Rug Hooking in Shell WY

Quite some time ago I asked my friend Jan Barnett if she knew anyone who knew how to hook rugs. Wyoming seems to be a remote area where rug hooking is concerned. Jan thought that a woman in Shell WY, named Patty Tyrell knew how and she would contact her. Being the impatient soul that I am, I found information on the Internet and taught myself how to hook thanks to wonderful people who record on places like YouTube. 

In September Jan announced that Patty would indeed teach a rug hooking class. When I saw the date I knew I couldn't go. I was so bummed. So.... Thursday I was on Rug Hooking Daily and decided to check the list of members to see if anyone from Wyoming belonged and guess who's name popped up. Yep, Patty's! I asked her how the class went and she said that it was canceled due to her mother-in-laws passing away and that the class was.....Saturday!  She invited me to come and I ended up bringing my hand dyed wool to sell.

The class was so much fun!! There were 11 women who came plus myself and everyone did such a fantastic job of hooking.

Later in the day Patty Tyrell, was able to sit down and hook along with us.

Here is Jan the instigator, not just of the class.... She is a blast to be around no matter where she is.
You can see some of my wool in the background.

Lori was our youngest member and the lady in back of her was the oldest. She mentioned she was 81. I wish I had her energy at my age NOW!

The kits were ordered from I Love Rug Hooking and I have to say the the colors were fabulous!

There were two tables of woman hooking but by the time I realized I should be taking pictures most of the other table had gone. We plan on getting together again. I have hopes that at least a few of us will continue to meet and hopefully even more will join in.

Hydrangeas in Wool

Here is a sneak peak of one of Woolin Rouge Designs newest creations. I have such a love of the Daiwabo Taupes that I just HAD to use them as a background for our new design. The design is pale but not quite as pale as it photographed. The hydrangea petals are dimensional. I hand dyed all the wool for this project so I can easily duplicate the wools for kits.

I must confess that I am a lot farther than this on the design than this but I don't want to show more until the big reveal.  Progress has been slower than normal for me lately because of my husbands needs due to the horrible disease cancer, but I'm hoping the worst is over and we are on our way back down the hill of horror.

Alan and I have had an amazing support group. Our children are beyond amazing and we have some of the most wonderful friends. We are truly blessed. I have been so thankful through all the Doctors visits, chemo sessions, hospital stays, etc., that I have had needlework to do to occupy my time and save my sanity. My days once a month sewing with my tiny sewing group would refresh my soul for the next round of medical sessions.  

Thank you all for your support and know that Alan is starting to mend and chemo is over. Our prayers are being answered.

Now let the creating begin!!

Humming Birdie Pattern

I am so excited! The pattern for The Humming Birdie is now ready to order! Traci Marvel and David Boggs just finished designing the cover and I can't believe how much I love it!

Humming Birdie is the last of the Birdie Table series. Woolin Rouge created one for each season. Seeing how others use our patterns is always so exciting. If you have made any of the Woolin Rouge Designs please send me pictures. I will put them up on the Blog and Bigfork Bay Cotton Co will put them up on their Blog and Facebook as well.

Creating this design with Traci was so much fun. This is Traci's favorite so far. I just can't pick a favorite!.

My Wool Chatelaine

I have been spending a lot of time sitting in uncomfortable chairs, with no place to put anything, lately because of my husbands cancer. One of the most irritating aspects of my uncomfortable surrounds it that it is so difficult to sew. I have no place to set my things like scissors, thread, thread scraps, pin cushion..... SO.... I have racked my brain for a way to make my next six months of supporting my husband more comfortable on my part. I came up with this Chatelaine.

The little envelope on the right is for my thread snips. The two bags are for Aurifil thread (tall bag) or Vandani thread (short bag). The round tool at the top is for pins, which are inserted around the outside between two sides. Needles are nestled inside the tiny book. The scissor holder is the one with the flap. The three piece tool opens when pinched on the two points for things like thimbles, and the odd tool at the top is a bobbin to hold thread.

Each piece can be easily removed if not needed. Some are held on by magnetic clasps and others with lobster claws.

I rarely use more than one kind of thread at a time so I will probably only have one thread pouch on at a time.

When making these I had no idea what I was doing. The first thing I did was cut circles out of tiny scraps of wool I had left over from other projects. No need to draw, just cut. Same with the leaves. When I had a large enough pile of "flowers" I started sewing them on. Each tool was designed as I thought of what I needed. Plastic circles from lids were used for stability in anything round.

Although I am not excited at all about the next Chemo treatment, I am excited that for 4 to 6 hours I will have all I need to be content right at my fingertips.

Humming Birdie by Woolin Rouge

Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I last blogged. So much has happened. My husband was diagnosed with Cancer, had surgery to get that horrible disease out, and has since had some strokes. All seems to be good now and Chemo will start in two weeks. All the prayers from people all over the country have done so much good!

Meanwhile, I have been busy sewing. One project that is finally finished is Humming Birdie, the last design in the Birdie Table Runner Series.  It will be shown at Market in Kansas City this month.

My borders didn't look that bad in real life but they are sure bumpy here!
I had so much fun making this one. Oh wait, I have fun making all the designs! It's the wool. I love working with wool!

I have started dyeing wool and will soon be dyeing all the wool used in Woolin Rouge designs. Once I can stay out of hospitals with my husband and things settle back down I will be on a dyeing frenzy. The wool has been purchased, the dyeing studio is set up, and all I need is a little bit of time.

New Ideas, New Year

I realize I haven't posted in a very long time but this last year has been a really hard one for me. I have finally been diagnosed with Fybromyalgia and the medication is helping so much.

With the lessening of pain comes more creative ideas and lately I have found that I am drawn to 1800 reproductions and the more primitive colors. I have ordered several new Civil War era fabrics online and I can't wait to get them. The colors will work so well with wool.

Another adventure that I can now accomplish, thanks to feeling better, is dyeing more wool. My daughter Jenny and I are going to completely redo my studio to accommodate dyeing. My Christmas gifts consisted of items needed to make dyeing much easier like a frying pan, utility sink, and cook tops. I already have everything else we need, except a lot more wool!

One designer I find so inspiring is Kim Diehl. Her color choices and fabrics are so appealing to  me.

Simple Graces , Kim's latest book, was the first book of hers that I purchased. I love everything about it. So much so, that I'm purchased two others.

Just look at the Bear Paws in this quilt. Who would have thought....Oh, Kim did!  I love he use of color, applique and piecing in her quilts. Kim Diehl is absolutely my favorite designer...right now anyway!

I am so very excited about the designs in my head for Woolin Rouge and the fact that I can actually feel like doing something with my ideas. Traci and I have some great designs coming so watch out 2012, here we come!

Best Gift Of All

The Holidays are filled with so much joy and sometimes sorrow. One of my dearest friends has felt the sadness and heartache of losing three family members this year. Although this can make the Holiday season seem hard to manage, it can also be a time to take a closer look at our many blessings.

I have had my years of sadness for the ones lost but this year we have an unusual blessing. On December 22nd my daughter Jenny and her husband Mike will be adopting two children. I can't even explain the joy I feel. The two children have suffered so much sorrow and now we are all blessed with so much love.

 In one year Mike and Jenny went from a family with one child to a family of five children. Danny, the oldest won't be legally adopted but he will always be a permanent part of our family. Lori, with her hands in the air, and Scott, in the gold, are our new members. Kenzie, holding David is their natural born, and David is a foster child we love with all our hearts.

Notice the look on their faces. What a beautiful family. This Christmas, even though we are exchanging the normal gifts and celebrating in our usual fashion, we will all be celebrating the love God has allowed us to pass on to our newer larger family.  Blessings don't get any better than this.