Gingerbread Men table mat and other fun things....

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I can't believe Christmas is right around the corner...it sneaks up on us so fast!

This is what I've been working on lately, my newest pattern. A cute table mat for the holidays. I can just see a plate or bowl full of ginger cookies sitting in the middle.

I used National NonWovens WoolFelt but felted woven wool will work just as well. I used baby rick rack, vintage snaps for buttons and eyes and frayed strips of plaid for the bows. I also found old buttons to embellish them and the super wide rick rack for the border.

This stitched up so quickly and was fun to make.

Patterns are available in on my website or my Etsy shop, both links located on the side bar.
You can also get a kit from The Wool Basket using the Woolfelt and it includes the rick rack.

Below is my lastest project in Create & Decorate magazine December 2011...

Also made using the WoolFelt...I do have kits available on my website.

I'm taking a few months off from Create & Decorate so that I can spend more time on new patterns for both wool applique and rug hooking patterns for my website which I have neglected so much lately.

Our BOM Snow quilt is nearing an end. There are only a few months left....

This is 'Ricky', the most recent BOM....sorry I haven't been keeping up with posting each block as we go along but here's the link to Karen's shop and if you are interested you can call or email her for more information about the kits and patterns. The Wool Basket.

Karen at The Wool Basket has asked me to design another BOM hooked rug. I already know what it will be and I can't wait to get started on the idea that's been floating around in my head. 

I've been so bad about keeping up with this blog. I got started on another blog that is all vintage and I'm having so much fun with it. If you like vintage lace and mother of pearl buttons, antiques and old chippy wood, you might enjoy checking it out. It's called Wild Rose Vintage

I just did a little diy on how to bleach and dye bottle brush trees that you might find fun.

Anyway... thanks for stopping by and I'll try to do better at posting more often!

Autumn is Here!

It has been way too long since I've posted anything here!!!

We were on vacation then I had a lot of orders and deadlines to catch up with...which is good but it sure put a crunch on doing anything 'blogging'!

I hope you are enjoying this Autumn season...I can't really believe 'snow' is right around the corner!!!

I have a new wool applique pattern ready to go...if you like squirrels. We have black squirrels and they are so fun to watch, they seem to almost fly through the highest branches.

Also, just in time for Halloween I have this little wool applique design using National NonWoven WoolFelt. I have kits all ready to go for this spooky little mat on my website or my Etsy shop.

This little mat was featured in the  October issue of Create & Decorate.

There's still time to make it!!!!

Thanks for stopping and I love comments!!! Don't we all!

"Snow" Block of the Month Quilt

Now that most everyone in the country is hitting the 90 degree mark... The Wool Basket has decided it's time to begin our new Block of the Month Quilt!

After that long cold winter it was hard to look at anything related to snow!
With this heat even I feel like stitching snowmen!

There are 9 blocks in all and an appliqued border. All of the blocks are very easy to stitch.

The quilt will measure about 40" x 40".
We are using hand dyed 100%wool on cotton flannel.

Karen is embellishing her quilt with a few beads and buttons.

Please stop by her website and click in "Newsletter" for more information.

Thanks for stopping by!

Rug Hooking Workshop in Colorado

Well, as usual I am always too intense at workshops and forget to take pictures!!! I always think I have plenty of time but after the workshop is over THEN I realize I didn't take enough pictures....again!

We had a great time with Victoria Ingalls and her husband Tom.

Just a few friendly faces, I won't try to remember names...I'm lucky I got this much.

And as usual I move the camera before it gets a chance to finish snapping the picture....ends up blurry...

It was a wonderful location with a nice patio just outside where we could eat our catered lunches or sit and hook.


I don't even have a picture of my own rug...I haven't looked at it since I packed it away to go home.

But I'll get it out and post it and hopefully someone will send me a few more workshop pictures.

Can't leave out the mountains....Rocky Mountain National Park.


Karen of The Wool Basket took me on a tour of Estes Park and the National Park the day after camp and we had a blast!

Cabin Creek 15 Year Anniversary Giveaway

June 1996 is when I started my first paper catalog, selling patterns and teaching rug hooking.

I decided to give away a rug hooking pattern in celebration to one lucky winner!

The Sheep Runner (designed in 1996) was my first runner pattern which led to many more runners and also became one of my most popular selling patterns.

size is 49 1/2" x 12 1/2"

If you click on the above image you will see a very large image and get a much better idea of the design.

You will win the pattern ONLY...not the hooked design...This will be drawn on monk's cloth (sorry...no linen).

There are 3 ways to win!

#1...You must become a follower to this blog...if you already are then see #2.

#2...You must leave a comment on this post that you have become a follower or that you already are a follower.

#3 If you have a blog you will get a 3rd chance to win...copy and paste my Giveaway Logo including the link back to this post on your sidebar somewhere.

(Logo can be found below and copy and paste my blog address from above.)

Be sure to leave a comment saying you did this so that I will know....

********

Giveaway ends midnight mountain time June 30 and will be announced July 4th....yes, I know...a few days after...I'll be in Colorado attending a workshop with Victoria Ingalls and I have an idea I won't be on the internet too often with all the hooking I'll be doing!!!

Fall Runner Finished!!!

Our Fall Runner Block of the Month rug is finished. Karen did a beautiful job on this pattern. She even prodded the flowers.

Karen does have kits available for this on her web site The Wool Basket.

Framed Hooked Flowers

The inspiration for this little piece came from some old quilting fabric. The fabric had beautiful cream and rose colored flowers on a blue background that caught my eye. (Of course I changed the rose to gold).

I cut strips of several shades of one color and hooked them as they came. The background was hooked using 2 shades of the blue.
Then I found a fun chippy white frame to finish it off.
This quick and easy project is featured in the June issue of Create & Decorate.

Kits are available at The Wool Basket

Rabbit Applique Pillow and Hooked Rug

Look what Dawn from The Wool Basket did with my rabbit pattern!!!!

She decided she wanted to make a wool applique pillow....I absolutely love what she came up with!

I think her colors are great. The ball fringe is so cool! And look at that cottontail!
Yes, I will have a wool applique pattern available soon for this pattern and Dawn's pillow will be on the cover.

Karen (owner of The Wool Basket) decided to hook one for the shop.
She choose to make a brown bunny with a light background, grass and pink and blue flowers.

I love them both!

Thanks gals!

Garden Rabbit just in time for Easter...

It's finished!!

I'm not totally sure that I'm happy with the dark green border but it will have to do. I had limited wool with me and originally it was going to be a lighter green but that did not go well at all.

I did change the green leaves I used from this earlier post, it was a little too dark and blended in with the gold background too much for my taste.

Anyway, he's cute and will make a nice table mat for Easter and spring....if spring ever gets to this part of the country this year!!!!

Now I need to hustle and get this little rug pattern on my website, it's already been selling....

Thanks for taking a look!

Deer & Pine Trees

This a new little venture for me.

I received a call from Keepsake Quilting asking if I would be interested in having them carry my newest WoolFelt pattern and kits.

No way was I turning that down!!! I have to at least give it a try and see how it goes!!!

The tablemat is 23" across and made using National NonWoven WoolFelt.

I enjoy working with both woven wool and the non woven. Each has it's own unique qualities and I have to say using the WoolFelt certainly makes cutting out the more detailed shapes a whole lot easier than using woven felted wool. This went together much faster than I expected and makes a great centerpiece in the middle of my dining room table.

I set an old crock in the middle and fill it full of pine cones or pine boughs. It would be great cabin decor!

(P.S. patterns and kits are available on my website or of course...Keepsake Quilting!!!)

Garden Rabbit

Will we ever see Spring???

It still feels like winter living in Minnesota, while most of the country is starting to feel warmer temperatures, more snow is coming for us.

It helps the cabin fever a little by starting a new hooked rug with colorful wools and a Springtime look.

This is my Garden Rabbit design, originally much larger but after a shop requested a smaller version, I liked this smaller size so well that I drew a pattern for myself and started hooking.

I wanted a gray or white rabbit so I settled on light gray, I thought pink and greens and a warm yellow background would be colorful. I have this darker gold wool I'd like to use up and it seems to be working so far.

I think I'll need to use a slightly lighter green for the stems and leaves, what I have so far may not show up well in that deep gold.

The wools used so far.,

to be continued....

Fall Runner and Proddy Flowers

The latest on the Fall Runner block of the month.

Karen made proddy flowers! I like it! It is so easy to do and you don't need a special proddy tool to to this. I did buy one years ago and all it does is pinch your fingers, no matter how careful you are. A thick shanked hooked will work just fine.

I like how it's coming along.

There is still time to join in, the basket of flowers is in the middle of the rug. There is still the left side to do with 3 mystery blocks remaining.

Bear Lodge Wool Applique Quilt

I'm so happy the pattern is finally finished and ready to sell as a complete pattern!

The picture just does not do the quilt justice. It's beautiful in real life!

The pattern is available on my website and Karen of The Wool Basket has both the pattern and the kits for sale on her website. Kits include hand dyed wool and the flannel.

This is an easy quilt to make with a flannel background that looks like hand dyed wool yet has more stability than a wool background would have.

Now that this quilt is finished it's time to start a new Block of the Month wool applique quilt...

I have a new wool quilt designed and almost ready to go. Karen will again offer kits with the pattern each month. The new quilt with have a snowman theme...I know, we are all getting pretty tired of the snow this winter but this new quilt begins March 1st and will go to September so it will be ready to use next winter. It won't be so bad stitching nice cool colors this summer when it's 80 or 90 degrees outside!

Thanks for stopping to take a look!!!!

Floral Runner Finished!!!

My Floral Runner is finished!

I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I decided I would see if I could hook an entire rug using only textured wool off the bolt. No hand dyed and no solids.

I started this rug in the fall sitting out on the screened porch looking at the fall colors and that became my inspiration for the colors in the rug. When I pulled from my stash it all just came together. I just happened to have the colors I need. I tend to buy a lot of the warmer tones rather than the cooler colors of blues and grays.

Now that I've hooked this rug I can't wait to design another floral rug, I already have some of the colors set aside.

I tried to post a larger image here but it's the best this set up will allow.

You should be able to click on it and view a larger version.

If anyone would like to purchase this design it is available on my website hand drawn on either Dorr's monk's cloth or Dorr's linen. The finished size is 12 1/2" x 52". It would look great on an old farm table...I wish I had one!

Fall Runner Block of the Month

Our new Block of the Month rug.

Karen from The Wool Basket has started a new BOM rug, it's a design by Cabin Creek. Karen is color planning and hooking one block (or two) a month for 9 months. It's more or less a mystery BOM. She's using mostly hand dyed wool, if not all hand dyed.
This is only half of the rug...the right side. It measures 18" x 48". Pattern is available on monk's or linen. You can join in at any time and if you want info please visit her website here.

I like the fall colors against the deep blue background. I can't wait to see it finished!

More of my Floral Runner.

Below are the greens used in the leaves around the rust flowers. The left side wool is the vein, the leaves are outlined with the check and then filled with the heather green.

The greens in the leaves around the gold flowers. The top wool is the vein, outline is the brown and filled with the green plaid.

The small round flowers....the check was used as the outside of the flower and the stripe was used for the middle.

To be continued....