Rug hooking punch needle

I  spent 2 hours at my favorite rug hooking and yarn shop. The shop is set up in a barn on a farm.
When you walk in the door and look across the room there is a wood stove in the corner with chairs
surrounding it. Beside it is a big table and chairs. The owner created this spot for anyone who shops there. You can go and just sit by the cozy fire and stitch, crochet, rug hook or punch needle and enjoy
a cup of tea and great conversation free! :)

On my day off I decided to try my hand at baking some oatmeal chocolate chip cranberry coconut cookies using only honey as a sweetener. Next time I will omit the chocolate chips. I love chocolate but the cookies just did not need any more "sweet". I borrowed this recipe and made substitutions:

http://www.marthastewart.com/338993/oatmeal-cookies

• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 12 ounces good-quality chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups golden raisins, or 10 ounces toffee pieces
  

  Directions

  1. Step 1

     Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Starting with the mixer on low speed and increasing until it is on medium, beat until the mixture is creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract, then scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and mix to combine.

  2. Step 2

     Combine the rolled oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and wheat germ in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, then mix on low speed just to combine, 10 to 15 seconds. Remove the bowl from mixer stand, and stir in your choice of chocolate chunks, golden raisins, or toffee pieces.

  3. Step 3

     Line the baking pans with parchment paper. Use a large (2 1/2 ounce) or small (1 1/4 ounce) ice-cream scoop to form balls of dough. Place the balls of dough about 4 inches apart on baking pans. Bake until golden and just set, about 18 minutes for large cookies and 14 minutes for small cookies. Remove from oven; let cool on pan 4 to 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     Happy Week!
     <3

Punch Needle Rug Hooking

Remember this Rug hooking piece I found at a thrift store??? Well, I took it to my favorite
punch needle and rug hooking store and found out that it is old, but she was not sure how old.
Burlap used to be used for rug hooking but it has been found that over time it disintegrates.
Normally it is recommended that you transfer the pattern from an old cloth onto the new monks cloth or linen, but since the person who started this round chair cushion had already done a fair amount of rug hooking I decided to carry on with what they began. Also, they were using wool strips, which can be expensive.  I am not a rug hooker, but punch needle is something I really am enjoying. I purchased this old find because I had heard that punch needle could be done on rugs.

The birth of the punch needle for rug hooking can be found here:

http://www.amyoxford.com/punch_needles.html

It was really very recent 1995!!! Not so long ago.

Since the piece was begun as a rug hooking project I would need to reverse the pattern to the opposite side for punch needle.

I had to out line the piece with a sharpie ...

I was given this "sheer dot" interfacing type stuff to put over the pattern and trace it.

I lay this sheer dot interfacing over the lined drawing I had just done and again

I traced the pattern.

Lastly, I flipped the canvas over and lay the sheer dot interfacing on the canvas and carefully pinned and began drawing on the sheer dot interfacing the pattern from the canvas. Now this is the magic...

The sheer interfacing allows the sharpie pin to go through onto the canvas and wah la! You have the pattern drawn on the canvas. I did go over it again just so I will be able to see the lines clearly.

As I said who ever chose to begin this project was using wool strips, which are very lovely, but I do not wish to cut stripes of expensive wool. So a better option for me was to purchase a bit of wool yarn. I am also going to use a bit of acrylic wool combo (dont' cringe...I know...I would prefer to be a purist) but, mind you I only paid $1 for the canvas! I will let you know how it goes...

Happy Week!

<3

Robin and snow

I just began a new punch needle and I am thinking "Spring" :)

but Mother Nature is still thinking "Winter."

I have seen several robins so far and I often wondered how they survive the below zero cold and then it occurred to me that they survive because no one told them they could not!

I am loving this right now:

found here:

https://molitli.nl/index.cfm?fuseaction=publiek_product.detail&pro_id=476&cat_id=1&sub_cat_id=7&sub_sub_cat_id=120

and this!

I would love to make one of these...

I found this lovely blog with a how to....

http://www.ofcatsandcrafts.com/2011/01/crocheted-pouf-part-3-crochet-pattern.html

Have a happy week!

xo

<3

Eco Colour, Paint and Punch Needle

Finished with the basic piece. Just need to stitch in the bunnies eyes and a few details.

Colors of paint I am loving right now....

(Excuse the backdrop...I was in a hurry :)

An interesting fact I learned about house paint: To get rid of paint fumes...add a tablespoon of vanilla extract to a gallon of paint, mix well. It supposedly does not effect paint color! And makes the whole room smell like vanilla. Will have to try this. 

Note: I have not tried this, but when I do paint I will try it and let you know.

A fabulous book loaned to me....

At some point and time this is something I would love to pursue.

Hand dying fabrics with natural dyes and "composting" dyes.

I know many creative souls out their have been doing this for the longest and I simply admire their work.

Happy Day!

<3

Chick and Illusions

I had another snow day and was able to start a new punch needle I have.

I enjoy the simplicity of the process. It is very much like you become the needle of a sewing machine that is making loops.

At least that is what it reminds me of.

:)

My next project...

The first book was phenomenal and was a "life changer". So I expect and have heard this one is fabulous too!

Happy Day!

xo

Caravan

This package arrived from England...

a little caravan

from here: http://www.caravanstyle.com

I finished this little punch needle. I added the words

"Love" and "Imagine" instead of the original numbers 1862 and Salem.

Have  a great week!

<3

It's a happy day!

Snow day!

I opened the door and snapped a picture of the snow falling gently.

It is a rare day when I get to stay home because of snow. Usually life goes on and I must go to work...snow or not, but not today!

Woo hoo!

I made a yummy breakfast had lots of coffee and now I am settling in to "PLAY"!

staying warm with the wood stove....

and listening to this:

"playing" with these:

This is all pieced together

I Just need to complete all the extra stitching to quilt it.

I finished punch needle on this little pumpkin fellow.

I just need to cut him out stitch up some legs and arms and stuff him.

I have done a couple of punch needle  projects long ago and it is something that is really new to me, but I am loving how compact all the supplies are. Not boxes and boxes of fabric to contend with.

Don't get me wrong I love all the fabric and stuff, but I have very limited space to work in so I am enjoying simplifying for a little while.

Anyway, I am rambling...(that is what you get when I have "free" time lol! :)

I have struggled with the punch needle until I watched a simple 6 minute video that gave me that "ah-ha!" moment and I finally got it.

Being the typical crafter...I just happen to have a spare project :) waiting in the wings and being so excited to finally understand the how, I started this little project:

I think I will have a cuppa tea now...

Have a happy cozy day! 

:)

loving this:
http://mynameisfinch.blogspot.com

loving this too!:

While visiting my daughter in Austin I had the opportunity to venture into a small quaint shop and came across Magnolia Pearl garments and let me say..."Swoon"! They are simply divine! They are so well made and the fabric is simply gorgeous. 

http://www.magnoliapearl.com/shop/clothing/gallery.htm

p.s. I can not wait to share something that is on it's way to me from a far away place...

hint: it has to do with traveling.
more to follow....

Believe it or not...progress!

Stitching away....

<3

Inspiration

getting ready to dig in the fabric...

I am always inspired by this artist:

http://juliewhitmorepottery.blogspot.com/2013/03/making-spoons.html

Loving this music right now....

Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones. The daughters of the late Ravi Shankar

and check out these fabric beads! 

http://thesillyboodilly.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-obsession-continues.html

and I just love this!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/boodilly/sets/72157621004144235/

the inspiration for stitching today:

A new/used book  by Janet Bolton I ordered on-line.

The fabric template squares were in the pocket of the book!!!! SCORE!

Remember I stashed most of my fabric in storage???? Well, I have just enough at my desk to start this project. I know I am just showing you what I am starting, but I have to begin somewhere. I am in the gathering phase...so enough "gathering"....time to get busy! 

Thinking this would be fun...

http://pixiecampbell.com/soulodge-2014

:)

a little heart...

This was my little day off project in 

between all the "have to" stuff.

 (laundry, cleaning and cooking).

 It is a little punch needle heart. 

(ya know the kind you wear?)

I was dissatisfied with it after I cut it

 out and stitched it. I will keep

 it and use it in a future project.

Things that made me happy and smile today :)

This is a gift from http://marystanley.blogspot.com/.

She gave it to me many moons ago, but it still makes me smile.

Thank you.

and this...

a tiny little stitch man made by Becky Lowe.

Thank you.

This was found while "thrifting" yesterday for
the mere sum of one dollar.
It really is quite beautiful.  It is for a chair
pad or pillow. I will make it a pillow.
Note: Not a lot of light for pictures this morning.

Also, a new addition. I already have several of these little
baskets, but I absolutely love them. They are so handy.
I pick them up at my local health store. They come from
Africa and are part of fair trade.

If you do not like the shape of the basket you just dampen it and shape it the way you want it.
fun!

Lastly, while visiting my local wool place I was gifted with this book:
I was talking to the owner of the shop about Janet Bolton and how I found
her work inspirational and the owner of the shop disappeared literally behind
a curtain (like the Wizard of Oz) and out she came with this book for me:

I wanted to share some of the pictures inside the book, but alas there is not
enough light and it creates a glare on the pages.
This is written as a children's book. At the end of the book is
a pocket that held patchwork pieces of fabric that were pre-
printed to create the small doll quilt you see on the front cover of
the book. There were no patches in this book, but it is a treasure
to me.
Have a great day!

<3

Wide Awake!

After a long absence...well I never really was far away, just working like crazy. I still am. I have missed visiting my little "blip" in the world and keeping up with what everyone is doing. My thoughts about 2013....

1. If you let work consume your life...it will!

2. If you let others set the agenda...they will!

3. If you do not "carve" out time for yourself it will never happen!

4. I have lost myself to everything else...time to find me! :)

5. I was so busy with work that seeing my crafty stuff just piled in stacks was depressing, so I packed up 99% of it and put it in a storage.

6. Living in the north forces you to deal with the snow/ice. Some days I don't mind and some days I do. (Well, I can do without the ice! It is actually scary :/)

7. I can do without clutter in my life. Less is more!

8. One of my teenage daughters began driving and working and my mom radar is constantly up!
Sometimes I am anxiously waiting by the door!

9. I traveled to Philadelphia for a business trip and could not believe there was a Nuclear plant right smack dab in the heart of a town and how people were very non nonchalant about it! It was surreal to me.

10. Time that we carve out and we give to ourselves is precious and necessary.

11. I have been consciously trying to "see"the beauty where I am. Some times I am going so fast that I wake up and realize, Öh my God, I have been driving by this for years...and it is so beautiful!

So over the months....

Little Oliver has grown and stolen our hearts...

he is hard to catch in a picture because he is always moving!

He is full of little tricks, he is like a little circus dog :)

I flew to Texas to see my daughter and had such a great time!

My trip to Philadelphia and the Nuclear plant just past the parking lot!

 I try to take time and sit by the wood stove while I am home...but not for too long.

During the holidays we chose a beautiful balsam fir and added colored lights and we all agreed it did not need another thing! I love easy!!! :)

me one quiet evening...

time with one of my sons...

while visiting my daughter in Texas, we stumbled across a cute little hidden shop that carried Japanese fabric...score! I was so excited. I bought a few snippets to bring home and create a little traveling kit.

Lastly, a little punch needle pumpkin man i have been working on.

Glad to be back, if only for a few moments!

<3