Bird In The Hand Primitives

Primitive Folk Art Designs and Finished Items
By: Robin Leuschen

" Who you are is God's gift to you........ What you do, is your gift to God !"

Friday, April 27, 2012

Rug progress, marrying some wool, and new wool !!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***I have edited this post because my brain is a seive and I forgot to show you something !!*** I have been working on my rug here, steadily but a little more slowly today , as I've got a few Grandkids here and it's just a little hard to watch them and hook...It's ok, I've got tonight and all weekend, sooooo.... A super sweet lady, that is a fellow member of Primitive Handmade Mercantile, Nancy Pritchard ( Widgets and Wool Primitives) bought my Flower Rug design traced onto the veiling fabric...she finished her rug and here it is :
Isn't it wonderful ? I think hers looks almost antique...She did change the design up a bit and hers is a round rug, but I love the color...Hers looks soft, almost faded and I love her subtle shading in the background here and there !! Lovely Nancy !! such a talented lady!!! Check her goods out on PHM !! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My background wools, tans and some tan plaid and herringbone, didn't quite go together...so, I threw them together in a pot with a 1/32 tsp of Cushings tan and 1/32 tsp of the cushings khaki...it was just enough to bring them together.... It's hard to see in the pic , but it really did make a more drastic difference in making them more compatible than what is showing up.
I started the flower pot in the rug last night to get an idea of what those colors will look like with the background...so far I'm ok with it all ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now...my big happy dance for today was when my new wool I ordered from " Heavens to Betsy " ...Such wonderful pieces of wooly heaven..I only purchased 1/2 yard pieces, but I WILL be back buying more...It really is such wonderful wool !!
I have plans for some wonderful FALL rugs and appliques with the beautiful green and rust striped and plaid wools... The black is of course for backgrounds ( any way I can mottle this ??) and I will be overdyeing the the tan plaid and herringbone.... Hope you all have a great weekend. Robin

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

New Hooked Rug started & my fabric labels...

Hello everyone...hope you are all having a good day !! If not, here's a hug for ya .. ~~HUG~~.. I started a new rug today. It's the simple, "Flowers in a Pot" drawing I did ..
I'm still offering this drawing on the bridal veil fabric for $10. All you need to do is place the drawn out pattern over your linen or monk's cloth, pin in place, and trace over with your Sharpie and voila !! Your design is ready to hook !! This design measures 15" x 15".
Anyways....I decided I wanted to do this rug in muted and textured blues, tans,( greens for the stems and leaves) and soft browns ... Remember awhile back I posted about receiving a wonderful gift of many different wooly worms from a dear lady named Sher ? Well, I am using alot of the worms she had sent. They are nice and muted and many differetn plaids and checks ....I am having a difficult time finding enough of the tans that will work together, so I'm thinking of doing a little " marrying " of wools...we'll see how that works out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Last night I finally made up some fabric labels to attach to my rugs, punched pieces , wool appliques, whatever .... I did these up really fast, so, I'd like to spend more time and do some for Seasonal items ...I did almost have a mishap...the first page I did, the muslin was loose on just a teeny tiny spot on the corner and it almost jammed up my printer, but Thank God, it straightened itself out...phew...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, I think I'm going to go and do a little more hooking, then get everything ready to make some of my wools work together better for the background on my new rug. Good night friends !! Robin

Friday, April 20, 2012

Update On Primitive Handmades Mercantile

April Updates are ready on Primitive Handmades Mercantile !! **Just A Note** We had a few problems last night at Midnight, when it was time to update ...All of our Artists pages on the list just DISAPPEARED !! But Thanks to Teresa, Sandy Loht and well, I didn't do much, but stuck around to notify the gals, we were up till the wee hours ( 3 AM) or later, and the problem was resolved. Make sure and stop by to see all the wonderful primitives handmades by our laovely ladies ! The Wool Applique Pillow is one of my additions and here are a few more I've added: Flower Bee Skep Hooked Rug ....measures 14" x 18 "

And this little Pea Hen Pin Keep done in Early looking print fabrics :
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And a SPECIAL THANK YOU to every single one of you, who commented and had such kind , comforting words for me. My wounds have been soothed and it's done, kaput...I am fine and I forgive the person who made the remark and I know I am ok and like the little train who thought he could ..." I think I can, I think I can !!! I will !! Life is all about uphill challenges, keeps us on our toes !! I've said it before and I'll say it again...I LOVE WHAT I DO !! and being a success is icing on the cake...what counts is being so Blessed beyond measure to be ABLE to do what I love !! And I love all of you for your warm hearts !! Robin

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Just a very short rant......

I must say how boggled my mind is by all the blatant theft going on in the pattern world....I've been enlightened to a few things by all of this , though...
1). My patterns are apparently not worth paying high prices for, that is why I need to sell then dirt cheap,if they were quality patterns folks would be willing to pay more ( a statement made to me by a very well known doll pattern designer...
2).I am obviously not in the same "league" as many of the other pattern designers are...otherwise I may have gotten at least a response when commenting or asking a question about the situation that had been going on ....ooops, I forgot about the negative comment above ....
Wow...I've been a little bummed by the negative response and then the lack of response.... I support these talented folks 100% and they are all within their rights to feel the way they do and proceed with whatever recourse they need to... this does affect me also...I'm not delusional, I know my reputation and talent are no where up there with some of them, but I seriously felt as if I was a low life outsider when I had an opinion or comment ...
Just feeling low...sorry guys ...It's just that I've been doing this in some form or another since 2002...Ten years is a long time to be working at something and still not even be considered worthy to include in conversation....hmmmmm
Well, God Bless them and I hope this is resolved and the pirating of patterns stops !!
Robin

Friday, April 13, 2012

I didn't know that ??????


Hi folks...Well you learn something new everyday ...When I hear of a little tidbit of info unbeknownst to me it is just so funny...I mean Don't I know everything ?? ( My kids accuse me of thinking that !! Hey, all Mother's need to at least come close to that accusation....lol)
Anyhow, Saundra of Woodland Junction is hooking up one of the doodles in my
Americana Thyme Doodle Booklet
...It is the little elephant holding the "Liberty" banner in his tail...Well, as she was showing her progress on her rug to a group of folks, they informed her of these little folky traditions:
" As in horse shoes, the trunk needs to be slightly turned up to keep in the good LUCK, just as horseshoes need to be with them in the shape of a U for good luck.
And supposedly anyone who collects elephant figurines will only buy the ones with the trunk up because the GOOD LUCK is saved inside. If the trunk is downward then the luck runs out."
HMMMM...I really did not know that ?? ( DON"T tell my kids that !...lol)
Soooo...here is a pic of the trunk down and then she just for the heck of it, made the change and turned the trunk up slightly on the end ... Isn't is cute ? I love her work !!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

rug is finished, starting another one, and traced pattern for sale...


Hello everyone...how are you all today ?? I'm struggling a little today with motivation , but it will come...usually as I take that first step and say, " ok, let's get busy ( yes I talk to myself...lol)"....it happens...I was telling my son the other day, that when we pray for change, there is a responsibility on our part...it's like how ridiculous would it be, to pray for God's blessing on our crops, and not even work the soil or plant the seed ?? ok, I''ll stop preaching....
So...
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I did finish my rug over the weekend, but it still needs steamed and bound...
I started on a new one, and while I was tracing it up, I decided, that for me at least, it isn't really a pain to enlarge and trace onto this bridal veil fabric, so what I want to do is make an offer...This is my newest design, just a simple pot of flowers, it is 14" x 15" ...I wanted to offer the traced design on the bridal veil...All you need to do is pin it in place on your backing fabric , trace over the design that is allready on the veiling with a Sharpie onto your linen/ monks cloth, and hook...

Soooo...the traced design on the veil fabric is available for $10 and that INCLUDES the Shipping !!

Write in the comment box if interested and I can send an invoice from Paypal and get it in the small bubble envelope and on it's way to you !
Also...if there is one individual design/ doodle you would like to have traced, just holler and I will enlarge it to your specifications and trace that for you onto the veil material and the price will be the same !

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Another *New* Americana Doodle Booklet Available


Just dropping in to post my newest doodle booklet available for sale !
I went with a more folky tone with this and even included one that has borders that are similar to quilt blocks...
Here is a sample collage of the drawings included....

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And...please stop by and visit Doris Danner's Ebay (luv2punch)and bid on this or any of her other goodies for sale.
She's got another sweet needle punched piece up for bids. This one is using my spring Barnyard Designs. It's lovely Doris !!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter Blessings and a freebie, better late than ever !


I am hoping and praying everyone has a Blessed, fun filled and safe Easter !!
Remembering our hope is not only in the sacrificial offering even unto death , that was paid once and for all, BUT, our hope is in the empty tomb, the Risen Lord, the hope of new life both here and in the next ....Amen !!

This is a Freebie that my dear friend Betty of Primitive Betty's charted up for me.
One of my sweet followers, Kay had emailed me asking if I had a pattern of the little cross stitch that is the banner for my blog. This sampler was made by me, without a pattern , while I was practicing my cross stitch after many years of not doing it. I originally just started making stitches, and decided to do up this phrase. It is really a mess, but I liked it only for the simple, profound statement.. Well I asked Betty if she would be so kind as to chart up a pattern of it and she did so without reservation..Thank you Betty !!
so here I am offering it, too late to stitch up for Easter decor this year, but I leave mine out all year as a reminder of the hope I have in my heart...maybe you will too !!
Fluffy hugs..
Robin

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Rug progress, a gift, and talented ladies ....


I've been working on my rug here and there. I haven't sat and hooked for any real length of time, not because I don't want to, but I've actually been trying to "Semi Spring Clean "....took a few kitchen cabinets apart and scrubbed out and re-organized. My ceiling fan in the living room looked like it needed a hair cut it was so thick with dust..I never really see it because it is usually running to circulate the heat.I was mopping my ceiling and had to shut it off and..Whoa Nelly ! I couldn't believe how bad it was !...lol
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I was gifted a while back with 2 zip lock bags full of wonderful wool worms, from a fellow blogger , Sher ...She also sent a piece of a super old quilt to use in a project, but sadly I didn't get a pic of it and my camera battery went kapoop...
look at this a variety of colors ! I have a project in mind with some of them already.. Thank you Sher !!!

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And now, once again, Rebecca and Doris have been busy punching up some awesome pieces, take a peek at their other work as well !
Doris(luv2punch)

Rebecca(goodwool)

My friends, you don't know how much it means to me, to see your creations using my designs...I feel honored and blessed whenever I see a punched piece, a hooked rug, a stitchery , wool applique, whatever your craft of choice may be !!
Well, I'm hoping and praying you all have a safe and Blessed Easter !!!
Robin

Monday, April 2, 2012

New Americana Freebie Doodle, New Americana Doodle Booklet, Lovely Rugs



Hello there !( I had to come in here and fix a typo...thank you Gayle for informing me I had left the O off of the end of the word HELLO....lol) How is everyone on this FINE Monday morning ?? I know I've said it before, but I am probably one of the few people that LOVES Mondays !! Fresh start, challenges ahead, and it helps when the sun is shining...It's pretty chilly out, but the sun is beautiful !
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Here is a new Freebie for you..I am working on Americana/Patriotic Themes, so I wanted to make sure and share one with you, to help you get a jump start on the summer Season creating ! Hope you like it !

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Speaking of working on things, here is the first American Thyme Doodle Booklet for the year. I know I'll be doing up another down the road.

Americana Thyme Doodle Booklet

Americana Thyme Doodle Booklet


This booklet contains 5 americana/patriotic doodles plus, the picture on the front cover can be ...

Price: US$5.00

Click for details


I am adding a sample collage of whats inside;


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And...I coudn't remember if I had shown these rugs, hooked by a dear lady, Carolyn @ Take Joy Take Peace .
Carolyn is the Sweet gal that sent me the batch of worms awhile back, in nice soft Spring colors. I ended up using them all now, but her tan checked wooly worms were my Godsend for the Bee Skep in the rug I was working on at the time.
Carolyn did up a few rugs using my designs and others by different artists...Oh my, she is another super talented lady !!
Here are her rugs, and be sure to check out her blog for more hooked delights...



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Hope you all are having a creative, constructive day !!
Robin