Rabbit Parade Punch Needle Pattern ...and Valentine Decor

Well ladies, I have been busy busy busy !! I started on this new needle punch design Friday.

First, I traced the design onto my weavers cloth, got it on the hoop, started getting my floss together and realized I forgot to "mirror" the image,and the letters would be all backwards after punching. I took that piece of cloth off the hoop ( I can use it to do a stitchery). Retraced the design and got it all ready. Started to punch the letters and they looked like big blobs, even after doing the background.

I tore it out, started all over again..finally realized the problem ( for me anyways) was that the letters were too close together for the small flag. So, the next step was to bring up the image in my paint program , erase the letters in the flag, print the image off ( I was trying to avoid re-tracing the entire design ). I re-wrote the one word Easter and made the letters larger and further apart. Scanned the pic, saved and I remembered to mirror the image, printed it off. I got that all traced on new cloth and was all set to go. I started punching and wow, what a difference. all was going well...but, I had no gray for the background. Ran to JoAnn's , spent $17 on floss....all different colors.

Working VERY late into the night , errr should say into the early morning, I was almost finished , it was looking good, but I still wasn't happy with the letters, I knew I could do better.

My obsession ( ocd) took over and out came all the letters and flag background.

I re-punched it all much tighter together and I was finally satisfied with the end results.

Right now, after 4 hours of sleep, I'm typing up the pattern ( re-checking and re-checking constantly...lol ) .

I finally put together my little Valentine Tree this morning, figured it was getting late, better do it now before Valentine's Day is here and gone.

Back to my pattern writing. Hope you are all having a really good day,

Robin

A new pair of eyes...and some AWESOME Ebay sellers..

I happened upon this nice lady's work on Ebay...Of course I recognized the designs, but wow...she did some cool things with colors and especially the hooked rug, love letter design...look at that hooking..oh if only mine looked that good...practice practice...lol..These were done up by Laurie(zimzzwhimz)

Next are two favorite ladies, I have the privilege of knowing from an Ebay group, AAPG.

Doris(luv2punch) is the sweetest person ! She can whip up a punch piece quicker than anyone I know, and look at that design by Kelley Belfast..Doris sure did that design justice !! Love it Doris !

Rebecca(goodwool)is another sweet gal from the group on Ebay. She does a large percentage of her pieces in the most wonderful neutral tones.You'll have to click on her name too and take a peek at her work..How she can combine all the different shades of tans and light browns and such...Beautiful !

Ok, so here we go. I DO NOT like to have pictures taken of myself. But....I have lost just a few pounds and to me, my face is slightly thinner, so I will share this picture ( as I cringe ) I got a new pair of glasses the other day and so, just pretend the triple chin isn't there and take a peek at my new "eyes"..Bifocals of course(progressives) My daughter took the pic with my phone and wow, I need new highlights and cut and style...oh well.....


OOHHH..I hope I didn't scare you off permanently ...lol
Hugs for now,
Robin

Don't Forget !!

Tomorrow Morning @ 11:00 am , that's 1100 military time...lol..We will be drawing the name of the winner of the Grand Opening Giveaway on Primitive Handmades MercantileClick Here to go now ! All you need to do is sign up to join our mailing list to be entered.
Last week there was a glitch with Bravenet.com where our mailing list is through. Some folks did not receive the email with the link to confirm their subscription and complete the process, but that's ok...We will be taking the names of all the folks, even the ones that are pending because of the problem.
I'm working on a new punch needle pattern for Easter...that means..yup, I'm punching !...lol Hopefully I'll get it done up soon, I think you'll likey..:)
Ok, back to work for me....
Robin

*NEW* Spring Doodle Booklet and..Awesome gift !!

I finally finished up the Spring Doodle Booklet. It doesn't have designs of chicks or bunnies, more just "springish" stuff....lol. I wish I could post pics of the inside designs, but ladies, there are lots of folks out there that would just scoop them up and use as their own. It's happened so many times...at first I just let it go and figured "oh well " they'll reap what they sow, but as time goes on and I work really hard on my designs, I just want to try and prevent it, you know ???I even tried the watermarking...doesn't matter unless you are trying to sell the printed design.... C'est La Vie ... Well, both this and the Easter Doodle booklet are available for purchase on my side bar. And now....A wonderful gal from blog land, gifted me with this awesome hoop stand ..She was so sweet and refused to take anything for it or let me pay shipping... That is just the sweetest thing !!

I know we've all done that for a fellow blogger here or there, but gals, when this happens to you, why is it hard to accept graciously ?? Believe me, I wasn't going to turn the offer down, but at the same time there's always a little tinge of " someone else out there needs this more than me "..you understand ??? Thank you to Courtney of Sassafrass and Winterberry for this wonderful gesture of generosity !! I can't wait to draw up a design and stick on the hoop and get going. I KNOW this will make my hooking so much easier. And I promise if I get something different down the line I will " Pay it forward " to a newbie hooker..... Did I ever tell you all how much I luvs ya and how much you brighten my day ?? Even for just the simple fact that at times, I can live vicariously through you, by reading your posts and viewing your pics.... Does that sound like " lurking" ? well, then yes I am guilty of that at times.....not gonna apologize either.....lol Have a fun, creative, constructive and blessed day !!! Robin

Gotta be thinking ahead..*NEW* Easter Thyme Doodle Booklet

I have been drawing and getting this, and another doodle booklet just for Spring, together since Friday night.I love drawing and playing around with the ideas in my head. The Spring Doodle Booklet will be ready in another day or so.
I Had to say a big thank you to everyone for the lovely comments about my finished rug. There are so many helpful and encouraging ladies ( and guys) in the rug hooking community. I feel so welcome by you all. And those that don't hook...try it !!

I also wanted to show a picture of a little wool applique pillow I made for the opening of the selling blog. It's been sold, but sine I'm not actually sewing, hooking or punching, I wanted to show a pic of something...lol .I mde this uing one of the designs on the front cover of the Thyme for Valentine Doodle booklet. Big hugs, enjoy your Sunday ! Robin

**BIG NEWS**.........

Yup...that's right ! I finished my rug....BUT...I learned AFTER I did the "tongues" the correct way to do the edges. I am going to put it back on the hoop and fix a few things..It is also a little wonky, mostly due to the horrible mess made by whoever did the really poopy job drawing the design on the monks cloth!!!!...Oh, wait, that's me....lol I did end up tearing out the numbers and the little box they are in and re-doing ( made some mistakes there too ), and I tore out the strip of white that outlined the bird and hooked it in a darker tan than the background...the same color I used to outline the bigger flower. So, with all the repairs made already, and the ones I still have to do, I think it is passable for an ADHD old lady who knew next to nothing when I started....lol...Thank you to ALL of the folks that were so knowledgeable and tutored me along the way, the compliments and the crititicisms are both welcome and appreciated !!! I don't know what your weather is like, but we are getting a doozy snow storm here in NW Pa. ( Erie) ...we even had THUNDER snow...lol..I looked out a bit ago and couldn't even see the house across the street it was snowing so hard..Not blowing...SNOWING.....wow ! When it's cold and stormy, what is a good way to pass the time ????Hmmmm.. I know !!! Go and sign up for a SUPER Spectacular GIVEAWAY !! And check out the new selling group I'm in.. ** PRIMITIVE HANDMADES MERCANTILE**
All you need to do is sign up for the newsletter..That's it ! you will be entered to win. Drawing will be on Friday January 27th.

Official opening is tonight @ Midnight, but you can still snoop around and check out all the talented artist's pages.. Hugs, Robin

Another try at Rug Hooking....

I am not too happy with my progress so far. I don't want to be too hard on myself. I don't feel like giving up. Every time I grab ( or cut ) the next wool strip I'm hopefull this row will turn out better. I'm still trying to get the hang of going through small curves and not making my loops too tight. Ok, so, seasoned rug hookers, tell me this ...Am I breaking some unspoken rules here ? I almost feel as though not having a class or any proper " learnin' " in this, that I'm doing things wrong and I'll never really know what....lol #1 I don't have a cutter, and I can't seem to find a ruler in my stash that is actually STRAIGHT ! all of them seem to be warped or something...grrrrrrr...I can't seem to get strips that are even in width, and I hate to waste the ones that are too thin or too thick or thin on the ends and thicker in the middle.

#2 I found outtoo late that my hoop is just a little too small.Or...that I drew out my design just a hair too big....lol...the very ends dont all fit in the hoop, so I am going to have to move the piece on the hoop, squishing what I've allready hooked, in order to finish the outside. #3 I'm not happy with the strip of off white I did around the bird, hoping to " highlight " it . I was going to do that to the flowers also, but after I did it, I don't like it. I think it looks too ??? Cartoonish ?? Soooo...rather than pull the loops out and re-do, I'm thinking of just staining that just a tad to tone it down ??? #4 I hooked the area inside the lare flower with a checked blue wool. The more I look at THAT, I'm not happy with it... #5 The numbers came out horrible ( how do you all do it ??!!) #6 The square that the numbers are inside came out all whacky and not square...Do I tear that out and re-do? #7 Almost forgot...I only have a hoop, no frame, so do I spend the money on a frame ? I don't see myself givng it up anytime soon so...?? Ok, like I said, I don't want to beat myself up toooooo bad , but at the same time, where do I draw the line at being particular, and giving myself a pass on perfection for the sake of enjoying the self-teaching/learning process. ?? There you have my weekend...lol Off to cut more strips and trudge on. I am enjoying it, don't get me wrong, I just wish I could figure some of the finer points of the art out... Hugs, Robin

*New* Punch Needle Pattern and New Doll , pattern almost finished...

I never would have believed anyone, if they told me last year when I first really gave it a shot at punch needle, that I would be able to start a project at 4:30 pm , that's drawing pattern on the weavers cloth, setting up my supplies then starting to punch, and be finished with it by 11:50 pm ... I think what really has helped me is getting my thyroid taken care of. When it was so bad and levels were dangerously low ( I didn't realize it) I couldn't have concentrated long enough to even think to draw up a design. I then proceeded to stay up ALL night ( I know...stupid) and finish up my doll for a new pattern. Not only that, but I hooked up a quick heart to add to it, allthough the hooking part is optional for the pattern.

I did manage a sleep for a bit, and now back up, working on the pattern finishes, and God willing, that will be finished before later tonight and then, I AM going to bed at a decent hour !!Hubby got up for work this morning and almost scolded me for not going to bed. He worries I'll get run down and then I catch any little bug that happens along. I heard him getting his belongings ready, next thing I know he is standing behind me with a prepared glass of "Emergen C"... distasteful drink...I can taste the B vitamins in it and EWWWWW.... He teased that he would plug my nose for me while I drank it....lol..He did stand over me till I drank gagged it all down.... Hugs to you all... Be Creative !!
Colonial Punch Needle Heart Hanger

This is a very quick and easy punch needle design and pattern to create. Great for Valentine's Day ...
Price: US$5.00

Visited a lovely shop...I got wool !!!

( Quilt above sewn by Anita isn't it beautiful ?? Design by: Lisa Bongean (Primitive Gatherings) I visited a lovely shop today...Anita's Homespun Treasures ..It's located about 40 or so miles from me...The woman who owns it, Anita, shares the space with a Quilt shop on the other side... I've been at the shop before, but of course with all the beautiful quilts and other finished items hanging on the walls, and adorning little nooks and crannies, not to mention the wonderful wools and other fabrics everywhere, I just about died and gone to heaven when I walk through the door... Anita is a really nice and very talented lady...She has a few of her own beautiful designs published, and has created so many other awesome goodies with wool and other fabrics... I am just going to post the pics, but you will see a really unique loom...Anita spins, weaves, knits, crochets, sews quilts, does wool appliques projects...hmmm I know I must've missed something.... Oh, and she overdyes some of her wools and the colors are PERRRFECTION !! You will see some of the wool I purchased..hubby laughs because I asked him to keep the bag of goodies I bought in the back , but within reach for me....He said " I know why ,,so you can fondle and admire your goodies on the way home "...well....of course !!! ...lol I also had to buy a few pattern books..I wonder when I will do anything from them ????Don't we all have that problem...?? So if you are ever in the area ( Warren County Pa. ) stop in and tell Anita I sent ya .... Here is the address and phone: Anita's Homespun Treasures Intersection Rt 27 & Ross St. Pittsfield, PA Open Wed-Fri: 10-5pm & Sat 10-3pm 814-694-7134

Hooked Heart Progress and Another Talented Lady...

I have been hesitant to start my second hooked project as I don't have a good stash of variations of colors. I'm not happy with the larger pieces of wool that I have that can be cut into strips for hooking... the colors are just not quite right. But..I went ahead and placed the backing on my hoop, drew a heart in an oval on it and just started...It really is addicting, I didn't want to put it down. Now, I seem to be having a really big problem with the strip of wool twisting as I pull it through. This tends to take up alot of time for me, but I'm still learning. The colors of red in the pic look too bright and kind of "orangey" ( is that even a word ?) This is really just a "practice" for me, learning going around the curves and corners. I still need to get the hang of uniform looking loops and I ended up in the middle of the heart, getting bunched up. I know for all of you experienced hookers, it was just a matter of " practice makes perfect "...I hope so....lol And now....another VERY talented lady on Ebay, Chris(mysticalprimitives) has punched one of my designs from my "Thyme for Valentines's " Doodle Booklet. I love Chris's work, her punched pieces are beautiful ! ~Click here to check out her auctions~

*New* Valentine Wool Applique Mat and Pattern

I have been quietly tucked away in my craft room for most of the this past weekend, designing, stitching and writing up the pattern for my new wool applique mat. I never used to do alot of decorating for St. Valentine's Day, except for a small ornie tree and some stitched pillows. Well, I wanted something to add to my few Valentine decorations, so I actually made 2 of these, one to sell and one for myself.
so...the pattern is now available, and the finished mat will be available for sale when we open our new selling group on the 20th of January..
Now, I can get to taking down of the Christmas decorations...Hubby is taking a vacation day off tomorrow , so I very sweetly asked if he would like to lend a hand and he very sweetly said yes .....lol
Thanks for taking a peek ...hugs,
Robin




Valentine Love Letter Wool Applique Mat


This simple and prim Valentine's Day wool applique mat is quick and easy to put together and ...

Price: US$5.00