Newton Class with Sharon Townsend

Mounds of freshly dyed wool and a blank mat do nothing more than make a hookers heart flutter!!

Day 1 with our class the wool is so neatly arranged according to color. Yarn over flows from baskets and eager students wait to hear the soft spoken yet happy voice of our teacher Sharon Townsend. 

Sharon is such a wealth of knowledge and is out of her box more than she is in it.  I think she had all of us doing something out of our "usual" whether is be color or a technique.

Class is over now but the memories still linger and how I WISH I had just a few more days to soak up more of Sharon's wisdom.  

The rugs you see were in our class area.  Every morning we started here with projects in tow.  Rugs on the floor were examples that Sharon used to teach us different techniques.

I am sure by now everyone has caught their breath and is back to life as each of us knows it.

My project is still packed in the box it came home in and probably won't be touched till next week sometime.

I will be posting pictures of everyone's projects followed by rugs that were brought for the rug show.  

It is such a talented bunch of ladies and what fun to see familiar faces again and to laugh over silly things such as "fog".

Well done Miss Elsie Pelsie!!

Off to Newton we go

Today at 5 a.m. we headed for our annual class in Newton.  This year we are taking from Sharon Townsend.

What a dear woman she is and we are very excited.

See the woman above?  I took this picture last summer when we were chaperones for the High School band trip to Washington DC.  

The kids played a band concert for the residents at a neighboring nursing home/assisted living facility.  After the concert everyone was treated to snow cones.  It was horribly hot that day.

I took this picture and fell in love with it.  I didn't meet this lady but her face tells the story.  I will be hooking this in our class.........................or at least attempt to.

I am nervous yet excited to see if I can do it!  

What's Mom hooking you ask?  A flower.........................yes A flower...............that means one!!

It's a pattern from our shop that I drew and she is hooking it....................I expect BIG things from that ONE flower.

I will try and post along the way if internet access allows.  We are gone for 4 days.....................yes, 4 days of uninterrupted hooking...............can't wait!!

Far Away........................................

We just had prom this Saturday.  The theme......................Far Away.  Not exactly sure what all that meant except for the 1300 balloon that were blown up!!

Drew and his date getting ready for pictures.

Ready to "Party all night and Sleep all day.  That was the theme of post prom this year.

Just a few of the balloons and a little bit of the crowd that attended  the grand march.

Dave and I were on the committee for prom this year.  The only thing I can say about the theme....................I am Far, Far away from my usual  sleep!  :)

Another Customers Work

I think about a month ago Charlie brought this rug in for us to take a look at.  She and her husband Tom were on their way to visit family when they stopped by.

Charlie had just finished this rug and was more than excited to show us..........and we were very glad to see it up close and personal!!

I just love the background and how she used MANY different colors and textures.

If my memory serves me correctly the outside border of the flower is a paisley.

Great job Charlie!  The rug is beautiful!

2 Bricks and 1 Rope

Time off from school and bodies at home all at the same time usually mean we accomplish something on the home front.  This day it was to tear down the rest of the shed so SOON we can put a fence around the garden area.

Drew thought it was taking Dad way to long to get the trusses down so he got a rope and a brick and pulled them down.  Little brother was on the other end of the rope with a brick of his own.

Believe it or not we thought this would fall in one big heap........................especially when we were tearing  the tin roof off last summer and we could feel the building wafting in all directions.  

A little pushing and tugging finally got the post to fall.

Seriously, she just was there for the looks!!  Natalie sat in the tractor seat..............not really any help at all!?! :)

It really is true that many hands make for little work!

Once things get rolling on the garden I will post some pictures.  Don't hold your breath though................April is so full I don't think we could squeeze one more thing into the month!

Wonderful Things To Share

I don't know about you but Mom and I love to see finished projects from our customers.  Some of you are shy and think that your work isn't good enough but we love to see it and besides you are your own worst critique!

We recently had a lady in the shop who does exquisite hand work and she shared some of her work.

Nikki has been a customer of ours for sometime now.  We quickly learned that she is wonderful at MANY things.  

Above is a wool applique project that she completed from Primitive Gatherings.  This is hand stitched with hand-dyed thread.

Below you will find Nikki's completed projects from Country Sampler's Boxwood and Berries.  

It is a sewing caddy with slipper, scissor pocket and strawberry.  Everything is hand stitched.  

If you are familiar with Stacy Nash these are her designs and she completes each project with these TINY little x's around the entire project...................................Did I mention perfect little tiny x's? 

Below you will find another project from Stacy Nash's collection.

Drum roll pin keep and heart.  The heart is filled with emery.  

Nikki said the drum roll took 4 cups of sawdust to fill!

Another project from Boxwood and Berries by Maggie B.  

All wood and hand stitched.

This was like a clutch...............but for sewing needfulls.

Last but not least a bedcover by Maggie B.  I am not sure of the size but it was all put together with hand stitching.

I couldn't get the whole bed cover in the picture but it was beautiful.

We so appreciate each and everyone of you and we LOVE it when we get to see FINISHED projects!

Please don't be shy...............................we are all beginners at some point!

Thanks for sharing Nikki!!

Sneak Peek on the Challenge Rugs

It's just around the corner ladies!!  Soon it will be time to unveil the 2011 Challenge Rugs at the annual BYOP.  

Above, you will find Charlie Reeves's rendition.......................It's done using scraps.  She also tried a technique new to her but I am keeping that secret till the BYOP the end of July.

  Mom is closing in on her's (bottom).  As you can see the colors are her "usual" palette.

I always get excited to see how everyone used their creativity on the Challenge Rug. 

 Can't wait to see them so get busy hooking ladies!!