Wool Poppies, rugs in progress

Yesterday was the Wool Poppies monthly meeting. Most of the meeting was spent getting ready for The Hooker Hill Rug Camp that the Wool Poppies put on in July each year. This year it runs from Sunday, July 21st and ends on Thursday July 24th and the teachers are Brigitta Phy and Susan Feller. Brigitta is Jane Olsen's granddaughter and is continuing in her footsteps. As I've mentioned before this is my first rug camp and I'm very excited about it.

I love seeing the progress that everyone makes on the rug in a months time. Debbie's airplane rug is coming along, she added a new plane and started working on the desert:

Carla finished her motorcycle rug and has begun another one based on sketches she made in an art class. Can't wait to see how this one turns out.

 



Cai is almost finished with her flying pig rug. It is so cute.

 

Hope everyone is staying cool and enjoying their weekend.

Until next time, Ronda

Solution for backround wool.

As I shared in my last post I was not happy with the color of wool I had chosen for the background of my rug. I kept trying to like it but it wasn't happening. I went online and checked out other colors of wool but didn't find anything. I thought I'd wait until I went to rug camp at the end of the July to see if the vendors might have a solution when all of a sudden I had an epiphany, I could use a dark green wool and marry it to my background wool!

I'm new to rug hooking or I might have thought of this sooner. For those of you not familiar with "marrying" wool, it's where you take two or more pieces of wool, place them in water with detergent bring the water to a simmer to get the wools to release their colors, the wool will pick up the color that the wools release and will help them look good together in your project. There are more steps that I won't bore you with.

I had never done this before and was not sure what results I was going to get but decided to go for it. The wool came out darker with a little bit of a green hue. I like it much better.

It is hard to see in this picture, the new background is between the yellow leaf and the pomegranate. The original lighter wool is by the orange leaf on the right hand side of the pomegranate.

 

 

Here is a closer look, it is still hard to see and looks grey in the picture. The new color outlines both flowers, I left a small amount of the original wool between the flowers, it has some white specks in it.

 



I'm much happier with my background now and the good news is I didn't have to purchase more wool.

I have a busy weekend planned, Wool Poppy meeting tomorrow morning and we're going to a melodrama with Friends on Sunday.

Have a nice weekend and stay cool. Ronda

Progress on my new rug

Finally got the pattern transferred to linen by tracing it on red dot and then onto the linen.

 

 

This will be my first rug that will actually go on the floor. You know the saying "never say never"?  I said I'd never do a rug to put on the floor, and look at me now.

 

First loops pulled:

 



 



 

And where I am today:

 

The wool I used in the middle of the pomegranate and the bottom of the flower is the wool I dyed with my friend E. It will always remind me on the fun afternoon we spent together.

 

If you look on the right side of the pomegranate, the area between the pomegranate and the orange leaf you can see the background I thought I was going to use, I think it's going to be too dark.

 

 On the left side of the pomegranate I put a line of light wool to see if it would work but I don't like it either.

 

I'm going to the Hooker Hill Wool Camp the end of July and am hoping that with the input of the instructors (Brigitta Phy and Susan Feller) and other students I'll find something that will work.

 

I've been working on my rug, going to water aerobics at least twice a week and I've started a Craft circle on Tuesday afternoons for the community. We've met three times and so far there have only been five of us. I'm hoping others will join in the fun.

 

Til next time, Ronda

 

 

 

 



 

 

Starting a new rug and BFF's first wool project.

I've been working on the design for my next rug and think I finally have it. I've been trying to enjoy the process but must admit I was frustrated by my inability to decide on a design.

Design in process.

Deciding how big my backing needs to be.

I've cut the backing and drawn the borders of the center of my rug on it. Next I need to transfer my pattern to some tulle and then I'll draw it on my backing. Maybe by next week I'll start hooking it.

The Ladies mat is waiting for me to decide how to finish the edging. I'm going to go to a rug hooking camp in late July so I may wait until I can have the instructor help me.

My BFF joined me at wool club and has finished her first project.

The original pattern was for a pincushion but R made it into this cute pillow. She added the embroidered phrases. I love the way it turned out.

Til next time, Ronda







A Hot Time at the Old Town Clovis Flea Market

MM and I arrived at the Flea Market a little after 10am. There was a line to get in, a good thing for the vendors. Everyone was trying to beat the heat.

 

There were so many fun things to look at. Old furniture that had been painted (I think I might have had one of those rectangular side tables)

 

 

How cute is that bench? 

 

 

The back is the tail gate of a Chevy truck.

 

 

All types of signs.

 

 

Chalkboard painted stuff was very popular. This sign was made from an old cabinet door.

 



 

One vendor had pillows, totes, tablerunners made from burlap.

 

 

My oldest Sons is ready for business, but where is his helper?

 



 

Here he comes, hey it takes time to look this good. 

 

 

My handsome and talented Sons:

 

 

The Flea Market was very well done and had diverse vendors. It's too bad that it fell on the hottest days of the year so far. Today's heat of 108 broke a record and tomorrow is suppose to be 105. MM and I only stayed for an hour, it was too hot even at 10 in the morning.

 

Hope your weekend is much cooler.

 

Til next time, Ronda

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

GOTCHA! Quail pictures

If you've been reading my blog you know that I have been trying to get a picture of a quail. With all the quail that live around here it should have been easy, but it wasn't.

First picture is a little blurry, sorry.

 

An over the shoulder pose.

 

 



There are baby quails everywhere, when they scatter they look like ants. The other evening I took pictures whenever I saw them, look what I captured.

 

You have to look very carefully to see the babies, they do a very good job of blending in. First there is the rabbit, then an adult quail and then several babies just behind him.

 

If I had my camera with me tonight I might have been able to get a better picture, we were able to get pretty close and watch them for several minutes. I think they know when I don't have my camera.

 

Actually all the animals must know when I don't have my camera because there were 3 deer out grazing and a young bobcat just walking down the road. They were just taunting me!

 

It's suppose to be 110 in the valley tomorrow which means we'll hit at least 100. We're going down to the valley early to attend the Flea Market where my sons are selling their art. What won't we do for our children, even if they are adults. I'll try to remember my camera.

 

Til next time. Ronda

 



 

Talented Sons--MM too.

This weekend is a Flea Market in Old Town Clovis, CA. My Son's will have a booth at the show.

I have showed my oldest Son's art in an earlier post. He does metal sculpture using "found" metal. Here is a piece of his latest work, a little frog.

My youngest Sons is making pieces to sell as well. He made the cutest Owl:

He also made this flower that stands about 6' tall. The flowers spin:

Both of them have so much talent and imagination, I'm a proud Mom.

MM hasn't had much time for creativity, he has been painting the outside of our house. He's about 3/4's done and it's looking great.

I did challenge him a little yesterday, I have a dark corner in my living room where I have a table that I like to work puzzles on. I found a lamp shade I liked and asked if he could make a swag light for me. He did it in about 30 minutes.

I like the way it turned out.

It is so nice to have talented men in my family, I'm a lucky girl.

Til next time, Ronda











Fun living in a small community

I'm used to living in a big city so discovering the fun to be had in a small community is---delightful.

Last Friday night MM and I went to the Old Fashioned Kids Carnival. Entrance fee was free and tickets were a $1.00 each.

 

It was just like a school carnival, complete with the ping pong ball throw on goldfish bowls. Who hasn't tried that game?

 

 

We went early (that isn't news for those of you who know MM---we're late if we're on time).

 

Here's a girl after my own heart, HAVE to HAVE cotton candy. Yes I had one as well.

 

 

The snow cone is almost as big as this little one.

 

 

 

The playground is always free. These future big equipment operators were critiquing each others skill.

 

 

This was a very affordable event for families, it cost one ticket to play the games and the treats were two tickets. Where can you get a snow cone or cotton candy for $2.00?

 

A good time was had by all.

 

Til next time, Ronda