I'm Hooked & Sew Far

With the cold now here I've been busy with house organizing...which has been procrastinated with my creativity of sewing & hooking. Here's what I've been working on these days.

 The border on my big rug, which doesn't look so big with a 18 pound cat named Bose on it!
She too loves sitting in front of the fireplace, Boris was on the other side of her but moved when I went for my camera.

 This is the view from the lounge's bay window & look at natures design. It took my breathe away on how the snow scalloped around the birds aviary as the sun shone & the day really did look beautiful...cold but beautiful from the inside looking out. lol

 Well the dining room has the Temecula Christmas Countdown Mystery Quilt in the works. Girlfriends out east & now Bev here has been gathering the patterns off the website, it's free!
She gave me a copy last week, so I thought I too would give it a try. Oh my! I'm in for it now...what a lot of work for something so small. However with using just the red, white, & cream, I can keep it out for Valentines Day as well as Canada Day in July. Here's what's done so far...

 These blocks finish at 4 1/2" - I need to make 20 of these.

 These blocks finish at 4 1/2" as well & I'll need 56 blocks.

 Now this darling block finishes at 8 1/2" & I'll need 4 blocks.
As you can see it's very traditional & I'm enjoying the process. Those stars were a nightmare & I had made 9 before I realized that I don't need to be scant on the seam allowance, those will be a 'pointless rug mat' as all the points were lost cutting it to the 2 1/2" size needed!

 I had Bev order this for me last summer when I was at the cottage, it's a embroidered doorstop. I was living the moment of being at the cottage so I had her order blue...there's so much blue out there & none here, so when he's done I'll take him with me & put him in the cabinet in my studio out east & enjoy him there.

 Bev had given me a wee Primitive Gathering kit for a sewing cushion for my Bday, I never stuffed it with the walnut shells so I could use it in my Christmas tree.

 This is my Christmas tree from my studio here. On it are many things that I have made or have been given by my girlfriends over the years. It's a small tree so I put it on the kitchen counter. This is the view from the kitchen...

 Kitchen view.

 The view from the lounge.

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Now some hooking updates.

 I've been taking technique hooking classes every Thursday evening. Here is a technique using coloured pantyhose for a sunset & wool yarn for the silhouette. I drew the picture then tried to transfer it onto the fabric to be hooked. I watched Gone With The Wind as I do every year, love that movie. I had the opportunity to visit the museum in Atlanta of the costumes & stage sets & to been in the house (apartment) of Margaret Mitchell. Wow, it was great & I've been hooked ever since.
My Katie Scarlett was distorted with the pattern transfer, I can really see that now with the photo.
These techniques are done postcard size so they work up quickly.

 Here's a shading technique, just like the rose I did last summer in Richibucto NB.

 A few more images of shading.

 My big rug...the border is similar to the kitchen floor I designed back in the 90's.

 Yes Margie, the cat Tommy, does love the rug too. I was going to fill the outer quads with colour but that would take away from the design. Then I thought grey, like the center if the design on the roof. But it was Nicholas that suggested that I use red, at first I couldn't see it working. Then I had the visual, it would work & enhance the inner design. Thanks Nick!

 I've done then stemming & introduced the colour yellow to my runner.

Here's a close up of the yellow, this is going to be a lot of work & designing to move the colour through evenly. I'm enjoying this process also, you could say 'I'm hooked on hooking right now'.

Bill has asked me to make a baby quilt for the new baby boy that will arrive in China this January. These are the colours that I've chosen for the wee boy. Once the Temecula Mystery is put together this is next! I'll post the finished quilt.
Stay warm, stay safe.