~Merrye Summer Thyme Has Finally Arrived~

Merry Day To You.  Tis a glorious one here in Vermont as the birds flutter about, the winds gust merrily from tree to tree and a flutter of merrye young birds dance to and fro.  Goodness, what a glorious and beautiful time of year.

I do so hope this greeting finds you well and enjoying these first few, lovely days of summer to the fullest.  Life is, as ever, busy here in Vermont as we tend & plant, gather & create in our usual Spring & Summer fashion.  I've been busy in the studio improving my rug hooking and am delighted to tell you that I have two new designs finished and made into patterns.  The first is my Olde New England Hen design that you will see in the column to your right.  I am SO pleased with how she turned out. You will also see in the column to the right, two other new design that are now available on my website.  :~).

....My second hooked design is shown in the photo at the top of this post entitled Olde New England Keepsake Box.  It will be available as a RUG HOOKING Workshop & Gathering, here in our home, on October 5th, 2019.  Registration is now open and there are only SIX spots available, so if you are interested, please sign up as soon as you can.  The workshop will run in the same manner as my Punch Needle workshops have always run...goode food, goode friends, a GOODE time :).    I originally did not plan on holding workshops this year, however, in the end, I just could not stick with that plan!  The workshops are a lot of work, but I adore holding them and hosting all of you, here in our home.  Especially during such a wonderful time of year.  I am also excited to have my deare friend, and experienced rug hooker, Connie Fletcher of Seven Gables Designs joining me for this workshop.  She will be here just in case you have any questions, regarding rug hooking, that may be out of my depth as a newbie to this glorious art.  And, of course, my sister-in-law, helper extraordinaire and deare friend Stephanie, will also be here.

...I will also be holding a punch needle workshop this year as well.  I will have photos of the design asap.  The workshop will be held on Saturday, November 9th, 2019 and will also run in our usual manner.  I am very excited about this project!   It will be in conjunction with my punch needle online video course :).  Details soon!!!

...Let's see....what else. Oh, I am still in the process of listing my designs under my rug hooking category on my website. I know it seems like it is taking me forever, however, size is very important when it comes to creating a  rug hooking design, therefore, I want to make sure I test sizes, etc. before I commit to them, which takes time.  Slowly, but surely, I am getting it done.

...I have several punch needle designs, from past magazine submissions and books, that I am getting ready to list on my website.  I am hoping I can start that today if time allows.  Goodness, that is a bombshell of a statement..if time allows..IMAGINE :~).  Anyway..IT IS ON my ever growing TO DO/MUST DO list!!!

Okay, I do believe that is all the news and information I wanted to pass on to you today.  Thank you all so much for allowing me to pop in and visit with you for a few minutes today.  If you have any questions, just shoot me a message.

Until next time ~ wishing you JOY, Doreen

~Olde New England Hen Rug Hooking Pattern is READY!!!~

I came across a quote yesterday...... "To create a memorable design you need to start with a thought that is worth remembering" ~ Thomas Manss.   Oh my goodness, it struck me, this is EXACTLY what I do with my work.  I create designs, from images and thoughts, that I feel are worth remembering. Or, perhaps more accurately, a world I wish to see. :)

Goode Thursday morning to you.  Tis a chilly one here in Vermont at the moment, however, the weather-folke tell us that the sun and it's warmth shall be arriving sometime today.  At least that was the weather predictions last evening,  Goodness knows what it might be today.  Tis been a crazy Spring thus far.  We have had some lovely days though, and I am thankful we are not experiencing the horrible weather some folks are currently dealing with.

I am popping in this morning to let you know that my Olde New England Hen design is finished!!!  She's been hooked, steamed, binded (bound???) and hooked again.  I absolutely LOVED every single minute of this project and am itching to begin my next!!  Speaking of thoughts worth remembering ~ a lovely Turkey hen atop an Autumn pumpkin is definitely something I would enjoy seeing often. :)

The pattern on linen is now available on my website and in my Etsy shop. 

 The hooked design is 13" x 20" and will come with a color photo for reference, in case you wish to create your piece in colors similar to mine :).

Next, on my hooking list, a lovely little floral piece that I shall be offering as a workshop, here in our home, on October 6th :).  I am having a heck of a time deciding on colors for this project but I THINK..red shall be involved :)

I'm off now to tidy the house, feed & walk Mr. Oliver and then it's into the studio for the day.

Until next time ~ Wishing you JOY, Doreen

And the rain, rain, rain came down, down ....DOWN

Goode morning my dear friends.  We've a dark and stormy morning, here in Vermont, with abundant flood warnings and a river that is just about to leave it's banks!!   The rain actually woke me, several times in the night, it was coming down so hard.  Tis the perfect day to settle in with my hooking. Goodness, how I love saying that!!!  I have often heard that rug hooking is addictive and my goodness, it certainly is for me.  I feel as if I've come home.  Contentment has set in & THIS is what I was meant to do (no worries, I will not be abandoning my beloved punch needle) A feeling of peace and relaxation has come over me.  That feeling of reaching out, searching... because I felt like there was something else, something more, I was suppose to be doing....has parted.  THIS IS IT ~ I am HOME :).




I have properly washed my first order of wool (I was quite nervous about this) and my used Bliss cutter arrived and I've cut my own hand dyed wool....

My BLISS Cutter ~purchased from my dear friend Connie of Seven Gables Designs

I've chosen a color palette for my latest project (as I mentioned in my previous post I was struggling with this) and I love it. :)  I ordered a smaller Hartman hook (a 5mm) which makes my hooking SO much easier and smoother...

I LOVE IT!!!!

 AND...my new frame is scheduled to arrive today..woohoo!!!  At which point, the only thing I will have left to order, to make my rug hooking journey complete are my own dyes for dying!!!   I plan to order those in a couple of weeks.  I am still waiting on my linen ...bare with me as setting up a wholesale account with Dorr does take a little time.  I will be listing patterns on the website this week, as time allows.

:~) Life is goode my friends.

I'm off now to tidy the house ….Oliver is concerned his breakfast will be late as I've changed our usual routine to write this blog post.   Typically, at this time, I am finishing up my morning chores and preparing to give him his breakfast and head out for our walk.  :) 

Until next time ~ wishing you JoY, Doreen

~My first...FINISHED...rug hooking project~

Goode day my deare friends.  Tis snowing here in Vermont this morning.  Our Spring weather has been one of ups and downs to be sure!!!  Yesterday, I sat on the front porch hooking, barefoot & wearing just pants and a light sweater, and this morning, bundled up in hat, coat and scarf, I still shivered as Oliver & I took our morning walk!    I do believe I will have to keep the fire going all day & perhaps bake a little something to keep the coziness going :)….I'm feeling something gingerbread related may be in order.

Speaking of gingerbread, I just realized that my first FINISHED hooked project reminds me of gingerbread.  I'm not quire sure why, but it does nonetheless.  :).  I'm quite pleased with myself in having finished my first project....oh I have several in progress, hooking projects but this is my first OFFICIAL FINISH!!  

My loops are 10 different heights and I'm not really pleased with my color choices but I did what I set out to do, which was to feel comfortable with knowing how to hook.  I'm hoping keeping a steady loop height is something that comes with practice...  (YES???  NO???))   

The stool it is sitting on was made by my niece and her husband (Shopgirl Design Studio).  I LOVE IT. It is angled slightly and is perfect, for resting your feet upon, when hooking and/or punching.

NOW..ON TO MY NEXT PROJECT......

COLORS ARE...from bottom left to right...
deep blue grey/black,
 dark orange and black,
dark greenish brown,
light greenish tan
 light orange.

 This is a design I drew almost a year ago, when I was in Belfast, Maine, and first met my dear friend Connie of Seven Gables Designs AND  got started on this rug hooking journey.  As you can see I had previously hooked the turkey and the pumpkin stem.  Yesterday, I took the loops out, as I feel I can do a better job now than I had done originally...well, lets hope anyway.    

NOW...the NEXT thing and, what I seem to be struggling with the most....

CHOOSING COLORS!!

I feel like I am usually quite good at color planning.  As far as my punch needle embroidery designs go, I love them,  but for some reason...I can't seem to settle on what colors I should use when rug hooking!!!  I don't trust myself, especially after having chosen WRONG with my foot stool!!! 

 I MEAN..IT'S AN AUTUMN DESIGN..THIS SHOULDN'T BE THAT DIFFICULT...… 

 Why am I making this so hard??? 

URN....grey/black?

PUMPKIN.....orange...white...green???????

PUMPKIN STEM...… greenish tan??

TURKEY....UGH.....  red neck...brown/black body...  ?

BACKGROUND....????????  black?... OATMEAL????

I was original thinking a dark green background (because I LOVE green) but I dont' think that is going to work...….  Though now that I am starring at this photo....How lovely would the dark grey look next to that green!!!

UGH....I JUST DON'T KNOW...…

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By the way...this is the first design that I've created specifically for rug hooking!!  I usually design for punch needle FIRST and offer the template for rug hooking :~).

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Okay..i'm off to finish tidying the house then it's a shower and pattern printing for me.  Hopefully, as I walk past all these colors, laid out on the dining room table, the proper color palette will come to me. 

Until next time ~ wishing you JoY, Doreen