Star Rug Company

EWE WHO

2012-01-16T11:01:00.002-05:00

Is the title of my latest rug pattern. Don't you just love the name of it?
It is featured in the January/February edition of Rug Hooking Magazine and is the free pattern for the magazine. If you want the kit or pattern you can order a kit for $143 shipping or just the pattern for $52. Shipping is included with the price. Simply contact Rug Hooking magazine at 1-877-462-2604 or order online at www.RUGHOOKINGMAGAZINE.com

I'd love to see some finishes rugs so send me your pictures.
I've switched gears a little and am currently punching the old geometric heart rug that Kris Miller had on her blog. I'm contemplating making a kit for the needle punch. If interested drop me an email. Here is a picture of it thus far. Have a great day! Maria

Another Finish

2012-01-05T18:05:00.001-05:00

This finish comes to us from Helen who hooked O Christmas Tree. Didn't she do a great job hooking this rug? She enhanced the design by changing the red bird to an owl, which I adore, and turned the rabbit into a cat! Her background is terrific. And the trees....love the trees! Thanks for sharing your rug Helen.

On another note, I've had many requests for the Window Wonder. I purchased the cloths from the local trophy shop in Cheboygan. The name of the shop is the Trophy case. The website is www.ourtrophyshop.com. I did notice on the website that the shop is closed during the month of January but there was an email address for questions. Here it is: berdens@sbcglobal.net. These cloths Rock! Maria

My latest great find

2011-12-29T17:39:00.001-05:00

While shopping a couple of weeks, I came across this amazing cloth. It is the bomb! Seriously, this cloth makes washing windows and mirrors an ease. Whenever I would clean windows or mirrors, I always had streaks....not anymore. All you do is lightly wet the cloth (actually, the less water the Better) and wipe down the surface. The cloth does the rest. I'll be honest, the lady who sold it to me said it was great but I was a little dubious. Not anymore! It makes the Task of cleaning mirrors and windows a breeze. If you can't find them online, let me know and I'll pick up one and send it your way! Maria

Brown Bag Popcorn

2011-12-27T11:47:00.001-05:00

This is my new favorite "go to" snack. It is easy to make and good for you as well. All you need is a brown paper lunch bag, 1/4 cup of un-popped popcorn kernels and scotch tape. Put the kernels in the bag, fold the bag over twice and seal with tape. Place the bag in the microwave on high, laying the bag down or upright either way works fine, and cook for two to three minutes or until there is 3-5 seconds between pops.
To keep the popcorn as fat free as possible, I spray the popcorn (after it is popped) with fat-free spray butter (not butter but tastes like it and it has no calories) and sprinkle with salt. It is kind of like air popper without the hassle.

We have a new saying at work....is it "popcorn-thirty yet?". Everyday around 3:30 someone makes a bag. Yum. Just writing about it makes me hungry.
The perfect snack for all of you thinking about diet and exercise for your New Years resolutions. Maria

"Another finish" this one is from Debra

2011-12-26T13:24:00.003-05:00

I'm going to start posting finished rugs from customers and students more frequently. When I do so the title of the post will be "ANOTHER FINISH" This one is from Debra Inglis from the 2011 Star of Texas workshop and she worked on my winter walk pattern. She wanted to proddy the trees so we had some fun with it.

We started out proddy the whole tree and it was way to bushy! So we took out most of the proddy and scattered it around the tree. Didn't it turn out wonderful? Debra has a good color sense and this rug is very primitive. I just love it. Debra added the snow to the background and I think it is just terrific! Also check out the right tree. Can you see the red bird in it? We needle felted a bird and added it to the rug. Just another example of different techniques you can use to embellish your rug! Hope everyone had a peaceful and joyous Christmas. I sure did spending time with family. Maria

Do you have snow yet?

2011-12-21T18:02:00.000-05:00

Normally this time of year we have a good ground covering of snow. Not this year, sniff, sniff. Right now we have a light dusting of snow which is in danger of melting with one warm sunny day. Not that I enjoy the cold weather that comes with snow, but I do like a white Christmas.

In the meantime, I'll keep hooking snowmen rugs. This one is a Kelley Belfast design and I just love it. Kelley has a special knack with snowmen! I'm giving this guy as a gift and I'm contemplating making it into a pillow. I used my Oxford punch on this rug and hooked it entirely with yarn. The colors just make me smile!

Here is Kelley's original hooked rug

I have to give a shout out to a few people with this rug. First, obviously, Kelley for the great design. Second, is Ali Strebel of Kindred Spirits for her wonderful yarn selection. I used her yarn in the scarve and the yarn looks like hooked wool. The rest of the rug was hooked with bits and pieces I have gathered over the years. Believe it or not much of the yarn used was not wool! Lastly, I steamed the rug with one of the irons Kris Miller sells. Her irons are the bomb. There is no need to wet a cloth and steam the rug. With this iron, you just place the iron on the rug and steam away. Literally, within minutes the whole rug is done. I wish I would have told you all this secret before Christmas so you could have put one on your Christmas list. Enjoy the holidays and have Merry Christmas! Maria

New Christmas Rug

2011-12-13T22:35:00.000-05:00

I have wanted to hook an elf rug for a long time. One of my favorite Christmas ornaments from childhood was an elf. I'm sure you all have seen the ornament. It's the one where the elf is sitting and his arms are wrapped around his legs. Lately, I've been seeing a lot of elves and thought now is the perfect time to hook this pattern.

So let me introduce you to my latest pattern, ELF BOY, who is spreading Christmas Joy.

A closeup of the face......

Check out those feet!

The pattern size is 11 x 18 and is $35. I'm putting together five kits for $70.00.

Below is the inspiration for this rug.

Thanks for stopping by. Maria

Thank You, Thank You

2011-11-30T23:32:00.000-05:00

To everyone who participated in the Cyber Sale. I'm humbled by your patronage and friendship! Maria

CYBER MONDAY SALE at Star Rug Company

2011-11-27T21:20:00.000-05:00

Hello all you Cyber Shoppers! I'll be offering 20% of all my patterns for Cyber Monday. You can check out my website for patterns. Below are a few patterns that have not yet made it to the website. This first pattern, Kelley's Snowman, was part of a challenge that I offered to an ebay group, PRHG. Kelley Belfast wonderfully tweaked my Mister Snowman pattern and this is the result. I just love it. It is 14 x 20 and retails for $38.00. I'll also be offering 5 kits of this pattern for $80. The 20% cyber sale also applies to the kits.

Santa and sheep is 22.5 x 22.5 and retails for $52.00. I'll have three kits available of this pattern for $125.00

Snowgirl is 8 x13 and sells for $22.00. I''ll also have three kits available of this rug for $55.00. I'm going to make this rug into a pillow. It will be a new way to finish a rug for me and I am kind of excited about it. I'll show you the results in a later post.

ATHA Pumpkin is 11x14 and retails for $30.00

And last but not least is Halloween Quartet which retails for $58.00.

Sale ends Monday night at midnight. In your email message to me, put Cyber sale in the subject line. Maria

Happy Thanksgiving.....

2011-11-25T11:30:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and reflecting on everything for which you have to be thankful. I'm blessed to have a wonderful family and friends and am thankful for their love and support!

Old antique rug. Fabulous isn't it?

Katrina recently finished Mister Iggy and sent me a picture of it. Isn't he cute?

She has a great blog about quilting. You can check it out here. www.sunshowerquilts.blogspot.com

Enjoy your day, Maria

Just a Polka Dotted Horse

2011-11-23T18:56:00.001-05:00

I know that is not the technical name of this beauty so don't shoot me for being horse ignorant. But I go weak in the knees when I see such wonderful creatures. This guy is on my way to work and every once in a while I catch a glimpse of him in the pasture. Today he was grazing at the fence so I could get a picture of him. Inspiration is striking...... I see a polka dotted folky horse hooked rug in my future. Maria

Braiding.... Have you tried it?

2011-11-22T19:15:00.001-05:00

I did at the Atha Biennial. Kris McDermitt was my teacher and she did a fantastic job. We had to come to class with a finished 6 inch circle hooked mat. Of course, I hooked a star in Halloween colors. Kris taught us how to braid around the hooked mat. I need to finish mine but I love the look of it. It is definitely a technique that I will use for some rugs.

Here is a close up of my braiding. I chose orange, black and purple for my three colors.

TJ was in our class and she does amazing work. She had hooked this little elf and came up with the idea to attach hands. Her intention was to make the braiding look like a wreath and for the elf to peeking out the wreath. Very clever!

Here is a close up of the hands. Look how she even colored the fingernails. Darling!

She used to colors of green wool and the tan for her wool. I also met Debra from Illinois in this class and she her mats, yes mats (she was an overachiever!), turned out great as well. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of her work so Debra if you are reading this post, please send pictures of both your rugs and I'll add them to the post. Enjoy Thanksgiving. Maria

More pictures from the Star of Texas Camp in September

2011-11-21T18:07:00.000-05:00

Are you getting tired of seeing these pictures yet? I'm down to my second to last post of pictures from Star of Texas. These two rugs were hooked by a mother daughter duo. Judy, mom, hooked Halloween Quartet and did such a great job with all the characters. Love the eyes on the cat. She quilled them to perfection!

Closeup of the owl.....

Every time I see this guy, I smile.

Carol, daughter, was hooking what she called the Grandmother rug. Well let me tell you, Carol jazzed this rug up 100% from the pictures she showed me. Carol's vibrant personality shined through in this rug.

To make the rug more interesting, she varied the hooking in each of the little squares. She even beaded in some of the squares. This rug is going to be a beauty when it is done.

Have a great Thanksgiving! Maria

ATHA Membership winners!

2011-11-08T22:32:00.003-05:00

Yes I said winners. I had my husband pick 4 numbers between 1 and 12 and he chose 3, 4,8 and 9. So the lucky winners are Linda, Laura, Gayle and Mary. Send me your mailing information to davemariab@sbcglobal.net and I'll submit it to ATHA. Thanks to all the participated!
Here are a few more pictures from the Star of Texas Camp. Debra was hooking my winterwalk pattern and did a great job with the colors in the rug.
Debra wanted to proddy the trees so rather than proddy the whole tree we did it spordically throughout the tree. We used a different technique to achieve the proddy in the trees. Since these trees are pine trees, we wanted them to have that feathery look that pines trees have. So Debra took a normal width of wool for proddy and after she proddy it into the foundation, she cut the strips fringing them to make it look like pine branches. It turned out great. Did you see the little red bird in the tree/ That is a needle felted bird. Too cool!
The next picture is of Charlotte's Guilford Runner, available through Woolley Fox. Charlotte had just had shoulder surgery and was such a trooper and hooked away on the rug. It turned out beautifully. The background wool, Heavens to Betsy, was my favorite. It instantly aged this rug. Charlotte made this rug as a wedding gift for her son who is getting married this week.
Linda Gartner hooked the next rug and did a great job. The colors she chose for this rug are Halloween colors but on the muted side. Just lovely. Check out the eyes of the pumpkin. She rolled circles for the eyes and added square buttons for more interest. Perfect!
Look for more pictures from camp in the next day or two. Maria

A Big Thank You

2011-11-05T19:13:00.003-04:00

To Lauren of Pugs and Rugs. She was in my class at ATHA and is such a sweet gal. About a week ago a package arrived from Lauren and it contained a darling necklace made out of a spoon.
She stamped it Star Rug Company. Can you see that sweet little sheep charm attached to the necklace?
Isn't it great? I just love it! Thank you Lauren!
Lauren makes and sells these necklaces and will custom make them for you. Check out her blog for more information at Rugs and Pugs
Don't forget to sign up for my GIVEAWAY!

Time for a Giveaway

2011-11-04T22:00:00.000-04:00

I just returned from class at Barb Carroll's house. It was so much fun! I go with a great group of gals and the instruction from Miss Barb was top notch as usual. I'll share photos from the class in another post but I wanted to show you a couple of fun "almost completed" pictures from Cathy. Cathy works at Woolley Fox and brought some rugs to show us. The first one is a new pattern called Peeps.
Aren't those purple peeps the best?
Look at all the different wools used in the bodies. Cathy explained that she had chosen all the wool for the peeps and when she met with Barb, they changed it up a bit. The wool she had chosen for the peeps' bodies now were the feet. Love all those purple peeps with their colorful feet! The background wool is wonderful too. The pictures simply do not do it justice!
And have you ever seen a turquoise chicken? Who cares????? It rocks the rug. Thanks for sharing the rug with everyone Cathy.

OK on to the giveaway.........

I had planned on sending an item for the auction at the ATHA Biennial and totally forgot. So instead what I have decided to do is give a one year membership to ATHA to a lucky someone.

Now for those of you who are not members of ATHA let me give you some reasons that you may want to join:

1. The newsletter is terrific. I just received mine today and it is full of articles, ads and wonderful color pictures. The newsletters are published bimonthly.

2. Every newsletter contains events and list all the ATHA groups throughout the country.

3. The Biennial Convention is awesome as you can see from all the pictures posted over the blog.

4. Two Regional Rug Schools and global workshops.

5. Regional Rug Shows

6. Regional Rug Challenges

7. Over 70 Local ATHA chapters

8. Largest Lending Library of Hooking Related Resources

9. The ATHA community is very talented.

Now for the details on how to register for the giveaway.........

You have several options for registering to win!

1.) Simply become a Star Rug Company blog "Follower" by clicking on the "Follow" button at the upper right column of this page....and also enter your name in the comment section to let me know you became a follower.

OR

2.) You could enter a comment for me here at the bottom of this post by clicking on the "Comment" button ( and if you don't have a Blogger Account no problems....you can simply click the "Anonymous" feature to leave the message). Keep in mind though that I'll need to identify you if you are chosen! If you are unable to leave a comment just email me, and I'll add your comment to the list below.

And Finally,

3.) If you have a Blog and help spread the word about my Giveaway on your Blog, you can leave a 2nd comment here for a second entry!

So you have three different ways to enter and if you do all three, your name can be submitted three times.

I'll be announcing the winner of the giveaway on November 8, 2011 at 8:00 pm. So sign up and check back to see if you have won the mixed media piece.

Again, thank you all who read my blog, offer support and friendship.

This post is for you Judy!
~Maria~

TOP 10 Reasons to Attend Atha Biennial

2011-10-30T15:30:00.006-04:00

Top 10 reasons to attend an ATHA BIENNIAL

drumroll please…………………………………

10. It is an incredible opportunity to gather with people who share your same passion.

9. Where else can you go to hang out with so many of your rug hooking friends?

8. The Rug Hooking Auction where all kinds of wonderful treasures are up for bidding.

7. All the new friends you make at the biennial.

6. The Rug Show is phenomenal!

5. Vendors, vendors and more vendors!

4. Location, Location, Location….the next one in Sept of 2013 is in Long Beach, CA.

3. Diversity of classes offered at ATHA. From hooking, felting, needle punching, embellishing to braiding, the class schedule offers something for everyone.

2. The quality of the teachers all under one roof for four days of non-stop hooking!

AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR ATTENDING THE ATHA BIENNIAL is …………………………….

1. The energy, inspiration and creativity that you gain from attending the Biennial is priceless!

Seriously, Dave Letterman’s top 10 aside, the ATHA Biennial was wonderful. I was blown away by the incredible amount of thought and preparation that went into making the ATHA Biennial such a grand experience. I left the Biennial with renewed energy for rug hooking and many new ideas for craft. If you are reading this post wondering and considering if you should attend the next Biennial, don’t hesitate as it is worth it.
Check out this link to see many pictures from the PA Biennial. I'm having trouble with the link showing up so if you go to Woolwrights website, there will be a link at the top of the page for the ATHA Biennial.

Star of Texas pictures

2011-10-11T21:15:00.003-04:00

This is the first of many pictures from my class at Star of Texas. I managed to take pictures of most of my students rugs at camp but missed two as the gals left a day early. Again, I took pictures with my Iphone and they are not the best. I'm using my canon from this point forward. This rug was wonderful in person but the pictures are not showing it at its best. Marguerite did a fantastic job on this rug and was so willing to try my suggestions.

Check out the collar and the beaded hair on the witch. Her collar is fringed and oh so cute! I'm trying to remember how we did that and of course I can't remember. I'll figure it out and do a post on it for you. We used the same technique for a tree on Debra's Winter Walk rug. (picture of that tomorrow)
Love the striped hat on the skelton guy!
The wool for the pumpkin guy's jacket rocked!
Marguerite's cat makes me smile. Love the wool for the cat!
Stay tuned for more rugs from camp. Maria

Pictures from 2011 Ghoultide gathering

2011-10-09T11:34:00.004-04:00

First of all, I apologize for the poor quality of my pictures. They were taken with my Iphone and while the Iphone is usually great, it wasn't great for taking pictures on a rainy day. Even so, you can get an idea of what it looked like at the show. The first few pictures were of my booth. I have a few small canvas pieces left that I will offer for sale in another post.

Lori Corelis was next to me at the show and what a talented artist she is. The items she made were truly amazing. I couldn't resist purchasing one of her wonderful creations. Across and to my right, was Debra Schooch from Hop Hop Jingle Boo and a fellow Michigander. She is uber talented when it comes to paper mache. Her ideas are amazing and very clever.

On the other side of me was the talented duo of Steph and Vaughn Rawson. Their carved creations are whimsical and bring a smile to your face.
Aaron Lowe was directly across from me and her felted needlework is incredible. Just look at those details.
I'll be posting some pictures from the Star of Texas camp so stop by tomorrow to see some inspiration. Maria

My latest rug pattern......

2011-07-21T23:05:00.006-04:00

I'm still around just having a hard time keeping up with the blog. My bad, I'll try to do better. Over the last few weeks, I've been working on Halloween Quartet, my latest pattern. If you follow this blog, you know my affinity for Halloween and this rug is my new favorite.

I just love how that Pumpkin guy is belting out the song!

The pattern comes in two sizes 14.5 x 30.5 for $58 plus shipping and 20.5 by 45 for $85.00 plus shipping. If you would rather have a skeleton in the quartet, I can add him in place of the owl. If interested shoot me an email. Maria

Atha Magazine

2011-04-27T20:05:00.000-04:00

Warning......This is kind of a shameful plug for my patterns!

Oh good you are still reading.....in the latest issue of the ATHA magazine, there is an article featuring rugs that have been hooked by Linda Long from Texas. All I can say is wowzer! The rugs are fabulous. She hooked Matilda and Tilda and turned them into pillows. Around the edges, she added fringed wool that matches the hooking beautifully. They are amazing..... Swoon!
They make my heart sing.
Isn't her Mister Snowman rug the best? There is also a tiny picture of my Halloween Hooligan pattern that is colored planned perfectly in the one photo.
She also hooked my Daper Sheep dude pattern which is just terrific.

I had the pleasure of working with Linda at Star of Texas Rug camp in Fredericksburg a couple of years ago and she is the most amazing hooker. Her loops are so high and she spaces them perfectly. I kept rubbing my hands over her rugs because I loved how they felt. Linda must have thought I was a complete loon!

Keep the pictures coming!.....Maria

Friends

2011-04-27T01:17:00.002-04:00

We all have them...and aren't they the best? I was talking to a pal last night and after I hung up the phone I reflected on how lucky I am to have such neat people in my life. You all know who you are and I am thankful to count you as a friend! Maria

Sheep Eye Candy

2011-04-14T22:35:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, I swoon over sheep. Currently, I have a few sheep rugs in progress and need to finish them. While cruzing the web, I found some great sheep photos.....Enjoy the show.......

Artiparti

RainbowHamj
RainbowHamj

Marion Rose

Love,love....the colors in this painting!

Marion Rose

Rachelle Levingston

Marion Rose Make sure you scroll through the blog to see all the pictures.

Marion Rose

Sunshine Sheep

KILSOOK

I included this photo because of the circles all over the body. Can't you just envision a sheep rug with the rolled circles for the body? Did any of these sheep inspire you? Happy Hooking, Maria

Traveling in a car and hooking.....

2011-04-06T22:27:00.007-04:00

I have been a hooking fool lately. Why? Mainly because I've spent a lot of time in the car (as a passenger that is!) Anymore, it seems the only time I have to hook is when I'm trapped in a car for long period of times.
Funny, most people don't like to travel in a car for any distance. Me...I see it as a grand opportunity to hook uninterrupted!
Here are a couple more mats I'm working on for Ghoultide Gathering.....

(disclaimer....pictures make the mats appear brighter than they are)

I also started two larger rugs (well larger than these little mats) that I'll offer as patterns. Hopefully, I'll complete this weekend and share details and pictures.

So after all the bright Halloween colors for a week, I craved a nice primitive palette and decided to hook my Little Dog pattern in a textured dull primitive palette. So far, I am really diggin it. When I get a little further along on the rug, I'll share a few "in progress" pictures. Have a great rest of the week. Maria

Cats, Cats, Cats.......

2011-04-01T13:08:00.004-04:00

That is all I have been thinking of lately. I'm trying to get some items done for Ghoultide Gatherings, which is going to be a two day show this year. Here are a few samples of some cats I've been working on for the show. Keep in mind that these little guys are in the early stages of the actual product....

Honestly though....the real reason I have cats on the brain is due to the KENTUCKY WILDCATS....
they are awesome and have made it to the final four. They play tomorrow night....GO CATS!

Challenge Pictures.....

2011-03-20T22:20:00.003-04:00

I knew before I received the box of materials from Alice, what I was going to do. The challenge for me was to work the materials Alice sent to me into the purse I wanted to make. Ali Strebel's purses are the bomb and I was hoping I could combine the materials into the purse somehow. Here is the link to All's website where you can purchase the book. I have made several of these bags and I love them. www.alistrebeldesigns.com/products/Best-Bags-Ever.html

So here is what I came up with. I made the purse out of wool and a fun cotton lining.

The three hooked stars have the wool, paisly, yarn, sweater material and ribbon hooked into them.

Below is one of the wool circles that I added to the purse. I added some decorative stitching to the wool.

Don't you love the fun orange lining fabric in the purse?

Here is a picture of the side of the purse. You can see the yellow wool yarn that I made into the button. I love how the purse folds when the straps are pulled (thanks to the grommets).

Check out Ali http://alistrebel.blogspot.com/2011/03/last-blog-challenge-for-now.html , Alice http://alice-folkartprimitives.blogspot.com/2011/03/blog-challenge-4.html and Kris's http://spruceridgestudios.blogspot.com/2011/03/fourth-blog-challenge-project-revealed.html
projects They all did a great job!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the pictures. This is going to be the last challenge project for a few months. All four of us get really busy in the spring/summer/fall and we thought it best if we take a break for a few months. I for one am so happy we decided to do these challenges as I have learned so much. From new techniques to new color combinations, it has been a growing process for me.

Another Hooked rug to share

2011-03-20T00:38:00.000-04:00

Although winter is over for most of us, I just had to share this photo I received from Sue. She hooked Mister Snowman and did a great job. The colors she chose are perfect. Her background wool is lovely and looks like snow swirling around. I love what she did with the face of the snowman. The outline around it really makes it pop! AND check out the tree....she added snow to the branches.....too darling. Thanks so much to Sue for sharing her wonderful rug. Keep the rugs coming....we all love to see what you are doing. Maria

Lots of Pictures!

2011-03-15T21:11:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, was a fund raiser for our local Catholic School, Bishop Baraga, and I put together a basket full of "baby girl items" for one of the raffle baskets. I always have fun putting together baskets like this and working on new items. I snapped a few pictures so you could see what I have been up to the last few weeks. Enjoy the pictures.
This is a picture of the basket with all the stuff in it.

The next 6 pictures show the quilt that was included in the basket. Let me just say, {disclaimer} that I am not a quilter and don't profess to be. I drew out my own pattern and had fun with the placement of the blocks and color in the quilt. After I peiced the quilt, I took it to a long arm quilter to finish the quilting. I did attach the binding {I tried to get the quilter to do it for me and she wouldn't bite}

In the next two pictures, you can really see the quilting. When I received it back from the long arm quilter, it looked kind of flat, so I decided to throw it in the washing machine and dryer. Believe me, I was holding my breath wondering if I had made the right decision. Let me tell you, it made the quilting look so much better.
I just love the background fabric with stars in it.

I also made a cat wall hanging for the basket. Love this little hooked cat! I matted him onto a art canvas which was covered with scrapbook paper. The sides of the canvas were done with different paper than the front. I attached a little piece of paper that read "cat".

Pictured below are three onesies that I appliqued and detailed. I know it is hard to see, but around the collars I added a decorative stitch with my sewing machine.

A closer picture of one of the onesies. You can see the stitching on the collar

5 burp clothes for the basket....

Some yo-yo barrettes for the little bambino!

The sweet little bunny doll was made by my friend Melissa Bridges. This was her first attempt at a doll and she did a great job. I really wanted to keep the bunny, sniff, sniff!

The purse is a pattern from Kindred Spirits and it is just the best purse. I didn't get a real good picture of it, but the purse has grommets and is lined with the wonderful bright pink Amy Butler fabric from the quilt and onesies.

Picture of the covered button on the side of the purse.

I also made a pillow for the basket and tried something new on the pillow. To the sides of the pillow, I added ribbon....you can see it better in the second photo. Babies and kids love the feel of ribbon and I thought it would be a fun addition to the pillow

Thanks for stopping by and checking out all my photos. Maria

What I'm working on Wednesday post........

2011-03-07T16:33:00.000-05:00

There hasn't been a whole lot of hooking happening at the Barton house. My studio is in a state of disarray and I have devoted most of my free time {ie. hooking time} trying to clean and organize it. If I get brave enough I'll show you a picture of it. I'll have to think about it a while........

Ok, thought about it....and I gotta believe that I am not the only person out there with a "worked in" {messy} studio! So here goes it....

Last year, I had the book case, cabinets and counter built to store most of business and craft items. Only problem {as you can see}, I need more space. The book shelves were filled quickly with all my rug hooking and other craft related books.

This space doesn't even come close to storing all my hooking magazines.

In the plastic drawers, I have all my floss for punch needle.

I wanted a more contemporary feel to the space so I used a stainless steel looking formica for the countertop and a blue/gray color on the wall.

To save space, I had a light table built right into the countertop.

It works well for my smaller patterns but for my larger patterns, it is a little tricky drawing them. The counter/desktop also serves as my sewing space and computer table. Believe me, this area is a multi-functioning zone!

The lower cupboards are from IKEA and were a great price and function well. They also hide alot of my craft items.

You can see I've hung some of my favorite hooked altered art items on the side of the bookcase and wall.

These guys make me happy and shouldn't your creative space do that?

On the other bookcase, I've tacked in a few punch needles I've made.

The cat needle punch was gifted to me by Kelley Belfast and that doggone guy makes me grin everytime I look at him.

Panning to the left, you will see a shelving unit {also IKEA}.

I've added the colorful storage boxes to hide wool, yarn, and craft items.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my studio.

Once I tackle the other side of the room, I'll share some photos with you. Til then, Maria

Tuesday's Tutorial....

2011-02-22T00:07:00.014-05:00

Tuesday's tutorial is how to make the carrots from my Mister Wild Hare.

They were super easy and I had all the supplies on hand. All you need is fabric,sewing machine, a piece of ribbon,safety pin, glue gun and some greenery. The carrot tutorial is from the Idea Room Blog.

Here is the link to the tutorial from The Idea Room.
http://www.theidearoom.net/2010/03/easter-carrots.html

I made my carrots shorter than the ones on the tutorial. Mine were about 8 inches long. Don't you think a trio of these would nifty on a front or a cupboard door?

I'd love to see how you decorate with your carrots..{cause I know you will be making some of these for Easter} Maria

Challenge Project Revealed....Mister Wild Hare

2011-02-20T23:58:00.003-05:00

Here is my challenge project and hopefully this will post before midnight {I better type quickly}! Believe it or not, I did have this guy done by 6:00 but had a meeting that lasted for 3 1/2 hours so it put me a little behind! Ok, enough whining.....
This challenge was the hardest one for me this far. Mainly because I was trying to think outside the box and do something different than an art canvas. Try as I might I could not get away from scrapbook paper though.

My husband thinks my bunny looks a little scary because of his off kilter eyes. What do you think? Dave was such a good sport and helped me rig this guy so he would sit atop the paper mache box. So in his honor, I am naming this challenge project, MISTER WILD HARE!

I'll be honest with you, the green floss really challenged me. In the end, I used it in the stems for the carrots. I wrapped the fleece around wire and stuck it in to the carrots. Tomorrow, I'll post the link to show you how to make carrots. It was really easy. You can't see it in this picture but I used the black cording to make (pucker) the tops of the carrots.

The picture above also shows how I used the fleece.....I sewed it into the ears. You can't see it but I added wire into the ears {and arms} so that I could pose them.

When I opened the package from Kris and saw the stick, I immediately knew it would make a walking stick for my WILD HARE!

Here is where I used the scrapbook paper.....I collaged it onto a paper mache box. I grunged it up a bit with brown chalk.
For the buttons, I rolled up the yarn and stitched them to look like buttons

Again, here is a full shot of Mister Wild Hare.

I added this picture because I love this little martini table that Mister Wild Hare is sitting on. Isn't it fun?

Check out the other challenge projects here....

Kris Miller http://spruceridgestudios.blogspot.com/
Alice Frazier http://alice-folkartprimitives.blogspot.com/

Ali Strebel http://alistrebel.blogspot.com/

I'll be blogging a little more about this challenge and my thoughts thus far on doing these challenges........Maria

What I'm working on Wednesday.......

2011-02-09T23:33:00.004-05:00

Two posts in one day....now that has to be a first. I just snapped this picture to share with you. It has been on my stack of designs to hook for a while and with Presidents Day right around the corner, I thought I better get a hooking!

Oh, and if you didn't know it is a pattern, of George Washington. I think I'm going to call this pattern/rug, "Never Tell a Lie". After snapping this photo, I did notice a few things about the rug. One, I need to work on the buttons on the white shirt. Something is not working with it as hooked. Next, was George Washington this angry looking? May have to do a little research on that and rehook the face.
Thanks for stopping by.
I'd love feedback and constructive criticism on George. Maria

Valentine Giveaway Winner is...........................

2011-02-09T21:43:00.002-05:00

Sheri of ShabbySheep. Thank you to all that entered. Please check back as I plan on having a few more giveaways in the next few months. Sheri when you see this post.....shoot me your address via email at davemariab@sbcglobal.net. Check back a little later tonight to see my "What I'm working on Wednesday" post. Maria

It is time for another giveaway!

2011-02-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

And it is just in time for Valentine's Day! {I'm going to cheat a little and have this post also double for my what I'm working on Wednesday..... as it has been what I've been working on}

I have been playing around with mixed media recently and love it. Yes, I love rug hooking and making rugs, but every once in a while, I like to mix it up and try new things. So for this giveaway I am offering one of my mixed media pieces. It is a very simple and sweet red heart attached to an art canvas that has been decoupaged with scrapbook paper. For a touch of whimsy, I added some felt balls and twisted wire to the top of the canvas. Although this piece was made for Valentine's Day, I used neutral colors so you could use it all year long. It is called "Believe in Love"

Here is a picture of the side of the canvas. You can see the sweet scrapbook paper I used for the sides.

Now for the details on how to win.........

You have several options for registering to win!

1.) Simply become a Star Rug Company blog "Follower" by clicking on the "Follow" button at the upper right column of this page....and also enter your name in the comment section to let me know you became a follower. All my current followers will also be entered automatically in the drawing.

OR

2.) You could enter a comment for me here at the bottom of this post by clicking on the "Comment" button ( and if you don't have a Blogger Account no problems....you can simply click the "Anonymous" feature to leave the message). Keep in mind though that I'll need to identify you if you are chosen! If you are unable to leave a comment just email me, and I'll add your comment to the list below.

And Finally,

3.) If you have a Blog and help spread the word about my Giveaway on your Blog, I not only thank you but encourage you to leave a 2nd comment here for a second entry! You can use the picture below to advertise on your blog's sidebar, or just use the larger picture above!

So you have three different ways to enter and if you do all three, your name can be submitted three times.

I'll be announcing the winner of the rug on February 9, 2011 at 10:00 am. So sign up and check back to see if you have won the mixed media piece.

Again, thank you all who read my blog, offer support and friendship. I enjoy hooking and sharing my hand goods because of you.

~Maria~

2011-01-28T17:03:00.000-05:00

I'm looking ahead to October and the ATHA Biennal. Are you attending? It will be my first one and I am so excited to be around all the vendors, participants and teachers. Sounds like there are alot of hookers attending as 4 hotels have sold out of rooms. Isn't that cool?
I'll be teaching a one day class on Saturday, October 22, 2011 and am very excited about it. Here is a picture of my rug for my class at ATHA.

You'll learn several different techniques in this class including, beading, quilling, and making wool tongues. Oh, and you can't see it in this picture but there is sparkly black yarn in the pumpkin's mouth. If interested in signing up for my class or any of the classes, you can do so by sending in the registration form postmarked no earlier than January 31, 2011. I have my registration form ready to mail on the 31st of January.

You can read about all the classes and schedules here. The registration form is also available from this link so you can print it.

http://www.atharugs.com/images/Biennial2011/overview2.html

Just happened upon this great giveaway on Johanna Parker's blog

2011-01-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

Johanna Parker is giving away these sweet little cherubs on her blog. Aren't they adorable?
You can click on the link below to learn more about the giveaway. The giveaway ends tomorrow January 28, 2011. Goodluck!

http://johannaparkerdesign.blogspot.com/

What I'm working on Wednesday.......

2011-01-26T23:17:00.003-05:00

Halloween stuff! Can you believe it? I was asked to participate in Ghoultide Gathering again this year and am very excited about the show. More details to follow......but it got me in the mood to start creating fall items. This cat is for the show. Of course, I need to doll him up a bit...add some arms and accouterments. The picture below is what he looks like now.

I was playing with the photo editing program and these are a few finishes I came up with for this little guy.

The picture below is my favorite!

My attempt at collaging the photos.

I wish I could do some of these finishes on my rug hooking. Wouldn't that be fun? Til next Wednesday. Maria

BLOG CHALLENGE PROJECT REVEALED

2011-01-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

Evening,

I finished my blog challenge in a nick of time. LOL. It is still January 20, right? When I received the package in the mail from Ali, my first thought was LACE? Seriously, what am I going to do with lace. The sari ribbon and BRIGHT pink nylon also through me for a loop... What would I do with these item? The felt heart and beads were not so intimidating as the lace.

SO.....I decided to embrace the challenge and have some fun with it. Because much of the items Ali sent us were pink, I decided to play up the pink and really glam up my project. I added glitter to the background, red tinsel and more hearts.
Here is a full view of my Sweet little Valentine Angel

This photos shows the sari yarn, red beads and the piece of pink nylon. I hooked the sari ribbon into her coat and hooked some pink wool in with it. The pink nylon was really bright and I decided to add it to her body as a scarf. I will say that nylon hooks up very interestingly. The loops almost take on a pattern. This a material that I will explore hooking with in the future.

Here you can see how I used the felted heart. I threaded it through a piece of wire, added a few felted red balls and attached the wire to her hand. Whimsical don't you think?

You can see how the sari ribbon in the jacket in this picture. See how bright the pink nylon is? It makes a nice little scarf!

The lace was so white that I definitely needed to tone down it down some....Ali tea dyed her lace. I opted to attached a piece of red glitter scrapbook border to it to quiet all the white. A little tag that I made is attached over the lace.

To finish the project, I added glitter to the background, attached red tinsel hearts and made a halo out of a pipe cleaner.

Check out Ali Kris and Alice's blogs to see what they did with their items.
Kris is sending out the next items and I look forward to more creative hooking. Thanks for stopping by. Maria

Oops...I'm a little late

2011-01-07T15:56:00.004-05:00

With my "What I'm work on Wednesday" segment. Sorry about that. Before I show you my rugs for the week, I want to share this picture with you.

Dave laid down to give Josie (dog)some attention and Iggy {black cat} couldn't stand it. He is obsessed with Dave and wants his attention constantly. SO...he crawled on Dave's back. Isn't that a hoot? See Maggie on the chair as well. All three animals love the fire and they are usually all curled up around the fire every night.

I finished my hit or miss rug for my SIL. {Lynne, if you are reading this, it is in the mail}.

This rug was a great way to use up all those excess worms. Plus, I learned alot about color combination while hooking in the "hit or miss" style. Because I was not particular about colors for the background, I just picked up a worm and hooked it without being concerned about color. As a result there were some pretty neat and interesting color combinations that I would have never used if I were color planning.

I've also started two other rugs as well. One is for my EAL entry so I can't share too much of that....only one little bit. When I motifs like this star, I hook with many different wools in the same color family. This star, it is finished now, was hooked with 5 to 6 different colors of red. By hooking with a variety of red wools, the motif has more depth and interest.

Are any of you submitting items for the EAL 2011 Directory of Traditional American Crafts? I haven't submitted anything in years but thought I would put myself out there and see what happens.

The deadline is fast approaching, so I have to hook like a mad woman this weekend. I'm really excited about this rug....with both the colors and subject matter. Something a little different for me. I don't mean to keep you in suspense and will share with you when I can.

The other rug was the rug that I was going to enter for EAL but wasn't happy with it....so I started the other one. It was supposed to look like a braided rug but the colors didn't quite work as planned. Although looking at it through the lens of a camera, it doesn't look that bad.

Do you ever take photos of your rugs in progress? It is a great way to help you see if the colors are working in the rug. Enjoy the weekend....I'll be hooking away. Maria

Inquiring minds want to know......

2010-12-31T09:30:00.001-05:00

I've had many questions about my blog challenge and my antique santa and reindeer rugs. The burning questions are 1) where did I find the felted balls that I used in my hanger for my challenge project and 2) Will I part with my dye formula for the face in the Santa and Reindeer rug?

The felted balls are from Ally Strebel of Kindred Spirits and here is her contact information....

www.alistrebeldesigns.com"

Those felted balls are the bomb...Just think of all the ways to embellish your rug hooking or sewing projects.....Top of hats, hangers (like my challenge project) or try stringing a few from the bottom of the rug to add a little whimsy. The possibilities are many!

As for the flesh colored dye formula for my santa rug.....can't give it to you because, I don't know it...BUT I do know where you can buy the wool. My pal Kris Miller sells the wool and it is just perfect for flesh toned projects. You can contact her here:

www.spruceridgestudios.com"

Inquiring minds now know!.........................Have a Merry and Joyful day! Maria

Look What I received in the mail......

2010-12-29T17:20:00.001-05:00

Just the sweetest little package from some of my dear buddies over at AAPG. The package came without a name on it so I had to do a little investigative work to determine who sent it to me. It wasn't too hard as these two gals are a couple of the sweetest, most giving gals I know. Ginger and PattiJane put together a little bag for all of us. Now how sweet is that?

Included in the package were some handmade Christmas Tags....aren't they adorable? Love the Candy Cane one!

Some chocolate...yum!

Some flavored tea for those cold winter nights here in the North.

The neatest little sewn pocket to store needles....

and a fun little booklet with doodles and places to keep notes.

I was delighted to receive this little gift from some of my pals.

This sweet gesture made me think....what if we all took the time and effort to create some happiness like Ginger and PattiJane did. They've inspired me to do that same. May your day be Merry and Joyful, Maria

Some Exciting News to Share.....

2010-12-27T12:30:00.001-05:00

Early American Life Magazine did an article about rug hooking and I'm in it! The article, authored by Edyth O'Neill and Gregory LeFever, titled "Primitive Hooked Rugs" is very informative. The authors chronicle the history of the craft and explain how the craft is flourishing. I along with Barbara Carroll, Anita White, Tish Bachleda, Peggy Teich and Susie Stephenson were all interviewed and the article features each of us along with two or three of our individual rugs. Pictures of my Tyler Flower Basket and Old Thyme House were chosen for the article. Here is a picture of my rugs.

What a thrill to be included in such a great historical magazine along with some of the names listed above. If you get a chance you should pick up this magazine.....It is worth having in your collection of articles. There are 18 color photos of rugs. Below is a picture of the magazine cover.

Here is a link to Early American Life to inquire about the magazine.

http://www.ealonline.com/

May your day be joyful and merry! Maria

What I'm Working on Wednesday.......

2010-12-21T13:46:00.008-05:00

Not much I'm sorry to report! As is par for my course, I started another rug before I finished the 20 that are in my art studio.....do any of you have the same problem? Once I have the color planning done with the rug and have hooked on the rug enough to know that the wool will work, I set it aside to start another rug. Here the latest rug on my frame.

A closeup of the face...............

It is my rendition of the antique Santa and Reindeer pattern that is so popular. As many of you know, I have an affinity for sheep so I added a cute little one into this rug. Once I get this guy hooked, it will be available as a pattern....

And of course alot of my time was focused on finishing my Creative Rug Hooking Blog Challenge. Here is a picture of the finished project. More detailed photos can be seen in a few posts back.

I made a little progress on my hit or miss snowman ( and I do mean little!)....

This is a Christmas present so I must work on this little guy pronto!

And last but not least is a cute little snow guy that is almost done......I'm hoping to find a little time to finish all three of these over the holidays.

Many Blessings to you. Maria

The Creative Rug Hooking Blog Challenge Photos Revealed

2010-12-20T23:58:00.003-05:00

Oh this was so much fun and challenging.... Isn't it neat seeing all the challenge projects together? I think it is interesting that we each did something a little different with our projects. If you click on the picture and it will open in another screen (a little bigger) so you can see the projects better.

Here are the links to Ali, Kris and Alices' blogs to read about how their projects were created.

http://alistrebel.blogspot.com/
http://spruceridgestudios.blogspot.com/
http://alice-folkartprimitives.blogspot.com/

As for me, I opted for doing a little mixed media and used scrap book paper collaged onto an art canvas for my background.

I hooked the snowman and attached him to the canvas. Here is a side view of the snowman.

Another side view....

In this picture, you can see that I used the wire to make arms for the snowman and to hold his tree. Can you see the glitter that I added to the scrap book paper? Kind of makes it dreamy looking. I added a red wool scarf to the snowguy.

Here is a picture of the snowman's hat. I added the irredescient pipecleaner to the brim and added more tinsel glitter to the hat. You can see the scrapbook paper that I chose. The green was also irredescient and I love the circles on it.

The red ball, star button and wire were used in the hanger. The star button was a little to harsh color wise with the scrapbook paper so I primed it and added more glitter to it. Not bad....I'm kind of liking the tinsel glitter. (thanks Martha!)

Here is a closeup of the button after I made the changes to it. Sorry the picture is a little blurry but you get the idea.

I almost forgot to mention the ribbon....I thought the ribbon was pretty and it definitely directed me to the color palette I chose. To display it, I opted to attach it across the bottom of the canvas and have a space all to its own.

Now if I were to make this snowman again, I definitely would hook my snowman with whiter wool. It is a little to primitive for the pinky red and green paper in the collage. Lately, I've been leaning toward this pastel palette.....there is something soothing to me about the softness of the colors. Plus I love glitter!
Thanks so much for stopping by and following our challenge. We are all looking forward to the next one! Maria

Look what one of my students hooked!

2010-12-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

Cora was in my class at Star of Texas in Tyler and hooked this sweet rug. Cora ventured outside her color palette and used great colors like purple. I think the colors are just wonderful and I love this rug. Look how she hooked the hat on the diagonal...very clever. The socks are beaded which is a simple technique that adds so much to a rug. This of my patterns, Mister Snowman, and you can find him on my website. Thanks Cora for sharing your rug with us all!
Speaking of teaching, I'll be adding my teaching schedule for 2011 to the right of the page soon. Maria

A New Segment to my BLog

2010-12-15T12:49:00.006-05:00

Called "What I'm Working on Wednesdays". Each Wednesday, I'll show you what I'm working on for the week. NOW....... I'm not going to guarantee, what you will see will always be finished products. Hopefully, you'll get a glimpse into what projects I have on my plate for the week. Seeing half finished rugs will also and maybe I shouldn't admit this.......show you the method behind my madness! My rugs oftentimes look like a battle field with all the reverse hooking I do.

For my first "What I'm Working on Wednesday" post, I have a snowman mat to show you.
Like I mentioned, this little mat isn't done yet...yet is the operative word as this little guy may be a Christmas present. I have a ton of worms (did you know worms multiple like rabbits!) and was trying to come up with a pattern to use them. While looking through my stash of rug hooking books, I saw a Karen Kahle pattern book that I had purchased and she hooked a sweet little sheep rug using a hit or miss background like this......so I drew the snowman out and went to town on the background. I'm pretty pleased with the results...What do you think? Like it or not?

AND yes, I am working on my challenge project.......IT WILL BE DONE!! Did you see the post by Kris Miller about the project....She was taunting us because she has her project done...done a whole 10 days ahead of schedule. It is a cute post and you can read it by clicking here. http://spruceridgestudios.blogspot.com/2010/12/one-of-reasons-i-love-michigan.html
Here is a little peak at my challenge project....

Needless to say, I have a lot more to do. WHo came up with a deadline 5 days before Christmas anyways? Enjoy your night. Maria

Playing around in my photo editing program

2010-12-10T17:30:00.001-05:00

And I came up with this fun Halloween Collage (a little out of season, I know, forgive me) and..... it is a little small and kind of hard to see. I'll be working on how to make it bigger.....but pretty cool for my first time playing around with this program, eh?
This weekend, I am starting a new rug that I designed and will hopefully preview on Monday.....And I probably should get cracking on my Creative Blog Challenge!
Have a good weekend. Maria

Creative Rug Hooking Blog Challenge

2010-12-09T16:06:00.003-05:00

CREATIVE RUG HOOKING BLOG CHALLENGE 2011......

Recently, I asked three of my teaching friends who also have blogs if they wanted to participate in a challenge. My thoughts behind the challenge were to make the four of us think outside the box and come up with some new ideas for classes. Below you will find the statement that each of us have posted on our blogs. The deadline is the 20th of December and I have no idea what I am going to do. I hoping this weekend my creative juices will start flowing. Maria

In an effort to expand our rug hooking creativity,

Maria Barton http://starrugcompany-maria.blogspot.com/
Alice Frazier http://alice-folkartprimitives.blogspot.com/
Kris Miller http://www.spruceridgestudios.blogspot.com/
Ali Strebel http://alistrebel.blogspot.com/

have joined together to challenge one another to come up with fresh new ideas for rug hooking projects. How the challenge works is simple. Over the next few months, one of us will take the lead and will send items to the each other to use in our rug hooking project. The only requirements are that the project involve rug hooking and all items received be used in the challenge. The leader of the challenge can designate a theme if she wishes.
We will have deadlines for the projects and will post the deadline along with the items received for the challenge on our blogs hopefully on the 20th of the month. The day of the deadline, we will post on our blogs the finished project along with links to the other participants finished projects. Our hope in this challenge, is to inspire you to think outside the box, use new materials in your rug hooking projects and to be creative. If you would like to participate in the challenge with us, you can contact the leader of the challenge to purchase the items. Thanks for allowing us to share the works of our hands with you.

If a dog could talk.....................

2010-12-08T22:36:00.005-05:00

We've being trying on hats and scarfs on Miss Josie in an attempt to locate the perfect look for the Christmas card. Doesn't her face just say it all? She was very obliging at first and then just wanted to play with the hats!

Hope your day is Merry! Maria

Drum Roll Please.............................

2010-12-07T19:59:00.000-05:00

And the winner of the Antique Santa and Reindeer Rug as generated by the random number generator.........................
Quaint and Plain!!
Please send me an email so I can get your address!

I want to thank everyone who participated in the giveaway by leaving comments, posting the giveaway on your blog and becoming a follower. I'm totally blown away by the response and all the kind words. It truly gives me a warm feeling knowing what you do is enjoyed by others. A big, humble thank you to all!!!
Maria

Star Rug Company Giveway Antique Santa Rug

2010-11-30T17:30:00.003-05:00

I'm very grateful for all that visit my blog, buy my patterns and offer friendship so in honor of all my followers and customers, I'm giving away this reproduction hand hooked Santa and Reindeer rug.
It is the sweetest rug and was hooked and punched by my hands using strips of wool. It has the time worn look of an antique rug and is replicated from an antique pattern which I love. This special rug would make a perfect addition to your holiday decor. It measures 18 inches by 18 inches.

So let's get to the Nitty Gritty.........HOW to ENTER to WIN this rug:

You have several options for registering to win!

1.) Simply become a Star Rug Company blog "Follower" by clicking on the "Follow" button at the upper right column of this page.... (your name will be entered).

OR

2.) You could enter a comment for me here at the bottom of this post by clicking on the "Comment" button ( and if you don't have a Blogger Account no problems....you can simply click the "Anonymous" feature to leave the message). Keep in mind though that I'll need to identify you if you are chosen! If you are unable to leave a comment just email me, and I'll add your comment to the list below.

And Finally,

3.) If you have a Blog and help spread the word about my Giveaway on your Blog, I not only thank you but encourage you to leave a 2nd comment here for a second entry! You can use the picture below to advertise on your blog's sidebar, or just use the larger picture above!

I'll be announcing the winner of the rug in one week, December 7, 2010. So sign up and check back in one week to see if you have won the rug. Again, thank you all who read my blog, offer support and friendship. I enjoy hooking and sharing my hand goods because of you.

For all you rug hookers out there that want to hook this pattern, I do have it for sale. Email me if interested.

~Maria~

Sneak Peak of the Giveaway Rug

2010-11-30T00:15:00.004-05:00

As promised, below is a picture of the giveaway rug. It is a remake of a popular antique rug. Details for the giveaway will follow tomorrow.
Thank you for the overwhelming response to the Cyber Monday sale. There are still a few hours before the sale ends. See post below for details. Maria

CYBER MONDAY SALE at Star Rug Company

2010-11-29T11:40:00.000-05:00

I hope all of you enjoyed Thanksgiving and the long weekend. We enjoyed spending time with our families and eating all the wonderful food. Dave and I didn't make the turkey dinner but we did help cleanup afterwards. Here is a picture, albeit small, to prove it.

In honor of CYBER MONDAY, I'm offering 15% off all patterns. Plus every order over $50 (after discount and before shipping) will receive a little thank you gift and free paper pattern from me. The sale will conclude at 12 am pst. If sending an email, in the subject line, type CYBER MONDAY SALE.
Looking for a pattern to hook over the holidays or maybe a little gift for your rug hooking buddy, take advantage of the sale.
In the next coming days, look for a giveway in honor of my 100th post.....IT WILL BE WORTH CHECKING BACK FOR....trust me on this one. Maria

I'm in the mood for winter!

2010-11-15T22:25:00.000-05:00

You read that correctly. We are between fall and winter and it has been raining lately. When it rains it is dreary and the cold just seeps into you. You know what I mean? But when it snows.....it is so pretty and fresh! So bring on the snow!
This little mat was punched with that in mind. I was playing with my new Oxford Punch again and used 8.5 strips of wool this time. The more I fiddle with this punch hook....the more I like it. This mat is on the small side about 5 inches by 8 inches and was punched in less than two hours. Not bad eh?

On another note, I'm two posts away from my 100th post.....so stay tuned for a giveaway! Maria

I'm teaching a Workshop at Sauder Village

2010-11-12T15:58:00.004-05:00

In case you didn't know, I'll be teaching a 1/2 day workshop at Sauder Village next August. The class is called Altered Rug Hooking and involves artist canvas, scrapbook paper, paint, glue, glitter, napkins, and wire just to name a few pieces I'll incorporate into my rug hooking.
You can check here for more details about the class. Scroll down and you will see the details about my class http://www.saudervillage.org/creativity/rughooking_workshops.asp. I'm very excited about the class! Have a good weekend. Maria
Maria

Punch Hook using 1/4 wool strips

2010-11-10T14:00:00.004-05:00

I wanted to share a little mat that I punched hooked while at Barbara Carroll's last week. After class, I stayed up late and hooked while my mates were ZZZZZZZing....I'm not naming any names though!
Years ago, I purchased an Amy Oxford Punch hook and never had much success with it. Lori Brechlin had punched a rug using 1/4 inch strips of wool and it was wonderful...but again when I tried I just couldn't get the hang of it. After reading my friends' blogs (Ginger, Primitives by the light of the moon and PatiJane)and learning about their new found appreciation for punch hooking, I thought I would give it another go. Ginger and Pati had taken a class from Frank Bileac (sp)(who is also a great guy) at Star of Texas rug camp earlier this fall and made all these wonderful items....so through their blogs, I was determined to try it again. AND this is the result. I love the ease of the punching and how quickly the projects are completed. I was also able to punch some glittery wool into the rug. I'll be posting some photos soon of my rug and time spent at Barb Carroll's class. Til next time. Maria

Enjoying my time at Barbara Carroll's class

2010-11-04T00:19:00.005-04:00

I've been hooking with Barb Carroll for the past two days at her lovely home and have had such a great time. I'm hanging with good friends, learning from one of the best in the business and enjoying every minute of it. I'll post pictures of our rugs in the next post, but for now, I thought you would enjoy seeing pictures of Barb's sweet Maine Coon kitty named Posie. She is so dang adorable.....Check out the last picture where she is laying on her back on my lap. Very calm and mind mannered.
As for the rugs, I'm working on Tennessee Hearts and am loving my color palette. I'll snap pictures of every one's rugs in progress so you can see them. Maria

Isn't this guy great too?

2010-11-02T23:40:00.005-04:00

Another Mister Iggy has made an appearance.

Jennifer Faulkner sent me this picture today. The colors in the rug are wonderful. He looks so real. Great job color planning this rug! Don't be shy....send me pictures of those completed rugs. Maria

Mister Iggy has made an appearance

2010-10-29T21:00:00.001-04:00

Sue Milanik sent me this picture of her version of Mister Iggy. Isn't he wonderful?! The colors in the rug are fantastic. Can you see the rolled wool circles in the background? This was a free pattern in Rug Hooking Magazine last year I believe. Keep those pictures coming...I love to see them and will post them here on the blog for all to enjoy! Maria

Pictures from my booth at Ghoultide Gathering

2010-10-28T23:40:00.003-04:00

I thought I would share a few pictures from my booth earlier this month at Ghoultide Gathering. May I say...what a show! I had the best time and enjoyed meeting all the talented artists. The talent and creativity was truly amazing. If you get the chance to attend this show next year.....go. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Another little mat to whet your appetite......

2010-09-21T14:43:00.001-04:00

These hands of mine are busy hooking rugs for the Ghoultide Gathering show on October 2, 2010. I can't believe it is only 11 days away. So much to do and oh so little time! Here is another little mat that will be offered for sale.. I have few more rugs that I'll share over the next few days. Maria

And the winner of the name contest is Ghoulish Grins!

2010-09-12T23:47:00.002-04:00

Oh my goodness thanks to everyone who participated and helped me name the rug. It was so hard to pick a name as they were all good and so clever. I think Kris's name spoke to me as it combined the name of the Ghoultide show in the name.....Thank you, thank you!
Below is another little hooked rug that is headed to Ghoultide Gathering......
This is a tiny little mat (5 x 5).....I have three more to go with it.....I'll show you the others in the upcoming days. Have a good week. Maria

I'm gearing up for Ghoultide Gatherings

2010-09-12T01:19:00.003-04:00

Ghoultide Gathering is quickly approaching and I've been busy creating new rug designs. Here is another little mat that I hooked up for the show.

Her name is Witchie Poo! Will any of you be attending the Ghoultide Gathering in Northville, Michigan? If so, please stop by and introduce yourself.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the naming of the rug. What great names you all came up with! I'll still trying to pick my favorite.....will let you know tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by. Maria

New Halloween Rug...I need a name for it!

2010-09-08T23:12:00.010-04:00

Over the next few weeks, I hope to share with you several rugs that I am hooking for the Ghoultide Gathering show in Northville. I have been hooking like a mad women trying to complete rugs for the show and this is one of them. This rug needs a name......

Oh, a contest!!!!!!!!! Leave comments with suggestions naming this rug and the winner will receive a 1/2 yard of unwashed wool. Contest will end on Sunday at 5:00 pm. So put your creative thinking caps on....!!! Maria

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Before and After

2010-07-28T21:37:00.005-04:00

Here is a before picture of the sweet little table that I found while thrift shopping last weekend.

I just loved the lines of the table. What I didn't like about it was the melamine finish on the table so....... I bought some of Krylon's Fusion plastic spray paint and went to town...
..
It took two cans and I like the finished product. The table would look perfect in a cottage/lake type house.
I've also been having fun with hooking rugs for the upcoming Ghoultide Gathering show in October. The show has made me come up with new rug designs and create new ways to display the rugs. I'll post some pictures of a few of them when they are completed....here is a little sneak peak of one I'm working on.....

Can you tell purple is my new favorite color? Maria

Maria

Metal Sculptures

2010-07-20T23:00:00.000-04:00

Whenever we go to Manitoulin Island, we pass through this little town on Highway 17 called Massey. There is a metal artist in Massey that does the most amazing things with metal. He use scrap metal and if I remember correctly uses old propane tanks for his sculptures. His sculptures grace the open spaces in the center of town. Check out this horse. It is life size. Can you believe the mane on the horse?
His work is so wonderful. Several years ago, he had two rabbits, March Hares, they were probably 5 feet tall and would have been amazing in a garden. Here is a picture of two more horses and a life size moose.

Don't you just love these wonderful works of art?

As promised, here are a couple of rugs I've been working on for an upcoming folk art show in October.

Thanks for stopping by, Maria

2010-07-18T14:20:00.002-04:00

I have many things to share with you since my last post. I'll start with the finished picture of my Tyler Flower Basket rug and pattern. I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

One of the gals in Tyler was working on this pattern in nice soft muted colors of red, yellow, blue, purple and white. Below is a picture of it in progress.

Hopefully, she send me a picture of it when it is done.

Next up are a few pictures of rugs from the camp in Alabama. I only have a few photos. The first one is Elaine's foot stool. Elaine is such a dear person and incrediblely talented. It is a Kim Nixon pattern and hooked to perfection. Elaine finished the hooking portion of the stool at camp and put it together at home. The colors in the rug are wonderful colors of teal, lavender, purple, peaches, blues and creams. Sorry about the size of the photo...Elaine sent me a photo and I scanned it and this is the only size I can produce. Obviously, this picture does not do this rug justice. It is so much better in person!

Next up is my triangle sheep pattern that Jamie hooked. The colors in the triangles of this rug are fabulous. And the dark sheep, is simply divine. She inverted one of the triangles in the rug and I just love that about this rug. Jamie is a sweetie and a hooking machine. She was also working on two other rugs that were awesome as well. She is also a fabulous knitter and had the most incredible long shawl at camp. I just about bought it but changed my mind at the last minute. I wish I had a picture of it to show you as it was awesome.
The next picture is of Penny's fun rug. When I met her, she told me that lime green was a nuetral for her. Ok......well when we started pulling her wool for the rug, we picked hot pink and vibrant orange and neon purple and the colors were worked well together. When the time came for the background color, a color that had to be muted to go with the brighter colors....what color do you think I chose? I chose a wool that I always use when I néed a little spark in my rugs. That color was lime green! I nearly died when I chose it as Penny's first comment to me was " Lime Green is a nuetral for me"! I love this rug! The colors are fantastic and it taught me a ton about color. Penny is one of the funniest gals I've met in a long time. She had me in tears most of the time!
That's it for now....I've been working on some new Halloween rugs, that I'll share in future posts. Maria

Happy Birthday Dad!

2010-06-21T23:53:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Dad! Enjoy your day, Love ya
One more picture of my parents with my nephew at graduation. Aren't they a handsome couple. (I'm secretly getting my mom back with these photos as she needles me about not posting more often!) Gotcha again mom!

Love this picture of my nephew as he is reading his diploma.

Rug photos will be forth coming in a day or two. Maria

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-06-15T10:35:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday mom, I hope you enjoy your day!Love you!,
This picture was taken in Charlevoix, MI overlooking Lake Charlevoix. We were at a local arts festival in the center of town.

Here is a Sneak Peak of a rug I'm working on for Tyler

2010-05-16T23:46:00.004-04:00

I'll be teaching in Tyler, Texas at Star of Texas rug camp and am in the process of hooking a large flower rug, Tyler Flower Basket. Flowers are not something I hook very often, so I thought I would expand my horizons with this rug. It is going to be a large rug.....30 x 30. I'm not yet finished but here is a little snippet for you to see.

The next picture is my new lion pattern. Yes, I was playing again with new techniques. I love the mane on this guy. It looks like proddy but I did it with my hook. I also did the wrapped wool technique for his eyes and beaded around the outside. I think I'll make this into a pillow.

I was playing in photobucket and came up with this picture. I'd like to hook a rug like this some day.

Please stop back as I have some other rugs to show you from my class in Alabama and a cool butterfly rug that my friend Holly hooked. Maria

I call this new design "Tumblin Down"

2010-05-10T21:09:00.005-04:00

Between drawing patterns, dyeing wool (well sort of....more in another post about that), I found some free time to finish this pattern, Tumblin Down. Don't the pumpkins look like they might lose it and bite the dust? I used several fun techniques in this rug as well. On the bottom pumpkin, for the mouth, I used a stitch I call herringbone. And of course, I used the rolled wool, for the eyes in the top pumpkin. For the mouths of the blue and mustard pumpkin, I used the beading technique. This rug was just fun to hook. I'll debut this pattern at the Tyler camp as well.

I also wanted to share a finished rug from one of my students, Sharon, at the Wool Sisters camp in Alabama.

This is my Old Thyme House pattern. Didn't she do a great job with this rug? I just love the way she made all the birds a different color. Great job Sharon! I have a few more finished rugs from that camp to share with you as well as tales from my dyeing escapades so check back in the next couple of days. Maria

Some new techniques used in this rug

2010-05-07T22:16:00.007-04:00

I'll be teaching a class at the Star of Texas camp in Tyler in a few weeks. The camp is hosted by Cynthia Norwood and Katie Hartner and let me tell you, they run fantastic camps. I've tried to design a few new rugs for the camp and this is one of them.

In this rug, I've used some new techniques such as the rolled wool flowers. These flowers look like they are proddied but they are not. I'll be teaching this technique at camp. I've also used some of the rolled wools in the flower in the left. Rather than make them round, I elongated them. As I finish the other rugs, I'll try to post them. Have a good weekend. Maria

Picture of little dog

2010-04-22T15:06:00.000-04:00

Nancy purchased this pattern a while back and recently sent me a picture of it completed. Isn't it just darling? I love the colors she chose. The hit or miss border on the bottom of the rug is terrific. Don't you just love the simplicity of the word dog in the corner? Terrific rug! Please keep the photos coming. I love to see, as does everyone else, what you do with the patterns.
I recently taught in Alabama with Wendy Miller and will add a few pictures from class in the next couple of days. Maria

Taa Dah!

2010-03-05T23:23:00.011-05:00

Here is a picture of the quilt.
Sorry it isn't the clearest of photos but I wanted you to see it. I'm pretty darn happy that this little quilt is almost completed. I was able to piece it together in 2 nights and had one of my friends quilt it for me on her long arm machine. Didn't she do a wonderful job? Now all I have to do is add the binding. I'm thinking brown...what do you think? Enjoy the weekend. Maria

I may have lost my mind!

2010-03-03T22:15:00.007-05:00

You know why I took up hooking almost 20 years ago? Quilting! I used to quilt and could never line my points up so I took up a more forgiving craft, rug hooking, where perfection is not required. I haven't quilted in nearly 20 years.
So why have I lost my mind? Well it starts with this wonderful assortment of fabric. Aren't the colors wonderful?
Throw in the sewing machine which constantly gives me fits.
Oh and did I mention, one of the last times I used this thing, I sewed over my finger nail...painful, very painful!

Add in a rotary cutter and mat which makes me just cringe as I can't cut worth a darn with a rotary cutter.

And finally a quilt pattern. Really....I know you are asking yourself if that really is a quilt design and the answer is yes.
I'm putting a baby basket together for a fund raiser and one of the items is going to be a baby quilt. So check back to see how this comes together and wish me luck. Maria

Pictures from Barb Carroll's Magdalena Briner workshop

2010-02-22T22:03:00.001-05:00

What a fun workshop Barb Carroll put on for us. Barb is such a great teacher and I learned so much during this workshop. Thanks to the Aults for hosting this workshop and being such gracious hosts.
Let me first say, this was not your average workshop though as she allowed us to design our own rugs using templates from Magdalena Briner's rugs. There were dogs,sheep,donkeys,horses, crows,roosters, rabbits or a goat depending on your perspective,snakes, ducks,leaves,and hearts shapes to use in designing your rug. Barb provided us all with a canvas with some shapes on the linen and we were to choose what other motifs we wanted to add to the rug.
As you can see from the pictures below, everyone had their favorite motifs to add to their rugs. I did not want to hook so many small designs so I enlarged five of the animals and used them in the design of my rug. After we drew our pattern, we started to color plan our rug. Barbara really pushed us to do our own color planning. She had a ton and I do mean ton of wool in all the colors of the rainbow...well primitive rainbow. We had to pick our background wool first and we had a choice of 5 different color palettes. Of course I picked my usual dark background wool. After choosing our wool, we started by working on one motif. I chose the cat and used many different wools in the cat. After I was finished with the cat, I moved on to the next motif.
Barb, in her gentle way, coaxed me into using some wool that I wouldn't otherwise use and I'm so glad she did as I just love the look of this rug. As usual, my rug looks very typical of most of my rugs, dark background, with the brighter primitive colors. No matter how much I try to break this pattern, I always end up hooking rugs in this color palette. I think I need to quit fighting it and embrace it. The next two pictures are of Mary and her rug. Mary is a delightful woman that I had the pleasure of meeting in Ligoner at a Barb Carroll workshop. I've hooked with her four different times now and she is such a wonderful gal.
This is Jackie who is a good friend of Mary's. Jackie is a hoot and I enjoyed meeting her and sharing the hooking experience with her. She taught me how to proddy while at the workshop.
This is Jackie's rug and it was great.

The next rug picture is Pam's rug. Isn't it great?

The next picture is of Dea. She sat behind during the workshop and was such a sweet lady. I didn't get a good picture of her rug, but she was the only one of us that added a snake to her rug. It was this awesome green snakey color.
This is Bobbie's rug. She is a fellow hooker from Michigan. I love how she used all different textures in her rug. <

I took the remaining pictures to give you an idea of all the different designs and color palettes. This is Tammy's rug....
Next is Roxanne's rug...she is a fellow Michiganian....

Up next is Peggy's rug. She added a llama to her rug design.
I don't know the name of the person who hooked this rug, but I love the blue water she put around her duck.
The next two rugs are Barb Carroll's designs and were hooked by Mary and Tammy. I wanted to show them to you 1)because they are both beautiful but 2) because it amazes me how the same pattern can look so different.

The last picture is TV cabinet that I saw on my way back home that I should have purchased.....
Thanks for stopping by. Maria

What I've been up to............

2010-02-15T15:00:00.001-05:00

Just finished this sweet little needle punch for a friend in Texas. It is larger than it looks.....about 6" x 8" or so. I forgot to measure it before I sent it to her. I think this would make a fun hooked rug using neutral colors for the heart.
.

I was busy snapping pictures of my kitties this past weekend and got some great ones of Iggy. Life is rough around here for the cats. Iggy hanging out on the couch.

Maggie also posing for some pictures.

She just couldn't stand anymore photos and covered her head.

Have a great week Maria

Standing Wool Circles

2010-02-01T20:54:00.007-05:00

I've had many requests about how to make the rolled circles that are in my sheep rug. Ali Strebel of Kindred Spirits is the one that taught me how to do this and perusing her blog today I came across this blog entry. She explains in detailed instructions how to do it. Don't you just love how she used them in tassels along the bottom of the rug? She sells those great little felted balls. Check out her website. Thanks Ali for the tutorial! Also check out her new little wool charm in the February 1, 2010 post. Love it!
Ali Strebel: Standing Wool Circles

In this rug, I used the standing wool circles in the background of the rug just to add a little whimsy to the rug.

Alice Frasier also has a blog entry about these rolled circles. Check out her blog here. A DAY IN THE LIFE ~ ~ ~ Have a great week, Maria

Rugs from the weekend

2010-01-25T20:56:00.003-05:00

One of my online rug hooking groups does retreats every month. This month's theme was to make something you love or would love to give away. This was my first time participating and I'm glad I did because I started a rug that I've been thinking about since September.
When I taught at Star Rug Camp in Fredericksburg, Alice Streibel of Kindred Spirits (Love this gal!) showed me how to roll wool into circles and I just loved the technique. I thought they would look good in the body of a sheep. Because I was so excited about these circles, I gently persuaded several of my students to incorporate them into their rugs.
Last week, Kris Miller (another sweetie), debuted an awesome rug she is working on for a class using the rolled circles...check out her blog. Anyways it made me start thinking about the rolled circles again and so I finally started the rug. I usually hook neutral colored sheep so I stepped out of the box and tried a black sheep!

I also found some time to finish up two other little mats that I had started back in September after camp.
Grinnin Guy

I'm trying to decide what to do around the border. As you can see, I started to bead around the edge and the orange wool I pulled is a little too bright. I've also been thinking about crocheting with some fun eyelash yarn...Wouldn't that add some jazz to the rug? Oh, but I don't know how to crochet.
This guy is my Butterscotch cat. I beaded around the edges of this rug.
Thanks for stopping by, Maria

A NEW BUT OLD RUG

2010-01-24T15:09:00.007-05:00

I hooked this rug a few years ago but never added it to my website. Not sure why? I think I just forgot about it. It is patterned off of an antique butter mold. Thought I would share it with you as it is perfect for Valentines Day.
This rug reminds me of my first rug camp at Barbara Carroll's house. What a wonderful time I had. I used the leftover wool from my project for the star and hearts. Check out Barbara Carroll's home page to her website. When I was at camp, Barb always used the phrase "cool beans" which tickled me so.....So, I hooked a little mat that said cool beans on it for her using the leftover wool from the project. Here is the link so you can see the mat. www.woolleyfox.com Maria

Another Unfinished Project

2010-01-12T00:05:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to finish some of these unfinished projects that have been stacking up and I can cross this one of my list.

Next is a sheep rug that I designed several years ago. I love it and will try to finish it up in the next two weeks to share with you. Maria

AND THE WINNERS ARE.....................................

2010-01-07T22:06:00.006-05:00

Wow what a response to the giveaway.....and your reasons for needing the wool are clever, creative and compelling! I enjoyed reading them all....because so many of you responded, I decided to give away 8 pieces of fat quarters. I wish I could give everyone some of this wool!
As for the method of determining the winners, I couldn't choose from all these great answers, so I asked my little darling to pick 8 numbers between 1 and 35. And the numbers are 2, 5, 7, 16, 18, 21, 29, and 33. I also asked her to give me two other numbers and those numbers are 1 and 24. Keep in mind that I had a response in there so I did not include that in my number calculation.
So if you see your name here, please send me an email to davemariab@sbcglobal.net with your address. Beth Twist (2), Kathy (5) (Woolfind), Befruitful Kreations (16), MaggiesFarm (Merrie) (18), Sandi setelzrow@grandecom.net,(21) Jo (29) and jsrotts (Judi)(33). Debbie (1) and Bobbie (24 ) also send me your addresses as you will each get the pattern for Mr. Hempenstall.

I also wanted to share this picture of snowguy and primitive Christmas tree.
I just love these rugs. Something a little interesting about these two rugs is that they were punched using the Oxford Punch with wool yarn. How cool is that? Segan explained that she uses the #8 punch and that makes a 1/2 inch loop. It's a smaller more compact loop.
She said she stretches the linen on the frame just like you do with hooking and just starts punching. When you punch the wool in this manner, the loop goes to the back of the linen. So it is just like needle punch. She said it punches up very quickly with the snowman taking her about 4 hours to do.
The speed of the punch is what drew her to it as she has 4 kids....can you imagine having time to do anything with four kids......YOU GO GIRL! She buys the wool yarn from Kindred SPirits. VERY COOL!!
I have an Oxford Punch and will give it a try after seeing these two little mats. Thanks again for all that participated in the wool giveaway. Maria

Wool, wool, wool giveaway

2010-01-05T20:15:00.000-05:00

So did I get your attention? With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, my hooking took a back seat for a few weeks. Over the New Years weekend, I found some free time in between sledding, skiing and hockey (it's a wonder that I am still walking) to hook this little mat. It was so snowy and cold during the weekend that it just seemed right to hook this snowman, Mr. Hempenstall! You can purchase him on my website ( which I need to update)

The colors in this rug are a little more muted than my normal palette but I really like the look of this guy. The background wool is the most awesome wool. It is a taupe checked wool and hooks up so old looking and is just so soft and wonderful. I bought close to 15 yards of it and can see myself using it over and over! It also great wool for sheep. When I sold it at Star of Texas, it was the first wool to go!
So for the giveaway.......I'll giveaway 4 quarter (1/4)yards of this wool to 4 of you.....just leave a comment in the box as to why you need this wool! I'll pick the winners Thursday night!

2010-01-03T22:30:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I sure did spending time with my family. With the new year, I’ve been trying to think of ways to make my life less complicated. The easiest way to do that, and this is my New Year’s resolution, is to become more organized. I’ve started the process already and am going to continue throughout the year. Wish me luck with this one! I think a diet would be way easier. Oh and my other resolution is to try and post more frequently to my blog!
I also have a few pictures to share with you. Two of my students from Star of Texas have sent me pictures of rugs they have completed. The first is from Donna Holdiness. She completed the Triangle Sheep and made it into a pillow.

The sheep looks so real. Isn’t the pillow just darling? And so is Miss Donna! She also runs a rug camp in Mississippi and I hear it is fabulous!

The next rug is from Linda Long and oh my can this gal produce rugs. She hooked four rugs while she was at camp and just finished this rug (25 x 35), Halloween Hooligans.

This rug is so fun and the colors Linda chose are terrific. I can’t wait to see it in person. Thanks Donna and Linda for sharing your great rugs with us. Maria

Tried Needle Punch for a change of pace...free pattern

2009-12-07T01:18:00.000-05:00

After hooking like a mad woman to get the gift done for the baby shower (dog rug), I put away my hook for a punch needle project. I punched this little snowman for a hostess gift.

I put the snowman into a little shadow box frame I had bought a year or so ago for a buck at the dollar store. It had a chinese design in it which I removed and placed my punch needle into it.

Below is the pattern which I thought I'd share with you.

You are free to punch it or hook it....Just give me credit for the design. Also, here are the DMC floss colors that I used for the pattern: background, (597 & 598), snowman (644,822 & 3033),scarf (347 & 3328), hat, (black and dark gray), eyes and arm, (black), nose (orange).

Speaking of the dog rug, here is a picture of the finished rug. My neice seemed to like it and the colors were perfect for her nursery. Around the border, I used the technique of beading and pulled colors from the dog (blue and brown). I also rolled several circles to add some whimsy to the rug which you see better in this picture.
You can see where I added the rolled wool into the rug. I just love this technique and think it would be fun to do a sheep with the circles in it. Thanks to Alice of Kindred Spirits for showing me this great technique.

And just for fun, I was playing with one of the editing functions in photobucket and came up with the pop art picture.

Have a good week. Maria

Charlie Brown snowman

2009-11-24T00:16:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a quick little pattern to hook as a Christmas gift than this little guy is for you. It took me about 3 hours to hook this little snowman. It is small, 7 x 13, and that is why it hooks up so quickly. I'm offering it for sale for $20.00 which includes first class mail.

Speaking of small, when I was at Barb Carroll's earlier in the month, Miss Alice saw me hooking a small rug using my quilting hoop. For years I used a hoop to hook all my rugs and she just laughed at me because the rug I was hooking barely fit into the the hoop. I was using my larger frame for the olde duck pattern and didn't want to pull my rug off to work on this smaller pattern at night. Anyways, Alice was kind enough to mention that she and Sonny sell a smaller frame that would be perfect for small rugs like this. I have the larger frame and love it so I knew the small one would work well too. And let me tell you I love that little frame also. It is perfect for those little pieces of linen that you don't want to waste but don't want to take time to sew fabric around the backing just to make it fit frame. So this little frame is a dream. I highly recommend it. For those of you that needle punch, this frame would work great for that as well. Here is the link to Alice's website where you can see this frame as well as the larger one. http://folkartprimitives-alice.com/products
Oh and I must confess, while on my way to Barb Carroll's retreat with the girls.....I stopped at Aults, http://aults.com/hooks.html , in Shelby and bought several,ahem.... let's just say several, of his Aultimatic pencil hooks....I just love them. I'm afraid Larry is going to stop making them so I keep buying them whenever I find them...and yes I bought another one at Barb's as she was selling them as well. What? A girl can never have too many hooking supplies!

Another Sweet Design by the child

2009-11-21T16:05:00.000-05:00

I asked her to design a dog rug for my neice's baby shower and this is the sweet design.

Isn't darling? The design had small Dots all over it which would have been impossible to do so I improvised a little. I laid the rug on the floor to get a better look at it and my pup came and sat on it. Funny how the animals always do that! So is there any doubt where she got the inspiration for this design? Just look
at that big head and ears.
Remember the spots?

Here is the book that has inspired these new patterns. This book is so great. The pictures in it are wonderful and plentiful. The background in Susie's rugs are terrific. All you rug hookers out there should put this on your wish list. You won't be disappointed.
And for those of you that asked about Bedhead pattern, it is 13 x 10 and sells for $22 plus shipping. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Maria

Look what a 6 year old designed!

2009-11-15T17:15:00.000-05:00

My little one is so curious about my rug hooking and the business end of it. She also loves to draw. After reading the Susie Stephenson book "Designing and Hooking Primitive Rugs", I told her to draw me some things to hook. Here is first design. Don't you just love the whimsy of a child. We have named him "Bedhead". It will be available for purchase as a pattern. To teach her about business, I told my little entrepreneur I would give her a percentage of each pattern sold. To which she replied, ah mom, what about something for designing the pattern. She'll do just fine in the business world!

Here is a picture that she drew in art class. Isn't it fun? Love the magenta hair.

Another wonderful finished rug from Star of Texas

2009-11-08T00:40:00.000-05:00

Linda Gartner sent me this picture of her completed rug from the Star of Texas Rug Camp. Isn't it wonderful? Her background is simply divine. The background was easy to do once she figured out what her base color was going to be (olive/gray color). After that, we chose five to six additional colors to hook with the background. She did a great job on this rug. Thanks for sharing the picture Linda!
Tomorrow I'm going to try my hand at designing a cross stitch pattern for my sil for Christmas. Wish me luck! Maria

Back from Camp

2009-11-05T16:44:00.001-05:00

What a wonderful time I had at Barbara Carroll's camp at her home in Ligonier. The wool, the rugs, the antiques, the wool, the company, the wool, Barbara Carroll and .....Did I say wool! Oh, I had a grand time and will post pictures as soon as I can get them uploaded. For now, I'll leave you with a few photos of rugs I completed before I left for camp. The first rug is Winter Angel and the next Ho Ho Sheep. Sorry about the quality of photos as they were taken with my blackberry.
Winter Angel

Ho Ho Sheep

Finished a couple of Halloween rugs

2009-10-22T22:49:00.000-04:00

As promised, I wanted to show you these two rugs I finished. The first one is called Boo Boo sheep. Don't you just love the sheep with the witches hats. They make me smile. The pattern is available for $30.00 (16 x 11)

I tried to get a good picture of this rug but I just couldn't. The white in the pumpkin face shows up as bright, bright, bright and it isn't that way in person. This is a sweet little rug that hooks up quickly. I used beading as a border around the rug. Love the way it looks. This pattern is available as well for $38.00 (21 x 15)

Have a great weekend. Maria

The last batch of pictures from Star of Texas Rug Camp

2009-10-12T22:11:00.001-04:00

New patterns will be coming in a week or so. I just finished one tonight that tickles my fancy. A couple of whimsical Halloween patterns and one new winter themed rug. In the meantime, I'll finish showing the last of the rugs from camp.
The first picture is rug adapted from a postcard. Mary Jo did a wonderful job hooking this Jack Russell terrier. The dog seems so alive and looks like he could walk right off the canvas.

The next rug is by Shirley. Didn't she do a terrific job with the colors in this
rug. The clothes on the snow family are great.I can't wait to see this rug when it is finished.

Terri from Nebraska worked on the Pearl, Laverne and Mae pattern and her roosters are
to die for. The wool colors are so rich and warm. You can't see it in the picture but for the circles on the middle rooster, she coiled the wool and it looks fabulous. People kept oohing an ahhing about how neat it looked. Keep hooking Terri!

Next up is Kristi and I love what she is doing with this pattern. The
rug looks so much better in person. Very dark and primitive. I just
love it.

Here is a picture of a finished rug by Kristi. You can see her wonderful sense of color in this rug.

Connie was hooking a Magdalina Briner style rug and doing a great job on
it. Hooking a rug in this "hit or miss" fashion can be somewhat daunting
but she did great with it.

Karen was hooking a pattern called nesting and was very open to hooking
outside her box. Throughout the nest, Karen pulled up wool at different
heights to give the nest dimension. She also pulled the loops of the rooster tails very high to give the tail depth and mixed in some wool yarn just for fun. This rug is going to be terrific when done.

Connie was hooking an Edyth ONeal pattern and it was coming along well.
She used a lot of Paisley in this rug and it made it look so special.
Connie is one of the fastest hookers ever and did a great job with this
pattern.

Last but not least is Sue's rug which I love. She did a fabulous job
with this pattern incorporating many different techniques such as
beading and coiled or rolled wool for flowers. She is making this rug into a
pillow. Go Buckeyes! (inside joke)

Thanks to all my students. It sure was a great experience and
I encourage you to attend this camp if you ever get the opportunity.
Cythnia and Katie do such an incredible job hosting this camp.

While looking through some pictures, I found a few from Sauder that I thought I'd share. Both are new patterns from Wendy Miller, The Red Saltbox. Aren't they wonderful? Til next time, Maria

More pictures from Star of Texas rug camp

2009-10-04T12:37:00.000-04:00

It has turned cold and rainy here in Northern Michigan. Snow is right around the corner! I've been busy hooking some new patterns but am not quite done yet. When they are done, I will post pictures soon as they are done. In the meantime, I'd like to share with you a couple of more photos from the camp. The first one is my Halloween Stroll pattern hooked by Connie from Texas. She wanted to adapt the stroll pattern for a gift and wanted two little boys in it. Didn't she do a great job with the colors? Love the red coat with the purple pants. Her hooking is just wonderful. She too was a speedy hooker and completed this rug in class.

Linda from Texas hooked the next rug. She wanted her background to look old and did a great job with the colors. The entire background will be hooked using this patchwork and the horse will be a dark colored wool. This rug will look so old and primitive when done. Just stunning.

Enjoy the photos. Maria

Pictures from the Star of Texas Rug camp

2009-09-29T17:54:00.000-04:00

The camp at Star of Texas, Fredericksburg was a great experience. The gals in my class were so much fun and oh so talented. Over the next week or so, I'm going to share pictures of their rugs in progress. Several of the ladies actually finished their rugs. And then there was Ms. Linda Long.....she was a speed demon when it came to hooking. She actually finished two rugs and started a third.
Linda is great with colors and her rugs are terrific. I just wish you could see these rugs in person. Her hooking style is amazing. She hooks pretty high but the neat thing about her hoooking style is that she leaves so much space between her loops. I examined her rugs in depth and learned that she oftentimes leaves three of four spaces between loops. If you flip her rugs over, you see a lot of the foundation material showing on the back. This style of hooking makes her rugs appear old. I tried to hook leaving more space and if you are a packer like me, it is hard to do. Below is one of the rugs she finished at camp called Tilda. The colors she used in this rug are great.

The next picutre is of Matilda. Who would have thought of a blue face for this gal? I just love the color choices she made in this rug.

The next couple of pictures are rugs that Linda brought to camp to show us. This one is Mister Snowman and Linda did a wonderful job with the color in this rug. She used wool yarn for his socks and the star. I've never used yarn in a rug before but it hooks up great and looks awesome in a rug. The colors in this rug just make me smile.

The next photo is of my Halloween Stroll and is terrific as well. As you can see from all these pictures, Linda has a great primitive sense for color.

The final photo is of a rug she hooked with Cammie Bruce. I believe the pattern is from Barb Carroll. The colors and hooking style just make this rug look old.

I really wish you could see these rugs in person as my pictures are not doing them justice. Well that's it for now. In the next day or two, I'll show another rug or two from camp. Enjoy the pictures, Maria

Something to Crow About

2009-09-27T21:18:00.000-04:00

Is the name of the new rug I've finished. I started it 3 to 4 weeks ago but was inspired to finish it for an online retreat. I'm offering it as a pattern for $38. It is 11 by 23 inches. I have to give credit to Lori Rippey as she told me to hook a black pumpkin. It would have never occurred to me to do this. This pattern would also look sweet with a white pumpkin as well.

I just returned from teaching at Star of Texas Rug camp in Fredericksburg, Texas. OH MY goodness, if you ever get a chance to attend this camp GO. The camp is wonderful. The founders, Cynthia Norwood and Katie Hartner, are just the best hostesses. They make the camp very special. The facilities were wonderful. My bed was so comfy! The town of Fredericksburg is a quaint little place with the sweetest shops. And the food....OH my, so good.
My students were awesome. Wait til you see some of the rugs they hooked. I'll feature them over the next week or so. Maria

It's been awhile since my last post

2009-07-22T23:49:00.000-04:00

Kind of feels like true confessions. I've been busy with work, gardening, hooking and getting patterns ready for a show and rug camp. You know, life sometimes just gets in the way of blogging. I'll try to post more often. As for my hooking, remember a while back I told you about a big Halloween rug I was hooking. Well, I finished it about a month ago but was not all that happy with one of the characters in the rug. I put it away and someone asked to see a picture of it the other day, loved it and purchased the pattern. So I thought I would share it with you. The pattern is 25 x 35 and retails for $70.00.
As I finish up a few more patterns, I'll post them on the blog. Happy hooking! Maria

Happy Flag Day

2009-06-14T19:41:00.000-04:00

So there has been talk lately about unfinished projects. Do you have any? My guess is that I have somewhere around 30 rugs that need to be finished. Well, make that 29 rugs. I started this rug about a year and half ago and just wasn't happy with it. The Uncle Sam was too squatty so I enlarged the pattern and made him a little taller. This design is my patriotic version of my Antique Santa & Reindeer rug. I am offering for sale as a pattern. It is 24 by 27 and retails for $55 plus shipping. And in between planting some flowers today, I found some time to dye some more wool. I'll have no problem using these warm primitve colors in my rugs.
Happy Rug Hooking. Maria

As promised.....

2009-06-10T22:23:00.000-04:00

First, Here's a picture of a rug that I just finished hooking. I just grabbed wools from my scrap pile and just starting hooking. Do you accumulate alot of strips of wool? No matter what I try, I just can't seem to make a dent in those piles. But I won't give up trying! Check out the birds. Do you notice anything? I forgot to change the wool on the curly ques on the heads. I'm definitely using the darker wool. The next couple of pictures are from my dyeing session over the weekend. The first picture is from Wendy Miller's Dye book. I bought a bunch of the milled wool and it is perfect for dyeing. This wool now is perfectly primitive for hooking. I've already started using it as my background in another Lazy Sheep pattern that I am hooking. This picture shows two different wools dyed using the same AlJO dye recipe. The more muted red is so wonderful. I just love it and am using it in an Uncle Sam rug that I am currently hooking. Speaking of hooking, I'm off to pull a few loops.
Maria

Just Hooking and Dyeing

2009-06-07T21:43:00.000-04:00

Well, I have been hooking up a storm in the last few weeks and can't wait to share some of my new designs with you. It was so dreary here today so I played in the dye pots and used one of Wendy Miller's dye recipes and just love the color. I bought some wool off the bolt and the color just did not speak to me. So I dyed it using Wendy's canning jar blue recipe and I love it now! Can't wait to use it in a rug. As for the new designs, I still need to steam them and hope to have that done in the next couple of days. But I do have a few pictures of past rugs to show. This was my attempt to hook a rug and make it look like a braided rug. One of these days, I'm going to hook this rug using different colors. See the white spot in the rug....candle wax.
This rug was inspired from a scherrenschnitte-paper cutting from long ago. It's a nice litte chair mat. Have a great week. Maria

Hooked Rugs from the Past

2009-05-16T13:46:00.000-04:00

While looking through some of my photos, I came across some rugs from the past. I hooked this rug in 1999. Back then I was selling rugs on ebay and sold this one. I wish I still had it as it is still one of my favorites. It is fun to look at older rugs and study them to see how or if your hooking has evolved throughout the years. Ten years ago, my favorite colored background was still the dark wool with motifs in brighter colored wools. Today, I still hook mainly with a dark background but my wool selection for motifs is a little more muted or primitive than in this photo.

I love this version of my lazy sheep pattern. Isn't it just great? Karin Manuel of Ohio hooked this rug. The colors she used in the rug are just wonderful. And Black sheep are my favorite. After I'm done finishing the BIG rug (tease, tease)I'm working on, I'm going to hook the Lazy Sheep similar to this one. Enjoy the weekend and Happy Hooking. Maria