all Done, was not a chore at all – it was so much fun. I decided to mount it on an antique (probably vintage as I seem to remember these from my youth spent ironing shirts for dad) ironing trivet. I don’t think the chores are QUITE done yet 🙂 …

and a few new patterns for mini punch from Isabelle… check out my Mini Punch Needle patterns and Kits page for details. These are also available directly from Isabelle as rughooking patterns – contact her at jacisa@live.ca…

I

SHOW AND TELL…

A couple of wonderful Molas Oxford punched by Len (first one is a pattern by Norma Batastini – Jungle Mola done in a class with Jayne Nevins and the second is Len’s own design inspired by his 2 Kerry Blue Terriers and entitled Riluke)…

Debra finished Downstream one of my Karla Gerard patterns…

Nancy has been busy busy busy…

…top 2 are designs by Karen Kaiser and bottom 3 are Nancy’s own design…the next three single ones are also Karen Kaiser designs and the bottom 2 are two of my kit patterns…

and this is what I am working on – finishing a huge rug for a friend who can no longer hook it…should keep me going for the rest of the winter 🙂 …

Wendy just sent pix of her creative efforts outside…

There’s no place like gnome… Love it!!!!

SHOW AND TELL..

Tom did a lovely job finishing my River Otters pattern…

Karen sent me a picture of her finished tulip mat – the colours are so sunny they make me smile…

Alyson sent pix of her finished punch needle pieces the last one in a teeny Frame from Robin Whitford…

Karen finished her lovely Dory mat…

and Diane sent pix of her finished Oxford punched pillows for her Grandsons who are avid soccer and football fans – the backing fabric was perfect!…

Kim is hooking a rug to cover a stool – we used Alana Kapell’s Hen pattern and added an extra set of legs (as Kim has 4 chickens) and on the sides we added eggs in nests – cannot wait to see how this one finishes up on the stool.

Helen finished her Merry Christmas Eh punch needle (amazing) and is working on punching a beautiful squirrel…

and I finally finished the first of 2 Christmas stockings. This was based on one of the wool appliqué patterns I carry (with permission from the artist). I always add a show binding to the edge and then add wool to the back and line the stocking with cotton (since I have a quilt store quantity of cotton from my quilting days). Now to fill it with fun stuff for my gr-iece for Christmas!!!… Both of these patterns are available as rughooking or appliqué patterns – just email me.

NEW MINI PUNCH NEEDLE PATTERNS …

I am so excited and happy to announce a new line of patterns by Isabelle Rollin. I am offering the mini punch needle patterns and Isabelle is offering the rughooking patterns. You can contact her directly at jacisa@live.ca. The patterns are based on her lovely ornaments(and I do believe these and more are in stock and available for purchase as well). Wouldn’t it be fun to punch and hook one (or more) of these lovely pieces and at the same time get the ornament! My next punch needle piece will probably be one of these pieces. I am offering them as patterns but they can also be kitted with threads.

The punch needle patterns will vary in size from 6 x 6 to 6 x 7 or 6 x 8 inches – will post the sizes on my punch needle page…

WHAT A FABULOUS DAY…

we had yesterday. 5 hookers gathered together with tons of show and tell and pieces to work on. It was such an uplifting day – gonna do it again!!! Here are some of the pieces either finished or being worked on:

Andrea hooked these landscapes (pattern from Martina Lesar)…

and was whipping her lovely piece from Encompassing Design…

Betty did a wonderful triple whipped finish on her Deanne Fitzpatrick pattern…

Edie’s sweet Dory mat (pattern from Encompassing Design)…

and her bag embellished with a piece originally from Rittermere Hurst Field…

Helen had punched this (Oxford punch and yarns) lovely piece…

Andrea hooked one of my Karla Gerard patterns all in Lopi Yarns…

and is hooking these two huge pieces for her grandchild (pattern Jungle Walk by Harebrained Happenings)…

I finished attaching a show binding to my stocking and will finish it off today and then post it and Helen is finishing a few punch needle pieces off today so there will be more show and tell tomorrow!!!

So inspiring and motivating when we are surrounded by others who share our passions!…

FINISHING MORE AND MORE …

It is amazing how unfinished projects can accumulate. I love punching and I actually love finishing – just have to push myself to finish!!! This morning while everyone was still asleep I tackled the braided finish on my Christmas truck punch needle. It was stressful – the braid was done with 3 colours that I picked out of the punch needle piece cut in a number 6 cut. I used to have really long hair as a teenager and used to braid it all the time to keep it out of my face so I know how to braid and had the braid finished and hanging off the ironing board a few days ago. Attaching it was not difficult – I left a bit less than 1/4 inch of weavers cloth all the way around my piece and this time did NOT turn it under. The braid ended up being a bit more than 1/4 inch so perfectly hid the weavers cloth when I placed it around to measure. I then stuck a few pins into the braid and right into my punch needle which I had siliconed to my bread board a few days ago. Now!!! how to attach the braid. Craft glue is too runny and takes too long to dry and would not hold it in place as I was moving around the edge; Silicone – my go to favourite – stays “open” for at least an hour – I needed something that would dry immediately and hold down the braid as I was working my way around the piece. Hmmm, I am not a fan of glue guns but in this case it was the only option that was going to work. So I started at the top doing about 3 inches at a time and gradually worked my way to the bottom where I was going to join the braid. Well, I sweated profusely worrying about getting too much glue on and trying to keep it only on the weavers cloth edge so it did not touch my punching. Many stressful minutes and a few burnt fingers later I had reached the defining moment – joining the ends of the braid together! yikes!!! I love braided edges but I HATE JOINING THEM. Usually I can cover the joint with a button on my rugs or I can spend 10 hours and many sleepless nights figuring out how to do it. But this was a tiny braid and I did not want to put a big button on the joint. So, hmmm what to do? Well in the end I stitched each end of the braid together at the length where they would just meet up and cut off the excess and glued them down and they met perfectly!!! and hmmm the joint is not even visible! DONE DONE DONE – may be a while before I do another braided edge but I love how this one works on my piece…

Today a few of the girls are coming for a Faux Iawah hookin and we will punch and hook (and eat) the day away! And maybe I will have a few more finished pieces to share tomorrow.

SALE ON FINISHED ITEMS…

I have so much fun punching and hooking pieces but holy cow I have way too many finished items and no place to hang or display them. So I am having a sale – 10% off all items from 50 – 150.00 (Canadian) and 20% off any items over 150.00. Please email me if you might be interested in a piece and let me know your address and I can give you the total with shipping. Today, Helen and I will be punching/hooking/stitching and hmmm maybe finishing off a few more pieces.

FINISHING A BUNCH OF MINIATURE PUNCH NEEDLE PIECES…

And what am I DOING YOU ASK!!! Well, I finished hooking a Christmas stocking for my Gr-iece (great niece or is that grand niece?) – just have to sew it all together…

and decided to punch a piece to fit into the opening of my washboard cabinet. WEEEEELLLLL – measure 5 times cut once!!!! I thought it was the right size – measured and pressed and trimmed off the excess cloth only to find it was a tad to deep andddd unlike hooking where I could remove a row or hook in missing loops after the fact with punching (miniature at least) it needs to be tight in a frame! so what to do – well I had punched 2 rows of border so hmmm take out the top and bottom rows? would that make it fit? Probably – only hmmmm I pulled out very gently the top and bottom row and yikes didn’t I pull out some of my loops in the row next to it! press press press – did it shrink – NOOOOOO – still did not fit – so hmmmm must remove next row (I really could have made my life simpler by attaching it to something else because how was I going to fix those loops I pulled out. Needle and thread I guess!!! and lots of patience). In the end I had to remove the top and bottome second border rows and yeahhhhhhh it fit my cabinet perfectly and you don’t even notice that there is no border on the top and bottom!!! So cabinet was cleaned with Orange Glo wood cleaner and then the box was painted red and then black on top and distressed and waxed and punch needle piece siliconed in et voila – done.

The piece I punched is based on a water colour by artist Rose Ann Hayes of Texas. I messaged Rose Ann on her etsy site asking for permission to use her painting for my punch needle design and she said yes! So here is the lovely painting my piece is based on…

And since I was on a finishing roll – welllll…

My Going Home punch needle (based on the artwork of Isabelle Rollin) is now framed in a wonderful wooden photographic plate holder that dates back to the early 1900’s (scored a few of these at an antique store a few years ago)…

and my Poppy for Dad is finally attached to the WW1 canteen…

My Christmas truck is attached to a vintage bread board that I painted and distressed but I am in the process of attaching a braid made of number 6 cuts to it so will post that and the stocking when I am done. Have company arriving in a few minutes so I usually get lots of work done while they are here.

MORE SHOW AND TELL…

Stacy picked up her Winter Wonderland kit at our pop up sale and a week later her piece was finished – her comment – I remembered how to pull a loop…

Allison shared her Spook punch needle…

Sheila’s lovely version of Lisa Ferguson Morning Geese…

and Karen finished her Tom Thomson Jack Pine kit from Carol Shewan…

and Beth’s version of the Jack Pine…

Suzanne sent pix of her lovely finished Karla Gerard – we adapted a pattern to suit her preferences…love the embellishments…

I helped Dolores make her Butterflies mat into a pillow – it looks wonderful on her sofa…

Len finished his miniature punch needle Sheep Farm (amongst probably 50 other projects!)…

Linda sent me a picture of her completed Deanne Fitzpatrick pattern…

Janet finished her Lisa Ferguson Chipmunk in Trilliums…