Threads by Doreen Frost

Tucked in a valley, at the foot of Round Mountain, among the graceful Maples & Oaks you will find our Little Brown House. Smoke billows from the chimney seven or eight months out of the year, a river rambles nearby, sheep & cows graze in the meadows and turkey's forage along the olde stone walls. Here you will find me, tucked into my cozy studio surrounded by my work. This is Vermont Harvest Folk Art.

~ I am a Punch Needle Embroidery Folk Artist, Rug Hooker and teacher, who is inspired by my love of Early American art. I have a small open studio and shop in our Vermont home, where I hosts holiday events, workshops and individual lessons.~

Saturday, April 6, 2019

The Struggle......IS OVER


Goode day my lovely friends.  I hope this message finds you well and seeing some lovely signs of Spring in the place you call home.  Though we are waking to a fresh inch of snow on the ground, Spring is gracefully making herself known.  The Robins have returned & are hopping around the yard, dodging the snow & singing despite it.  My woodchuck friend has come out of hibernation and, just yesterday, I saw her on the edge of the lawn munching on tender roots.  When I stepped out, onto the deck, she scurried to her home, which is under a large boulder in our stone wall, just to the right of the apple tree.  I left her a fresh Pink Lady Apple for a treat :).  I will confess, I just love her and leave her treats from Spring till early Winter, when she retires to hibernation. Last year she had two babies and it seems as though they have made their home on the other end of the stone wall!!!

Anyway, enough about my tenderness toward the wild creatures that call this place home...I popped in today to chat about Rug Hooking and my STRUGGLE which has finally come to an end :)

FOR THE LONGEST time.....I could not manage to feel comfortable with myself AS a rug hooker.  I have TRIED to hook, for a couple of years now, and never could seem to make it "click".   Then, last year in Belfast Maine, when I was invited to speak & vend at the 207 Creative event, I met my kindred spirit...Connie Fletcher of Seven Gables Designs.  Connie and I just clicked!!!  I will share with you that when I decided to accept their invitation to Maine, something I struggled with because the possibility of speaking in front of 100 people IS NOT my idea of a good time,  I told my sister-in-law Stephanie, "As scary as I find this, I know I have to go because The Universe is telling me... these are my people"  AND...you know what, they were/are!!!  We all had such a great time in Belfast, dinners out, sightseeing, hooking and chatting.  It was like Connie, Roberta, Steph and I had been friends for years!!!  Since that trip Connie and I have grown even closer and share a wonderful friendship. 

 Two weeks ago, Stephanie and I headed out, insanely as it turns out,  as it was in the middle of a pretty bad Spring snow storm.  Silly us, we actually thought we would drive out of it!!! NO SUCH LUCK as, the further we went, the worse it got!

 Have you ever driven in the white mountains of New Hampshire during a snow storm??? I don't recommend it! Poor Connie drove alone, from Maine, in that storm and wasn't able to drive over 35 mph the entire trip!!!  But alas..we all made it and found ourselves at Roberta's beautiful snowy log cabin by 5:30 where we promptly unloaded the cars and got into our comfy pj's and enjoyed a very YUMMY Chicken stew & crusty bread!!!
Oh what a wonderfully perfect weekend we all had....goode food, goode friends, LOT OF LAUGHS and all the ins & outs of rug hooking!!!  




We dyed wool, we transferred patterns, we HOOKED!!



AND ….I came away from it finally feeling like a REAL RUG HOOKER.  I am FINALLY comfortable with it!  THOUGH I still throw questions out to Connie every couple of days....it's the little things and I feel like I can move on from here and...DO WELL :).   Oh the gift of goode friends!!!   I can't wait for August, when we get together again for another weekend of Hooking Merriment :).


NOW....I am moving toward having all my patterns, on linen, and available ON MY WEBSITE just as soon as I possibly can.  
Be patient with me ~ If there's a pattern you would like before I have it listed on the website, just shoot me an email; Doreen@vermontharvestfolkart.com :)

Until next time ~ Wishing you JoY, Doreen

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7 comments:

  1. MarileeApril 6, 2019 at 9:22 AM

    My mother was one of those women who would try anything artistic. She was a stay-ay-home mom and my dad supported our family of five as a post office clerk, so there wasn't a lot of money to go around, but they were thrifty folk and we never went hungry or without the things we needed. The house had hardwood floors throughout and she decided she wanted to make a rug for the living room, a hooked rug which she had never done before. She had a large scarlet coat that she wanted to use as the background. And I mean it was SCARLET! The design was vines and flowers fanning out from a center of roses in yellows and golds. The rug was to be about 6 by 8 feet. It took her a long time but she finally got it finished and it really lit up the living room. Even on the gloomiest winter day. I still have her hook and toy with the idea of doing something, maybe a pillow cover, except I think I would like to do yarn. I used to cut the wool strips for her, and even with that little crank gadget she had it was a tedious job, plus where I live there are a lot of spinners so I think yarn would be a good way to go as there is a lot to choose from. So glad you are enjoying your experience, but am not surprised, given your talent for fibers. What is next?

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    1. Doreen FrostApril 7, 2019 at 3:53 AM

      Hello Marilee. That is the perfect example of making do!!! You should absolutely give hooking a try and using wool yarn would be a great for YOU to make do with what is in your area :). Thank you so much for stopping by today and for your kind words. hugs, doreen

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  2. Naturejammer89@gmail.comApril 6, 2019 at 1:07 PM

    We did have a wonderful weekend dyeing, hooking, eating, drinking, laughing and just overall enjoying being together. Your patterns are going to look wonderful hooked and I am looking forward to another gathering of the girls.

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    1. Doreen FrostApril 7, 2019 at 3:54 AM

      Hello Roberta :). We sure did and thank you AGAIN for hosting us in your lovely home. Awe, thank you SO much!!!!

      Looking forward to our next get together as well. hugs, Doreen

      ps...has your snow departed yet???

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  3. SaundraApril 8, 2019 at 3:33 PM

    OM Doreen, am so glad you started the conversation thru my blog as now I will put you on my side bar so people can find you easily. Can't believe you ever had a struggle with hooking as your name is well-know in the hooking community. Yet I've had that insecurity you speak of.

    Goodness...couldn't handle the snow in your area but sure do like my woods critters too. Glad we communicated and happy hooking.

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    1. Doreen FrostApril 9, 2019 at 5:03 AM

      Good morning Saundra. Thank you SO much, you are so sweet! I too am ever so glad we've discovered each others blogs..It's so wonderful to find blogging friends again!!

      Thanks SO much for stopping by. Hugs, Doreen

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  4. JoApril 10, 2019 at 4:09 AM

    Doreen, so glad you are becoming comfortable with Hooking! Your patterns will be amazing as rug hooking patterns. It sounds like you had a wonderful weekend with friends, snowed in! Our friends motivate & inspire us.....I have several friendships that began thru rug hooking!
    I hope you are enjoying some spring days hooking in the sunshine! (I saw a picture of you doing that)

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