Sunnie's Vermont Rug Hooker's Diary

Posting here again! : )

2010-09-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Happy September! ;)

It has been long time since I posted here at the Diary...but I have been busy on my Wordpress blog doing another Blog rug! It is called "Little Allerton" and is a Jane McGown Flynn design from House of Price! If you want to see my progress simply click on the Old Crow Farm link on the Blog list!

Here is a picture of some of my work on this rug!

It has been fun to hook with these colours as they are a departure from the colours I usually use!!! I am almost to the finish line on this rug but will be doing other Blog rugs in the future! If anyone else has hooked this rug, I'd love to see a picture!!!
Happy Hooking! Sunnie ;)

Helen's Tapestry Hooked Rug

2008-09-13T04:58:00.000-07:00

This is the top portion of the rug...the daily progress posts are at my Wordpress Blog..

http://oldcrowfarm.wordpress.com

I'm almost finished with my Helen's Tapestry rug...after all the redesigning for a wider cut (pattern arrived on the wrong linen) it has really been a fun project and I've learned a lot!!!!!

Happy Hooking! : )

Spring in Vermont!

2008-05-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

I'm making progress on the Bradley Primitive!

More photos on my "Folk Art at Old Crow Farm" Blog.

I'm enjoying the Springtime here and we are preparing for a family reunion with my husband's family. It will be fun to see tham again as we live pretty far away from many of them.

Hooking the Bradley Primitive Rug!

2008-05-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

Spring has come to Vermont!

I've returned from the West coast and am now happy to report the birth of my first great-grandson! Of course, he's adorable!!! : )

I am starting up again on the daily posts of my Bradley Primitive Rug progress on my wordpress blog. Just click on the link in my websites and blogs list!

Hope you all are having a wonderful Spring!

New Hooked Rug - Day 29

2008-04-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

It's nice to get the outer border done as it is rather boring!!! LOL

Happy Sunday!!! : )

Bradley Rug - My Hooking Progress from Day One!

2008-03-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

I find that I am posting more on my second Blog and have started a rug called Bradley Primitive where I am posting daily progress reports starting form the first loops I pulled! I am keeping this Blog more for family so if you will visit me at the Blog below, you can see what I am up to in the wonderful world of rug hooking these days.

Folk Art at Old Crow Farm in Vermont

http://oldcrowfarm.wordpress.com

The Bradley Primitive is not only a fun rug for me to do...since I usually do my own designs and change things as I go!!

I saw this rug in A Celebration of Hand hooked Rugs, edition XIII and loved what Martha, the rug hooker, did with this design from Harry Fraser Co.

I may switch my Blog List from here to my other Blog and do minimal posting here...so please come over for a visit. I just found that I was having mor trouble posting pictures here and changing some of my settings, etc. so that is why I switched.

New Friends & Connections!

2008-02-27T06:24:00.000-08:00

" Strength Through Women's Friendships" hooked wool wall hanging...done for the Green Mountain Rug Show a couple of years ago with the theme "Strong Women"! (c) sunnie andress 2005

I've been so pleased over the last few months to begin Blogging and connect with so many new friends! We live in a rural area of Vermont, up by the Canadian border, and the internet gives me the opportunity to meet kindred spirits from all over the world!

Just recently, I found a friend from Toronto who is also a rug hooker. The Oriental rug Wendie is just finishing up is beautiful! I hope you will visit her Blog - The Rugged Moose - and see the picture of this rug. The colours are so deep and rich.

Another new friend is Kathleen from Australia! You should see the beautiful quilts she does with exotic fabrics! I hope you will visit her Blog too -Magik Quilter - and read about her adventures with quilts and "shopping"!

Both of these new friends are on my Blog List of favourites to visit. You'll love all the wonderful artists and craftspeople on my list!! Happy Wednesday!

Here We Go Again - Snowing! Turkey Visit!

2008-02-26T05:35:00.000-08:00

A visit from a flock of Turkeys a few days ago! No, they are not our relatives!!!! LOL

And then there's today's snow! LOL (Our barn view again!!!)

I do love the snow...but this is going to be one of the snowiest winters in Vermont if I'm hearing the news correctly!!! : ) Of course, as I've said many times, we love the snow and since we do not have to be anywhere special for the most part...we can stay in and enjoy the peace and quiet!

Happy Tuesday!

Super Tuesday! : )

2008-02-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

Funny Chicken Chairpads!

These funny chairpads are my latest project while finishing up my 2nd rug in the Shepherdess and her sheep series. Chicken designs (c) Sunnie Andress, 2008
These are

"Primitive Chicken and Stars", "Chickens Chatting" and "Birds and Bonnets"!!

I'm really having fun with the Chicken chairpads!!!

Working now on #4 in this group, "Chicken Gardening"

I find that I am posting more on my WordPress blog

(Folk Art at Old Crow Farm in Vermont)

http://oldcrowfarm.wordpress.com

as it seems to post faster and easier...so to see More of what I'm up to, please visit me there also...(link in my Blogs list too))

..................................

As For "Super Tuesday" - Whew!

I'm sure glad I'm not in politics!! Husband and I have decided that we will not run for President in the near future! Aren't you thankful? LOL

Happy Hooking! Sunnie : )

From Sunshine to Snow

2008-01-19T12:45:00.000-08:00

This is what it looks like out the front window now!

Boy, have we had the weather changes! This morning all was bright sunshine...and now we are having snow again! I love the big flakes!!! I'm cleaning and organizing my studio still... plus working on several hooking projects!

We are having a rug challenge over at the Wool Snippets rug hooking group online and each of us in the challenge will be doing a rug 12 inches by 20 inches on the Theme of "New Life". It can be anything with that theme...I had several ideas but then something just hit me and I decided to do it. Of course with me, you know it has to be something fun!!!! LOL

Happy Saturday...and Hook On!

Snowy Morning and Suzanne's Giveaway!

2008-01-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

A wonderful snowy morning here in the Northeast Kingdom! I have been posting some more pictures of my scenery and of my rugs over at my other blog, Folk Art at Old Crow Farm (link under My websites and blogs on the left). I seem to be having trouble adding to my blog list here so have been adding some of my other favourite people to visit on that Blog.

Happy Morning!

Suzanne's Giveaway!

Suzanne over at her Painter of the Past Blog...see my bloglist for her link...is having a wonderful giveaway for her 100th post! What a great idea! Please zip over and visit her and ask to be put into the drawing for a wonderful painted charm. You'll love them.

I'm thinking of doing a giveaway of a hooked piece too, for my 100th Blog which is coming up pretty soon!!! : ) What fun!

Summerhouse Details

2008-01-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

These are the little whimsical touches that make people smile!

Above is the bunny wreath on the summerhouse door

Carrot rail from inside view above...and outside view below

What fun!!!

Summerhouse 2!

2008-01-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of our little Summerhouse!

I am gradually making wooden carrots to go around the porch (!!!) for the railings although my husband just shakes his head and groans! LOL : ) You can't see them in this picture because I am starting at the left side of the porch and haven't come around to the front yet! I just thought it would be funny and, of course, I'm a little goofy myself so these offbeat things appeal to me!!!!! : )

In the summer, it is hidden more because of the other trees that are leafing then and the grass around it is green. The wooden steps lead up to the porch.

Happy Day!

Our Summerhouse!

2008-01-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

About our Summerhouse... Because our home is so small and doesn't have much room for guests, several years ago we decided to put a tiny "Cabin" , or summerhouse, a little ways away from the main house.

Because it does not have heat or electricity it cannot be used in the winter here.

It is painted red with a roof shaped like a little barn and has a sleeping loft upstairs with two wooden beds and a rollaway bed.

When our grandchildren come from the West coast once in awhile for a summer visit or when we have other guests, they can choose to sleep in the summerhouse or listen to music there (extension cord plugged into the main house!) or paint, put together puzzles, read, etc. there or just relax.

It's like camping...but the beds are comfortable! : )

There are wooden steps going uphill between the trees to the little house and when you are upstairs, it looks like you are in the treetops...just like a treehouse!

I sometimes go there to sit and hook although our home is situated where we have peace and quiet in our main house also. I know I have a picture somewhere but can't find it now...I'll post one when I find it!!! LOL

Vermont Winter-2008

2008-01-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

We got a lot of snow last evening! It's beautiful with the sun shining and everything so sparkling white and beautiful. A great day to stay in by the fire and hook!!! : ) Between those trees, the steps to the summerhouse are snowed over!!! ( Only a tiny portion of the summerhouse roof can be seen at the upper center of the picture.)

I hope all of you in cold climates are warm and snuggy...and those of you lying out on the beaches (!!!) don't forget the sunscreen!!!! LOL

Thank you to all who gave me lovely "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year" wishes. : ) I'm so fortunate to have some terrific "Blogger" friends! I'm enjoying writing 2 blogs as they keep me thinking about enjoying one day at a time and appreciating the blessings we have.

Of course, there are worries too and I wish I could help more, but some things just aren't under our control. Especially as parents, we want our children to be happy and content...and we wish we could "fix it" when things go wrong. But keeping them in our thoughts and prayers does help (or at least I believe it does!) : )

May we all have a very good year in 2008!

Happy New Year's Eve!

2007-12-31T06:41:00.000-08:00

This is what our scenery looks like here at Old Crow Farm this morning! Wonderful snow and so peaceful and quiet!!! May you all have a safe and happy New Year's evening and many blessings in 2008!

Ready for 2008!

2007-12-29T15:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from Vermont!

I can't believe we are almost into 2008!! This year went so fast!

We got some more snow, about 4 inches, last night so the snow is white and sparkly once again!

I am finishing up chair pads and then must finish the rug I am working on for a customer. These are wonderful days for rug hooking!

I hope that we all will remember in the coming year to have more kindness and compassion for others, to show reasonableness in any conflict and to let the trivial go and not live in that "nit-picky" world where we crab about little things!

I am always surprised when people talk to me about conflict in their marriages or friendships or other relationships that so many of the things they mention are very trivial and not worth fighting about! (I always tell people who ask me that I don't want to waste my precious "crabbyness" on something insignificant!!! I want something really BIG so I can have a really good crab!) : )

My husband and I are very different people and after we married, we pledged to be kind to each other and to try to work out any problems with caring and courtesy.

Now that we have been married for 20 years (a second marriage for us both) we find that our pledges were good ones and, with a few "snits" along the way (LOL!!!) we have had a very happy and peaceful life. : )

May you have health, happiness and only a few "crabby" spells in 2008!!! : )

Winter Wishes

2007-12-27T06:18:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!

We enjoyed a quiet, peaceful day listening to beautiful music on radio and television all day long. Because our children and grandchildren are all on the West coast, we don't have them with us at Christmas. The weather here in Vermont, New Hampshire and Mass. in the winter time is often snowy, icy, etc., so we prefer not to travel but visit family at other times.

We don't give a lot of gifts at Christmas.
Husband makes his special maple sugar candy and we send that out to family. We might send a puzzle
or a few small gifts to grandchildren still living at home or to our younger grandchildren.
Mostly, we think of Christmas as a time of sending
good wishes to family and friends and remembering those not as fortunate as we are...not a time for going into debt buying items we don't need and can't afford. Our families spoil us with their homemade candies, jams and other treats
and we have asked that they don't send us other gifts as we are at that stage of life where we are downsizing and don't
need more "stuff"!) : )
I usually ask my husband what he would like
for Christmas dinner and make the favourite dinner he chooses! (He looks forward to holidays
because we eat rather plainly and simply for most of the
year...and I try to spoil him on the holidays!!!!) LOL
This year we had one of his all-time favourite meals...pot roast with potatoes, carrots and onions cooked all day in the crockpot. Mapled sweet potatoes, mashed. Tiny peas with butter and for dessert, a freshly made apple pie with french vanilla ice cream!!! Yummy! And we do love the leftovers!!
Husband often buys me an ornament made by one of our Vermont artists for Christmas and perhaps another small gift or flowering plant. I get him a new book and some other small item I know he can use. These simple gifts are all we need.
We are fortunate to have each other, virtually no conflict, reasonably good health and very little stress. One of my sister-in-law's framed stitchery pieces says..."To love and be loved is the greatest gift on earth"...and we find that to be a wonderful truth.

I hope you will be blessed with good health and happiness in the year to come...as you know, we make much of our own happiness by choosing to live a life of balance and harmony, tied together with reason and compassion for others.
Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

We're having a sunny day here in Vermont for Christmas. We lost quite a bit of snow over the weekend with the wind and higher temps...but we still have nice white snow!

Enjoy!

Hookin'Chair Pads!

2007-12-22T06:27:00.000-08:00

I'm having a ball doing these...what fun!

It's like a little "wool painting" for your chair! LOL

A Good Harvest

Catching A Ride

unfinished-Vermont Country Cottage

unfinished - Still Life with Zinnias

These are really fun to do! I'm just drawing on the backing (linen) without using patterns and hooking them in country colours! I thought I'd do some to have a few smaller things for my shows...as it is, I have the larger rugs but I've had requests for smaller items too. : )
Hope everyone has a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year!

Snowing today! Again!

2007-12-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!! : )

It is softly snowing again today...it looks so pretty!

I do love the snow! We have all our Christmas gifts set off to our families...many of them in the West... and we can relax and enjoy the peace, quiet and snowy countryside! I'm baking a new recipe for Pumpkin bread so we'll see how it turns out...would you believe it uses 5 eggs!!! Whew! With pecans and spices, it should be good!!! Yum! I'm hooking on a few chair pads...they go quickly and I just draw on the backing and then hook. No need to make patterns...lots of fun! I'll post a picture later!

More Snow!!

2007-12-18T07:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Winter Everyone!

Thank goodness for a snowblower! My husband and I used to clear all of it by just hands and shovels! But now at age 76 and my soon-to-be 66, we thought a snowblower would be wise investment!

As you can see, we are clearing deeper paths to the barn and to the garage which is across the street! The mailbox post is getting covered up with the snow and the snowplow throwing ever more snow on it!!! : ) The snow is higher and higher! This is a Vermont winter!!! LOL

One of my good friends left a Blog message for me discussing the problem some people have in the winter...the lack of sunlight. Also, the cold and the stark landscape can cause depression and a feeling of sickness or just feeling "not right" during these days. I am fortunate to be one who is not really affected by the weather. My only problem with weather would be hot, humid summer days when I feel limp and wet with no energy! But no weather causes me any depression or emotional distress...and I am very thankful for that. My good thoughts and warm wishes go out to all who suffer with these problems. The answers and treatments are not always easy.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Vermont Snowstorms!

2007-12-14T10:25:00.000-08:00

The big Maple tree in the back yard looks cold too! : )

But that is Winter in Vermont!

Looks pretty coooold and icy out there!

We've really had a lovely snowstorm and we are due for another one on Sunday! Thank goodness we don't have to go anywhere except to town for groceries, etc. We can stay in by the fire and be warm and cozy!

Happy Christmas and New Year to everyone!

Stay warm...

Santas, Peddlers and Snow!

2007-12-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

Here is some of what I've been up to during the Summer-into-Autumn season...and I'll start again with rugs and Santas, etc. in the Spring!

A Gentle Santa

This peaceful Santa is bringing lots of wonderful things for good girls and boys! Better be good!

A Christmas Peddler

The Christmas peddlers were new for me this year and people seemed to enjoy them. they are such fun to do...finding all those tiny things for the trays!

It's really been snowing here in beautiful Vermont! We have about 10-12 inches on the ground now. So pretty!

Wow! Is It Snowing or What!!

2007-12-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

Logo by Nutmeg Creations for my Sunnie Andress Designs website showing images from 4 of my rugs. Graphics copyright Nutmeg, Original rugs copyright Sunnie 2005

All of my rugs are hooked in #5 to #8 cuts, and also hand cut wool strips. As I have said before, they are all done in a folk art style...not really primitive as the images are more detailed than what we usually think of as primitive.

The Rooster rug below has a more primitive feeling to it!

Roosters Rug inspired by a design on a punched tin cupboard door!

Making progress on B is for Bountiful Harvest rug...already Sold.

It is really snowing today as the big storm hits us here in Vermont! A great day to be inside snug and warm...and hooking!

Stay warm and cozy and have a wonderful Christmas too!

November's End

2007-11-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

Reproduction rug from the book American Hooked and Sewn Rugs

by Joel and Kate Kopp - hooked by Sunnie

November certainly went fast!!! Whew!

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving!

Of course, preparing for and doing the 4-day Vermont Hand
Crafter's show in Burlington Vermont helped the time go by quickly. I had an absolutely wonderful show and I'm so thankful for all the friends and customers who stopped by the booth to say Hello. Almost all of my Santas and Christmas Peddlers went to new homes and I was delighted to sell 4 rugs and take a commission for another! So I am tired but happy!!!!
We have snow now, not a great deal yet but several inches on the ground...so we are shoveling!!!
I look forward to Winter in Vermont because I have such a lot of time for rug hooking and dreaming while the snow floats softly down. We don't have to go anywhere much so we just relax and enjoy! I must take time to put up our little tree and put the candles in the windows.
I hope you all have a pleasant and quiet Winter with much happiness and a lovely Christmas too.

Sunny Friday!

2007-11-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite Santas from a previous year...Amish patchwork!

Well, we are into November and I'm up to my eyeballs in Santas and rugs! I'll be working away until the day before the Vermont Hand Crafters show! It's always a fun time.

Halloween Rug in Green Mountain Show, Shelburne, VT

2007-10-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

Come In, Dearie! (c) Sunnie Andress, 2007

This rug was an absolute delight to do!

I wanted to create a fun rug pattern that my students and others would enjoy hooking if they loved Halloween! (23 x 29 inches) #5, #6, #8 cuts. This is the design that started with my little drawing of the pumpkin-eggplant witch! I used fun colours, leftover worms and planned most of it as I went! I knew I wanted the teal wool for the sky and the pumpkin orange and eggplant purple...but that's how it started! I love to choose colours as I go...and not plan everything beforehand. It's really a perfect way to work for someone who loves surprises like I do! LOL

Happy Halloween! Booooooo!

Autumn Meadow Rug Ready for Green Mountain Show,Shelburne, VT

2007-10-29T06:32:00.001-07:00

A- Autumn Meadow - (c) Sunnie Andress 2007

This rug (finished) is in the Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild's Show at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont November 9th through the 18th, 2007.

I finished it the night before the submission deadline!!!

I am starting a group of rugs...The Sampler Memories Series... featuring the Shepherdess and her sheep. Inspired by old Frakturs and Samplers from the 1700-1800's, I am using fanciful motifs similar to those in the antiques but using them in my own way to make an original design. This rug is 29 by 42 inches and is my largest rug to date. It is all done in #5, #6 and #8 cut wools from various sources, some of my dyed wool and some wonderful as-is plaids!

This rug follows my method of the "unplanned rug", as I design the pattern first and only decide upon one or two colours to start! I choose either a "dark" or "light" background (it doesn't matter what the colours are!) and begin the rug with only a vague idea of where my colour experiments will take me. This is a really fun part of the whole process for me. It wouldn't be nearly as much fun if I colour-planned my rugs before I started!!! I like to be surprised!!!

I am now working on B- Bountiful Harvest, featuring a Shepherdess and her sheep sitting under a large "apple" tree just bursting with "fruit" for the picking. A friendly chicken looking on and a shy deer wanting to share the apples will complete this picture. I already have part of the design for "C" in my head and the design for "T" as well! I can hardly wait to start on those!

But must continue work on my Santas for my Vermont Hand Crafters Show!!!

Happy Autumn-into-Winter!

2007-10-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

Wonderful foliage...Enjoy!

Glorious October!

2007-10-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

I love Autumn! Here is what it looks like from our little farmhouse in the beautiful Northeast Kindom of Vermont!
It is always a busy time for me as I prepare for the Vermont Hand Crafters Fine Craft and Art show, November 15th through 18th at the Sheraton Conference Center in Burlington, Vermont. This is the 55th annual show and it is just a delightful experience.

Also, the Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild moved their rug show to November so I am hurrying to finish items for that show too...so it is pretty busy around Old Crow Farm these days. I hope everyone is having a lovely Autumn and enjoying the cooler temps. I have so much more energy when it is cool!!!!

Beautiful Monday!

2007-09-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

sunnie's little witches-Halloween wreath decorations of the past

No, that's not a picture of my sister and me!!!!!

I don't even Have a sister!!! : ) LOL

I do love these early Autumn days...warm days and cool nights! The leaves are beginning to turn here in the Kingdom and we are doing all the "getting-ready-for-Winter" things!

I must go up to the studio and get to work on more Santas. I tend to be distracted by my latest rug and before I know it, I've been at my rug frame hooking for hours!!!!

Happy Monday, Everyone! Hugs to you all! : )

Middle Name Game : )

2007-09-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged for the middle name game by Jacque at The Doodles of My Mind! LOL

Since I don't go by my "real" name...and have taken my maiden name for my middle name on legal forms, etc. my real names don't work with "Sunnie"!!! : )

But I've always liked the name Colleen and I thought that Sunnie Colleen Andress might have been a nice sounding name... so I'll use that:

C would certainly be for "creative" as I've been involved in all types of art and crafts since I was a child.

O would be for "odd" ... most of those who know me would heartily agree, I am sure! LOL I certainly am not known as someone who flows in the mainstream of life. I like the meandering streams that wander about!

L would be for "laughter" as I've always had a sense of humor about life and all those who have to live with or deal with me probably have to have a sense of humor themselves!

L again would stand for"love" as I think it is so important to let those we love know it before it is too late! I know that my family members and friends who have died heard from me how much I loved them. I don't have to regret that I never said the words to them or held them and hugged them.

E would stand for "empathy" as it is necessary for us to be able to imagine ourselves in another's position and attempt to understand them. In this way we can try to appreciate (or at least look with compassion on) those whose experiences, temptations and behaviours are different from our own.

E again would be for education because I believe in it so much!!! It is one of the important things I stressed to my own children. From the time they were young, I helped them to understand that the educational journey was exciting!!! Also that they could learn something from each person they met or book they read. Hopefully, we keep that thirst for knowledge all our lives....I know I have!

N is for "nice"...because I truly believe that "nice matters"!!! It is amazing to see what happiness can be given to another person or a pet when we treat them nicely. A pleasant word is always welcome, and I try to give compliments when I've received good service or been treated well in a shop or on the phone, etc. Even complaints that we have to make can be handled in a pleasant manner. It makes such a difference.

These are things that describe me and how I try to live my life. It was fun to think about them and write them down!! I'm not sure if I can find a Blogger who hasn't been tagged already, but I'll search!!! : )

Happy Tuesday!

2007-09-11T06:26:00.000-07:00

"Hook On"! whimsical rug (c) sunnie andress 2006

Although we're a little tired from our trip to Mass. and Conn. over the weekend, we had a great time! Attended St Michael's Craft Faire in Litchfield, CT and enjoyed it so much. St Michael's church is just beautiful and we had a tour of the church which has some beautiful Tiffany stained glass windows. We also had a great visit with family! : )

The rug above is a funny one that I did when a friend asked me to design a goofy rug pattern on Monk's cloth that, when done, would be a great gift for a hooker with a sense of humor! Or...a small rug pattern that a hooker could do for herself, using up leftover wool "worms" in her worm bags! This was the result!!! : )

The rug always makes me laugh when I pass by it on the way to my studio! I did one for myself because if anyone is "goofy", it's me!!! LOL I used all leftover worms for mine too except for the sky. I have the pattern on Monk's cloth if anyone is interested.

I'm trying to finish rugs, work on Santas, and deal with "life" these days so it is pretty busy here "in the Kingdom"!!! Whew! Hope you are all having a great end-of-Summer-into-Autumn timie!

Super September!

2007-09-05T04:33:00.000-07:00

Hook On!

I can't believe we're into September already! Life seemed to intervene in August so my hooking took a vacation! LOL

Also, I had a bout with neck and shoulder pain that sent me to check it out at the hospital! Since we women often don't have the same symptoms as men when it comes to heart attacks, the neck, shoulder and arm pain could have signaled that something was wrong in the heart department. Thankfully it seems to be some kind of muscle strain or nerve or tendon problems...so I am relieved!!! : )

I'm teaching another beginning primitive -wide-cut- rug hooking class this month as well as continuing to prepare for my November show so it will be a busy time. Also we're getting the flower beds and house, etc. ready for Autumn and Winter so that always entails a lot of busy work!Hope everyone has a wonderful Autumn and I'll post more hooking photos when I get a little more time.

August Almost Gone!

2007-08-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

We still have some pansies and petunias along the front walk!

I've been busy this month with the grandchildren's visit and then, after they flew home, getting the house, etc. back to normal!! LOL

Didn't do too much hooking... but am in the process of getting back to that and Santa-making. Hope everyone is enjoying the summertime...Autumn will be here before we know it! I love Autumn best of all!!! : )

a big Thank You to Toni of Rabbit Hill Creations for passing along to me the Because Nice Matters Award! She is such an encouraging person and a wonderfully creative artist in several different areas...and, of course, a collector of rabbits!!!!

Patriotic Rider Progress

2007-07-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

(c)sunnie andress 2007

This one is such great fun! Here is a bit more progress! The image is adapted from Pennsylvania Dutch designs from the 1700's!

At the Leahy Center

2007-07-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

We went to Burlington on Monday and visited the Leahy Echo center. It was a very interesting center with animals, fish, etc. promoting the wildlife around Lake Champlain and the area.

We loved the big fish and watching one of the center's guides feed worms to the garter snake!

When the group moved along to another animal for feeding, my grandson walked by the snake and raised his hand to do something...and the poor snake thought he was going to get another worm!!! It was one disappointed snake!!! LOL

Patriotic Rider Rug Progress!

2007-07-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

rug design (c) sunnie andress 2007

I'm really enjoying this rug! It is turning out just the way I wanted it to...whimsical and fun!

The outside border is a good way to use up wool that is a looser weave. Since it is cut in the number 8 width (or it could be 8.5) it makes the work go fast and keeps fraying to a minimum. This particular wool is a plaid and also picks up the colour of the mushroom jacket on the rider! The upper padula flower is a plaid that is quieter than the other reds I've used so that the focus is on the center of the rug and the horse and rider!

Summer Days

2007-07-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

We've had some wonderful summer days lately, just the right temperature! Here are the grandchildren in Lake Willoughby, Vermont on a warm afternoon!

We are enjoying their visit!

Patriotic Rider Rug Progress

2007-07-20T05:34:00.000-07:00

I'm making some progress on this rug even though we're doing more running around than usual with the grandchildren here!!! : ) As with all my rugs, I love using wool scraps for some of the leaves, flowers, etc. so that much of the rug is not "planned". I'm happy with the design and think it would be fun for others to enjoy hooking too!

The background under the arch and around the rider is a mixture of 4 or 5 different (medium to pale) hand-dyed and as-is blues. The outer border background will be a wheat coloured as-is plaid. I am using some of my own hand-dyes in this rug and have dyed wool yarn to whip the outer edges when the finishing time comes.

Our weather has been rainy and somewhat stormy so outdoor activities are not quite as pleasant! We're due for some warmer, drier weather next week.

My New Rug Pattern!

2007-07-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

Pennsylvania Dutch Patriotic Rider

design -c-sunnie andress 2007

This is my newest rug pattern and I'm hooking it to see how it comes out! I'm testing many of my new patterns on Monk's cloth as I know that the linen is great to work on! : ) I am enjoying Monk's cloth so much more since I got my Snapdragon Frames! They are a joy to work with! Check out their website and eBay offerings!!! Tell them Sunnie sent you!! (They know how much I love their frames!!!!) : ) (And no...I'm not a relative!!!)

I found many similar designs of horses and riders on old samplers, antique frakturs and on some pieces of old painted furniture. These figures are so whimsical and heartwarming that I just wanted to do one based on the old needlework or paintings. Many of the riders were soldiers carrying swords...but I wanted a more peaceful rider so he carries a flag!

This one is great fun to work on and I'm enjoying using these colours too!

Happy Hooking!

Jess Working on a Model Car

2007-07-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

Jess is building a 1937 Chevy model. It can be built as a stock "stovebolt" or a Superhot "Street Shaker"! A blast from the past! : ) (Grandpa builds model airplanes.)

Nick's Baltimore butterfly

2007-07-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

One of our country butterflies...a "Baltimore" Euphydryas phaeton

visiting with Nick

Grandchildren Here!

2007-07-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

We're enjoying our visit with two of our grandchildren for the next few weeks. Since they live on the West Coast, a visit to the East is a chance to see extended family and some different geography and country history.

Wednesday Thoughts

2007-07-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

One of my - Quilt-Lover's Santas - that I enjoy making! I do Rug Hooker's Santas too!

Boy, have we had some strange weather here in Vermont the last week or so. Sometimes we have to turn on the heat and sometimes it feels like a tropical rain forest!!!! LOL I'm sure I saw a parrot fly by yesterday...it was really hot and humid! I'm expecting to see monkeys swinging through the trees any day now. The flower garden weeds have just overrun us with this weather, so we pull a few here and there but just let the rest go. Whew!

We're preparing for a visit from two of our grandchildren as well as doing the bathroom remodel, summer chores and my hooking and Santa-making! So all is NOT quiet at Old Crow Farm these days. I can't believe the days fly by so fast!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable 4th of July celebration and I hope all of you are having a pleasant summer.

Brrr...Cold Monday!

2007-07-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

Rugosa roses

I love these roses...they only bloom for about 15 minutes - LOL - and then the petals fall, but they have a lovely scent and look so pretty while they're blooming!

We had to turn on the heat yesterday...can't believe that July 1st we're having such cold weather! It's cold today too!!!
Lana, from Honeysuckle Lane's Simple Joys mentioned, in her nice comment, that I had used family associations in hooking my -Granny's Old Blue Vase- rug. I wanted to talk about that because I love to think about family, friends and special memories as I hook and design. I think many of us do!
I tell myself little stories about the rugs I hook and each one is personal. I also decide on the presentation of each rug, that is, my feelings that I want to present to the viewer. Of course, each person who sees the rug has his/her own reaction...but I like to think about what I am offering to the viewer and why I want it to be that way.
My customers and students seem to like to know what I am thinking when I create a rug and I am happy to share the stories. It makes for a very personal touch to an art or craft creation that passes from the artist's hands, heart and mind to the heart and mind of the person who becomes it's owner. I hope each of my rugs brings as much joy to the new owner as creating it brings to me.

Beautiful Friday!

2007-06-29T17:39:00.001-07:00

The petunias are happy today too!

A lovely cool day after a couple of days of steamy
weather! I worked on Santa bodies all day... when the temps are cool I have a lot more energy!
We're working along on the bathroom remodeling too...so I hope it won't be too long before it's done!

Hot, Humid Wednesday!

2007-06-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

At least the poppies like the weather!

Boy, is it hot and sticky today! Just the kind of weather I really hate!!! LOL But I guess the weather just doesn't revolve around me!

I do hope everyone out there in bloggerland is having a great day. I am working on Santas and trying to think snow!!!!! Humming Jingle Bells too! LOL

Granny's Old Blue Vase

2007-06-25T04:23:00.000-07:00

Granny's Old Blue Vase (c) Sunnie Andress 2005

When I posted the closeup of part of this rug earlier, I was showing my hooking style...this is the complete rug. It is also one of my earlier rugs! I was thinking about my Mom, Aunties and Grandmothers and they all seemed to have an odd, homely blue vase in their collections. We all used them because each vase seemed to be such a nice size for flowers! I did the ripple afghan border because all of those same ladies had one somewhere in the house! On a bed, over a chair arm or over a sofa back! It just seemed fitting somehow!!! LOL

Monday Morning

2007-06-25T03:57:00.000-07:00

Joe's 1928 Jordan automobile

Can't believe it's Monday again!

Husband has been gone for over a week visiting antique car
friends in Illinois and I've been working like crazy to get lots of things done before he comes home! I'm trying to downsize and get things that we don't use boxed up for our children and grandchildren. If we should have to move to a house with simple - one floor - living, the boxes can simply be either sent to them or they can travel here to get them! LOL When Joe is away, I can leave the mess out and not worry that he'll fall over something going to the kitchen for his coffee!! Fortunately, we are in pretty good health now, but we're not getting any younger!!!!
I've been so busy I haven't even picked up my hook...it'll be nice to get back to my quiet life again!!!! But this makes me feel better knowing that I've gotten rid of stuff that none of us need or want and have some of the children's things sorted. I have a pickup load of bags and boxes for the Goodwill too! My studio still needs some work, but it is looking pretty good! Whew! I need a rest!

Hooking Style

2007-06-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

As this picture shows, I don't hook with all my loops standing up like little soldiers with just their shoulders touching! I tend to have my loops going in several directions and I hook my rows quite close together. As long as my rug will steam properly and lie flat on the floor, I prefer this look for my own rugs.

Breezy Wednesday

2007-06-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Glorious October (c) Sunnie Andress 2005

We had a pleasant Wednesday here today! It rained some last night but we had cloudy skies today with no rain! A nice breeze for drying clothes outside too!

The rug above is called -Glorious October - and is one that I
had a wonderful time hooking!
The colours of Autumn, the pumpkins and
crows and the wild colours of Halloween costumes in the wavy border made it fun to do. It was my first attempt at dying wool...I did the mottled greenish
wool above the crows heads.

Summer Tuesday

2007-06-19T04:44:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful day in the Kingdom!

The Iris are blooming now too, in with the Lupines. They are creeping up the hill in back of our house towards the woods.

I'm doing about 20 things at once today...I think it is called - time deepening - but I think it should most likely be called - chaos -!!!

Over the weekend I was painting, cleaning, sorting, working on Santas, casserole-dying wool and, for the first time, wool yarns too. This was my first time trying the casserole dying and it turned out wonderfully. I can't post a picture yet as Husband is using the digital camera, but will try to post one when I get it back!

Have a wonderful Tuesday - wherever in the world you are!

Shaded Porch - Tranquil

2007-06-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

This is our front porch in summer with the potted plants, the wonderful decorative birdhouse and the twig sign that says -Tranquil-. It really is a peaceful place!

Summer Days!

2007-06-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

Kitty's Fantasy Garden c-sunnie2005

Yesterday and today are just the kind of beautiful summer days I love.

Wonderful green trees, brilliant flowers and sunshine with a
breeze blowing in through the windows make us thankful to be here in the country!

This is one of my early rugs, done in 2005 when I first started designing and hooking using - wide-cut- wools. Our cat, Cassie, loves to sit in the flowers and she always looks hopeful that something will run by! Or is she dreaming of fish? I thought I'd hook a whimsical kitty in the garden, dreaming of a fish dinner!!

I am stripping wallpaper and redoing our little bathroom...we decided to get some new flooring so, of course, I had to redo the whole bathroom! I was tired of the blue and wanted a more country look so am trying cream and sage green. Our house is small, so redoing a room isn't the job it could be! LOL

The carpenter who helped us many years ago with our remodeling was also working on another house at the same time. He said that it was a shock to go back and forth because the kitchen of that house was larger than our entire first floor - kitchen, parlour, little parlour and dining room!

Memories!

2007-06-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

While going through some old postcards, I came across some from 1987 when I took a Holland-America cruise - starting March 8th - to Singapore, Bankok, Hong Kong, Chilung, Taiwan

Kagoshima, Japan...across the inland sea to Kobe' and then to Honolulu on April 4th.

I can't believe it's been 20 years since that trip. I found Singapore clean and beautiful - at least in the places I visited - and I enjoyed the bullet train from Okayama to Kobe. Hong Kong life moved at a crazy pace and I enjoyed Taiwan too. We did get to go into China, first to Macau by hydrofoil and then to Zhong Shan.

It certainly was an amazing trip. The ship was huge and the food and service wonderful. But I prefer my quiet simple lifestyle here in Vermont and have no desire to go crusing again!

Beautiful Summer Days!

2007-06-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hooked fraktur birds...fun to do!

Yesterday and today were just lovely
days...warm and sunny with just a slight breeze. I'll be happy when the black fly season is over as I can't enjoy the outdoors much when the flies are out and about!!

Sunday Moments

2007-06-10T05:16:00.000-07:00

Happy bee!

The Marigolds have such happy faces and intense colour!

We had a beautiful day yesterday, warm but not frying hot! Today is overcast but pleasant. I am still hooking on the Hous Segen rug but am getting closer to completing it. I started it on Wednesday, May 30th so it is coming along pretty fast!

When I'm hooking on this rug, I find myself thinking how really blessed I am to be living here in this beautiful area and how fortunate I am to have family and friends enriching my life. Hooking is such a quiet, contemplative activity and we have time to think, to pray, to meditate...whatever tranquil pursuit we find helpful to our lives. We all need some quiet times...and the quiet renews us!

Pleasant Thursday!

2007-06-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

The pansies look so sweet by the front walkway...I've
always loved them! As
a child, I would pick pansy bouquets and put
them in little jelly glasses.

I'm making more progress on my Hous Segen rug and thinking about my next rug design too! I still need to finish up another rug I'm working on. I vowed I wouldn't have a lot of unfinished projects lying around and so far I've been pretty good doing the time-consuming finish work.
I can't believe we had such a cold night last night. I had to bring the outside plants in...and it's June!!! We should have quite warm weather tomorrow though.

Still Cool Wednesday!

2007-06-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Lupines are just coming on...I love them!

This weather is sure nice for me...but the summer people are not very enthusiastic about it! I could take a little warmer weather too, as our summers here in Vermont tend to be short. But it is nice working with wools when the days are pleasantly cool...with a little rain and a little wind.
I seem to have developed a craving for wonderful birdhouses and have purchased several to use as decorative ones. We have working birdhouses already for the beautiful birds that come to stay with us in the summer!
I continue working on the Hous Segen rug and hope to finish it in the next few days. Then I'll hope for a sunny day with no wind so I can photograph rugs outside. Toni at Rabbit Hill has gotten me thinking about a rabbit rug as her creations are so delightful and hoppy! LOL I've never done one with rabbits. I've done a crow with boots, a cat, a chicken in the garden, an antique reproduction of two roosters, a cat and dog, a leaping deer, two crows and pumpkins, a Polly Minick rug of three primitive chickens and several rugs with birds!
All my work is designed in the folk art style, whimsical
and a little wacky...and I do my own designs almost exclusively. But it is fun to do another artist's design from time to time...or a reproduction , perhaps as shown in the Kopp book - American Hooked and Sewn Rugs.
Hmmm...a wacky rabbit might be just the thing!
I'm off to the studio to hook and dream!

Cool Tuesday Too!

2007-06-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

We had a cool and rainy weekend but that means more time to stay inside and hook! LOL

I am making progress on my Hous Segen rug and it is such fun to do. The funny little faces with their ragdoll-like expressions make me smile every time I work on them.

I met with the Primitive rug hookers down at Quilter's Quisine again on Saturday and we had a great time hooking and visiting. I took some wools down for the ladies...hand-dyed and as-is textures. I enjoy the dying and love to experiment...although my experiments are hard to duplicate as I don't always keep records!!!

I think I am finally getting enough rugs to photograph for samples so that I can get my Rug Hooking website up and running. There just don't seem to be enough hours in the day to do what I want to do...and I hook pretty fast!

Cool Rainy Thursday

2007-05-31T05:26:00.000-07:00

Part of one Angel on my new Hous Segen folk art rug, started yesterday.

It's quite cool this morning. The light rain and the mist hang
over the trees and give the impression of a dream world. I love it when the mist
hangs over everything so that the house is surrounded and it seems like we are
in the middle of a floating cloud.

It always makes me feel good to be warm and cozy inside, and thankful that we have a home to be cozy in!

Wednesday Musings

2007-05-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely Memorial Day weekend holiday with family! We enjoyed getting together and sharing memories, as well as a good meal. The weather was wonderful too! I hope you had an enjoyable time too...remembering.

Our Forget-me-Nots are really blooming their little hearts out these days as our front walk shows!

Today it is very cool and somewhat rainy so it feels good to be inside. I am starting on another rug while finishing up the background and borders on the Fraktur Valentine rug and the rug tape on the Fraktur Angel floral rug. This new rug is an original design, also inspired by the angel images found on old Frakturs and Samplers. It is quite naive and whimsical , a Hous Segen ( Pennsylvania German House Blessing) design done in dark reds, golds, blues and greens with a great oatmeal plaid background. Just the old folk art style I love with just enough quirkyness to make you smile.!

Friday Visitors

2007-05-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

Another hot day in Vermont! It's a bit too hot for me so I try to stay inside, in front of the fan!!! And drink lots of water!

We had a nice visit with family today and will get together tomorrow for dinner.

A very pleasant day and evening.

Hot Thursday and Tag!

2007-05-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

Small Amish quilt I'm still working on...about 12 years now!

Whew! It was pretty hot for Northern Vermont today...but I know the summer-lovin' people were happy. Our house stays pretty cool, so I was comfortable. It was nice hanging the clothes out and having them dry in about 5 minutes!!! LOL

Tammy has tagged me on the Blog Tag to tell 7 things that aren't generally known about me. I'm so new to blogging that I only know a few bloggers and they are already in the game...but I did post to Julie at her searsport rug hooking blog!

Hmm...

As a baby, Mother said that I only liked pureed spinach and would spit out things like applesauce and bananas! And they kept me anyway!

I finally finished my Bachelor's Degree when I was in my forties. I dropped out of college in 1960, took a few courses later on and finally completed college in 1988...Summa Cum Laude and a Dean's Scholar.

Potato Chips are my yummy thing. I love something crunchy but I could keep my weight down if I ate gravel instead!

Although I love primitive furniture and dull prim colours, my house doesn't reflect that...except in my Studio. It is because we did what the House needed when we remodeled. Our rooms are small and the downstairs tends to be dark, so my little parlour has cream wallpaper with pale rose roses!

I love lilacs but am highly allergic to them. About the only scented oil I can use is cinnamon oil.

Although I love making my Santas, I really have fun doing the little Halloween witches. Husband says that's because their funny faces and wacky looks reflect their maker! LOL

My oldest daughter and her husband will become Grandparents this summer...so that means that I move up into the Great-Gramma category! Whew! Where's my walker?

Hope everyone has a terrific Memorial Day weekend.

Wednesday Sunshine

2007-05-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

New Old Crow Farm sign is finished! I love it!

Beautiful day today! I am finishing up the edge-whipping on one rug and working on another rug background. I received three wooden houses today, two lighted and one birdhouse that is primitive and delightful. Handmade birdhouses are great primitive decorating pieces. We have several birdhouses on our property and always love having bluebirds move into one house. We put up the Hummingbird feeder today and it is in use already.

Unfortunately, although the day is warm and pleasant, the black flies are out now and they always love to bite me! So I can't really hook on the porch until their season is over!

Cool Sunday- Monday Sunshine!

2007-05-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

The Forget-me-Nots in front of the porch are just blooming now!

Our Monday is really beautiful here! Sunshine and blue skies...but we are in for a frosty night. Must bring in the porch plants tonight and the windowbox plants too. We had a most enjoyable breakfast and visit with our Earle cousins this morning. Seeing them is always delightful and we are hoping for a family reunion with Husband's family sometime this summer.

Must get back to the Studio and get my hook going! May you all have a pleasant Monday!

Cool Friday and Saturday

2007-05-19T04:01:00.000-07:00

I must say that I am enjoying the cooler weather but I'm sure I'm the only one! We do have rather short warm weather seasons and I know most of our residents enjoy their summers!!! I'm not a summer person so I enjoy the autumn, Winter and early Spring the most!

I have added another website to visit to my list at the left...The Birchwood Bed and Breakfast in Derby Line, Vermont is a beautiful place to stay if you are vacationing in this area. Derby Line is a charming village right at the Canadian border so visitors can enjoy day trips into Canada as well as sampling what this beautiful area of Vermont can offer.

We live in a rural area and love the peace and quiet of the country. We have beautiful birds visiting our yards and feeders and we've watched a family of red foxes living in a den at the edge of the woods behind our house.

I'm working on a rug background today. I'm using a beautiful dark as-is plaid that looks black with little flecks of colour when it is hooked. The photo above is from a different rug and shows the technique of using strips with more contrast so that the background looks - wormy-. The use of an as-is or overdyed plaid can give a more solid looking background with subtle changes of colour that adds to the charm of a primitive or folk art rug.

Cool Thursday in the Kingdom

2007-05-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

A fun Red Hat Lady enjoying life! I loved creating these!

Another cool day reminding us that here in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, Spring can be an elusive season! I have been reading about antique penny rugs and wool applique lately also and have decided to make a penny rug for myself when I have the time. LOL!

I enjoyed doing the applique on quilted pieces and still do some on robes for my Santas from time to time.

I must finish binding and edge-whipping my Angel rug starting today. After that, I'll steam on the back and the front and it will be done! Then it's back to finishing the

Be My Love, a Fraktur Valentine-

rug that still needs about a fourth of it to be hooked.

Rainy Wednesday!

2007-05-16T04:29:00.000-07:00

Both yesterday and today we've had cool, rainy days that seem more like early Spring than after Mother's Day! But at least we don't want to be outside!!!! LOL

I am hooking the last few loops in my Fraktur Angel Floral rug...I got sidetracked planting some flowers and my windowbox, etc. when the weather was great a week ago, so didn't keep working on it as I'd planned. But I'm very happy with how it is turning out. I am laughing at the angel face above, though. In the picture it looks like she/he? is sporting a five-o-clock shadow! Somehow, I don't think angels shave!

As you can see, I am not precise in my hooking...I want that touch of whimsy and the old look of aged folk art. As I study the antique frakturs especially, they have some odd touches that I find very appealing. Many lines are not straight, circles are not always round and, although some of the designs look symmetrical, they really are not. Faces have funny expressions that make you laugh and birds, animals and flowers can be really wild! That's why I enjoy working in the same style and with the same or similar images...it brings me such joy!

Mother's Day Weekend

2007-05-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely relaxed Mother's Day weekend here. Great weather and a chance to go to the Mother's Day brunch at the Eastside restaurant and enjoy all the goodies. Since we live clear across the US from our children and grandchildren, we can't celebrate the holidays with them. But I was happy to hear from each of my children and it's good to know they are all well and doing fine.

I think I enjoy taking my inspiration and some of my rug designs from folk art of the past because it makes me feel connected to my own mother, aunties and grandmothers, etc. Somehow the old designs speak to me of home, family, work and the beauty of simple things. It is amazing to see the beautiful needlework done by both men and women of the past. Also the intricate samplers done by schoolgirls at a very young age! Somehow, we twine the memories around our hearts when we are sensitive to these antique art pieces...and it brings a peacefulness to us even in this hectic modern time in which we live.

May you have an especially peaceful and pleasant time this week.

Beautiful Thursday!

2007-05-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

We've had such lovely weather the last three days we've been outside working and spiffing the place up! It's nice to have the flowers blooming again and the window box planted. I love working in the studio and seeing the flowers at the window.

Sometime I'm going to hook a rug with very light colours, lt.tans and creams, peaches and pale rose and wonderful light greens. ...something like the first promise of Spring! Since I usually hook rugs with lots of deep colours, it will be a real change!!!

Enjoy the evening!

Sunday-Monday and Hint too!

2007-05-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

crow from A Gift of the Heart rug pattern

Hint...I love plaid wools for giving the effect of gravel paths or cobbly roadways! This is one of my earlier rug patterns and it was great fun to hook! You can see how the plaid makes the walk look gravelly!

I'm still having fun sorting and organizing my studio! I enjoy doing this because I get to look through all my -idea- boxes and baskets where I gather pictures with ideas for future rugs. Sometimes it is just a certain colour combination that catches my eye and sometimes it is a photo of an antique rug or a painting.

Looking through art books, antique magazines and all kinds of needlework publications can spark your own creativity. You don't have to copy...there are many copyright-free designs from Dover that can help if you want to do your own designs but can't draw! Of course, there are a lot of us who just love to design rug patterns so there are many great patterns out there for you to choose from!

Happy Hooking!

Hook On Saturday!

2007-05-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

The first Saturday of the month, in the afternoon, the rug hookers who enjoy doing primitives or wide-cut rugs meet at Quilters Quisine Fabric Shop for hooking and conversation! We always enjoy our time together. If you have the chance, join your local hooking group and meet others who enjoy this great art and craft.

Happy Friday!

2007-05-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

I've been cleaning and sorting all day today so didn't do any hooking! However, organizing wools is really fun as you get to see all the beautiful colours you've forgotten you have!!!

It was a nice day... but we are getting a lot of cold wind.

Sometimes I just want to design and hook a really wacky rug! I also like to use up some of my leftover strips and rugs like -Hook On-are just what I need to do that. Husband says that the legs look just like mine!

Hook On!

Thursday- Nice but Windy!

2007-05-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Old Farmhouse Floral copyright-sunnieandress2006

Lovely sunshine but the wind was cool! Lots of errands to do today...it's nice to relax this evening! I hooked this rug thinking about a country woman planning a rug with the brown and burgundy wools she'd saved. I thought how happy she would be if a friend or family member brought her a small amount of colourful wools so she could plan a simple, pretty pattern.

We livc in an old farmhouse and this rug is at the bottom of our stairway!

Wednesday-Nice Day!

2007-05-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

A beautiful sunshiny day today!

Spring is so nice...we enjoy some outdoor work and hanging the clothes out to dry always makes me think of my Mom. When I was young - waaayyy back then - Mom would hang all the wash out on the backyard clothesline and she always sang as she worked. The neighbors would come out and listen and they always said her singing made them feel good! It is wonderful to have happy memories of family...especially when family members are no longer with you in person!

Enjoy today!

Rug Hooking Hint for Today

2007-05-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

If you are uncertain about being a little wild and crazy when hooking a primitive or folk art rug, you might try a chair pad first! Perhaps an unusual bird! LOL

That way you can experiment with different colours on something small. You might like the freewheeling style and creating whimsy as you go! I love surprises and experimentation...for me it keeps hooking simply delightful!

Tuesday Happy Hookers Group!

2007-05-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

What a nice day!!! It's always enjoyable to gather together for hooking.

Just being around creative people, even if they are doing a totally different project or technique, can inspire you!

I loved a light gray background that one of our hookers was doing on a traditional floral rug. It was beautiful and I have been thinking about using that colour for one of my future rugs! I always learn something when I hook with the Tuesday ladies!

Rug Hookers Hint for Today

2007-04-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I'm asked about turning an intricate design into a primitive or wide-cut rug!

It really is very easy if we simply decide what we can cut out and still keep the essential theme! In the above copyright-free image we might decide to cut out the ballerina and the man in the background on the right, get rid of the figures on the left and turn the striped cloak on the left into a tree trunk.

The wide-cut image of the dancer looking into her mirror could be set beside a wild and fanciful tree on the left and perhaps an added curtain or simple backdrop on the right would add to the theme of the Theatre! Enlarged to a rug pattern size, the lines of the dancer are easy and flowing without too much detail. Also using wild colours would help the overall celebration of a theatrical production!

I love the Dover books with the permission-free images and images from antique rugs and decorations! When I use or adapt them, I know that I am not infringing on anyone's copyright and we can all use these images to design from!

Rainy Monday turned Sunny!

2007-04-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's turning out to be a nice day in the Northeast Kingdom after a rainy start!

I'm still finishing up the background on the Fraktur Angel Floral rug as I keep stopping to do a few other things! Part of that rug is shown in an earlier post...it is the one with the brown background with 12-14 different wool colours.

Tomorrow is our Happy Hookers Group where we meet for hooking and good conversation..and the first Saturday in May-the 5th- we meet at Quilters Quisine, a local quilt shop- for those rug hookers who do primitive rug hooking. We are fortunate to be able to get together and learn from each other! It is always a joy!

Rug Hooking Hint Today

2007-04-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

I enjoy making starry skies and this is a fun technique!

Using shorter strips of wool and selecting several colours of blue and choosing golds, yellow, etc. for stars you can hook the sky in swirls or waves. The mountains here were hooked with a dip-dyed piece of wool and I was delighted with how they came out. This rug - Home At Last- is in a private collection.

Happy Sunday!

2007-04-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

A cloudy and rainy Sunday here in the Kingdom today! A nice day to be inside hooking!

This is one of my small rugs shown in the Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild's rug show last year. We were fortunate to have our rugs featured in two books showing the variety of rugs being hooked today. Everything from old favourites to new abstracts!

This was a tribute to my Mom who made a small rag doll for me when I was very young. The doll is now stained and straggly, but I hooked her as a primitive angel. I loved using all the blues in the sky...these early rugs were all experiments and each one contributed to the colour range I use today.

Rug Hooker's Hint for Today!

2007-04-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

An illustration of a background using 12 to 14 different colours of wool!

I love working with many colours of wool. I believe the backgrounds have a richness and interest not seen in a flat, one-colour-background. Of course, the background should be appropriate to the rug design and the cut of wool. After all, it is a -background-and not the dominate feature of the rug! LOL

You might want to try a primitive background using this technique and see how you like it.

Also, do you see that I let the red on the large flower blend into the background instead of outlining it in a more contrasting colour? As I've said, I like the look of old painted furniture that has darkened and faded over time and this more undefined technique gives that look.

Saturday Thoughts!

2007-04-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

I mentioned earlier that I change motifs a bit in my rug designs so that they are not exact duplicates or really symmetrical!

The above pictures from my -Be My Love-a Sampler Valentine rug shows what I mean. These vases, one on each side of the rug, are really very much the same on my pattern. But as you can see, I've done them differently and certainly not in a precise way. Purists will be shocked at my goofy technique...but as a somewhat goofy personality myself, it is typical of the whimsical work that I do. I find it all such fun!

Rug Hooker's Hint for Today

2007-04-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Posy Circle footstool cover - please feel free to copy this pattern and use it!

Just a little reminder though...We artists love to share our work but we appreciate all of our viewers respecting the copyright laws and not copying our original designs. If you are interested in any of my rugs, please contact me through Sunnie Andress Designs until I get my rug hooking website up and running. Thank you so much!

Sometimes simple designs are the best! I used this little footstool in my Beginner's class to show how simply cutting paper and using the cutouts for a pattern can make an easy design. I just grabbed a sheet of copy paper, chopped off the end to make an 8 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch square, folded it into fourths and cut out a freehand leaf shape. I have a few different-size poster paper circles for chair pads so I just put a circle pattern on Monk's cloth, drew around it, laid the paper 4-leaf pattern in the center, drew around the leaves, , used a straightedge to draw the center lines and cut out a small poster paper circle. I drew around the small circle for the posy heads and we had a footstool cover !

Happy Friday!

2007-04-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

As I continue to organize my studio, I thought you might like to see the type of shelving I use. I know many other rug hookers use the same system!

Colours are easy to see and the air circulates around the wool too.

I purchased the dry sink from Primitive Country Workshop -their store- on eBay. Great people to work with and they will customize items for you! I ordered the piece without the door so I could show the wool. It sits at the end of my sewing table.

This morning we are having cloudy skies and are expecting rain. But we stay cozy inside today!

Primitive Rug samples for future Patterns

2007-04-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

1. Chicken in the Garden

2. a portion of Fairy Cottage

3. Leaping Deer-Autumn

I have been busy since 2005 working up designs and hooking rugs to use as samples for my own group of hand-drawn patterns. I've also been working on a rug hooking website where my patterns will be for sale, but it is still in progress. Too few hours in the day!

It's really been a delightful journey and I focus on patterns that are easy and fun for beginning hookers to do. Most are my copyrighted originals, but a few are my versions of rugs in the public domain and I certainly don't claim any copyright on them! I also do one-of-a-kind rugs for customers and I really enjoy that.

I love rugs with a folk-art feeling and those with a lot of deep colours as you can see in my work. The rugs I am working on now are also in deep rich colours!

A Nice Porch for Rug Hooking in Summer

2007-04-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Unlike Santa-making I can take my frame out on the porch in summertime and enjoy the warmth and sunshine. This is what it looks like in summer...my husband is just batty for hollyhocks and I love them too!

Cassie - Relaxing

2007-04-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are not the only ones who are a little odd!

Our cat seems to enjoy sleeping in the IN box on my husband's desk!

She is so funny...one of the most interesting and talkative cats we've ever owned.

Rug Hooking Hint Today

2007-04-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

One of the best things, and the most helpful items I have in my studio is a fabric-covered plywood board...about three by four feet.

When I take a rest from hooking while having lunch, etc. I clip my in-progress rug to the board, lean the board up against one of my tables and view it from a distance. Seeing it flat - not curved over a chair or sofa back-lets me see if my design is working, if a colour is fitting in or I need to zip a strip out, etc. Also it gives me some time to study the design and decide what I am going to do for a border. Since I don't plan my rugs, at least in the accepted sense of the word, I usually wait until I have finished the rug without the border to decide if a border is really needed.

I always leave room for a border, however, when I draw my pattern on. Also, I usually don't zigzag around the edge of my design before I start hooking so I can change my mind about size, borders, etc.

Happy Thursday!

2007-04-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

Sunnie's Original Santas

Another nice day in the Kingdom.

I thought you might enjoy seeing the other things I do.

I don't only design and make hooked rugs. I was, before I discovered the delights of rug hooking, a Santa-maker. I also do orginal one-of-a-kind witches and other folk figures. They are really fun to do but take a lot of power tools, glues, fiddley bits, etc. and although a joyful pastime certainly not what you would call -peaceful-!

Last year I made several small Rug Hooker's Santas for my November show. They carried hooks, a small hooked piece and a basket or armful of wool strips. A lady from the midwest bought three and she wasn't even a rug hooker!

For those of you who hook your rows close together like I do, you might consider steaming your rug more times than at the end of all your hooking. From the very beginning of my hooking life, I was not fond of the technique of leaving wide unhooked spaces between rows. I know several wonderful hookers who do this but it is just not my style. I place the rows as close together as my large hook can go through the backing easily. If it is too hard to push through the Monk's cloth or Linen, I know the loop is too close.

I steam my rugs about three times...once when I finish either the center motifs with the background worked around them or finish one side of the rug, once when the entire rug is finished and the -holidays- filled in... but before I start on the border... and a third time, on the back and on the front, when the rug is entirely finished.

I find that this makes my rugs lie quite flat and lets me know early if I have crowded anything and need to take a strip out.

Rug Hooking Hint for Today!

2007-04-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

If you like a touch of whimsy and quirkyness in your rugs as I do, consider making a few changes in your design or your purchased pattern. I am not fond of precise symmetry so I make small changes on each side of my pattern as I hook. I change leaf or flower shapes just a bit, change colours in the pattern or even change the size of a motif just a small amount so it looks freehand. When studying the old Frakturs, I have noted that they have many motifs that are a bit odd or off!

That is the look I like in my rugs. Perhaps you do too!

Wednesday's Child!

2007-04-25T15:21:00.000-07:00

We are thankful for the pleasant weather and today was no exception! I was able to work on the Fraktur Angel Floral rug today and it looks like it will be finished by the weekend. Hooray!

I have been using the quarter background method I spoke about for this background as I was not sure how many deep red-orange-brown tones of wool I had. It looks like I will have enough and will not have to add another wool in my open spaces. I love hooking this way as I never have any anxiety about running out of background wool! Since hooking is such a peaceful pastime, anything that stresses you out is counter-productive!

My rug designs, colours and hooking style have changed over these last three years. I really like creating the vision of an old piece of painted wood that has darkened and faded over time, translating paint into the softness of wool. I am fortunate to be able to live a very tranquil life, with the time to create these works of folk art. Rug hooking is a simple craft to learn but it has such possibilities! When I study the antique images, I feel like I'm held in the memories of times past...and it gives me great joy.

Rug Hooking Hint for Today2

2007-04-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

If you are not fond of red dot tracer or net, etc. for transferring patterns to your backing material, perhaps you would like to use a light table. I prefer this method and, at first, used a round patio table with a glass top that I happened to have. I placed a couple of small lamps under the table and it worked just fine for small rugs or chair pads.

However, it was not very useful for tracing the larger rug designs.

I have 2 inexpensive rectangular dining tables in my studio and was walking by one last month when it suddenly struck me that I could turn one into a larger light table. I purchased a piece of clear acrylic sheeting a bit smaller than the table top and asked my husband to cut out the top of the table to accomodate the acrylic. We did this and it works perfectly! I use one small accent lamp under the table at one end and an inexpensive clip-on light under the other end.

I have heard of other hookers replacing the leaf in a dining table with a piece of tempered glass or acrylic sheeting and putting a lamp underneath!

Sunny Tuesday in the Northeast Kingdom

2007-04-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful day in Vermont with sunshine and a cool wind blowing. Our cat was anxious to get outside this morning as she has been staying inside during our early Spring cold, snowy and stormy weather. We love cats and also love birds and we feed the birds all Winter. Of course, that puts us in a bit of a pickle as you know what a combination cats and birds are!

I will continue my sorting and organizing work in the studio today and it is so nice to see it coming back to a cleaner and more orderly space. I tend to throw fabric around when I work- on both rugs and Santas- so the studio gets pretty messy as the year progresses. I am not always good at putting things back in their proper places very quickly!

I will hook some today on my current rug - Fraktur Angel Floral - and hope to have it finished and ready to bind and edge-whip by the weekend. I have such fun doing all my rugs but this has been delightful. I've used about 12-14 different plaids, mottled dyes and as -is wools in the background of this rug! Whew!

I also must return to the second rug I am working on...

Be My Love - A Sampler Valentine

...as it is also a fun rug to hook and would be appropriate for an anniversary, wedding or engagement gift for yourself or someone special!

Almost all of my rug designs can be done by beginners. They are done in a freewheeling folk art style and have a lot going on in the design, but the shapes and images are themselves large and easy to hook. Only the faces and small accents are done in a number 5 cut...everything else is in number 6, 8 or hand-cut.

Rug Hooking Hint for today!

2007-04-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

Many beginning hookers worry about having enough wool for backgrounds in their primitive or wide-cut rugs! Collecting several different pieces of background wools close in value and colour, rather than using a single wool can help. Divide your pattern background into fourths. Divide your wools into four piles and work in each section of your background. Leave some spaces open...don't fill all your background in. If you have enough wool, that's terrific! But, if you need to add more background wool simply select or buy another colour close in value, add some to each of your four sections and -voila!-it looks like you planned it that way!

April Morning-Spring in Vermont

2007-04-23T06:10:00.000-07:00

Thoughts on a Monday morning.

A beautiful Vermont Spring morning here in the Northeast Kingdom. We are especially thankful for the warmer temperatures, having had a very cold, wet and stormy Spring!
I am in the process of sorting and rearranging my rug hooking studio. It is a peaceful pastime although I am anxious to return to my hooking. However, I am finding wools I had forgotten I owned which is, in itself, a delight. I am working on two rugs at the moment, both are inspired by and/or adapted from old Frakturs and Samplers. I do original work for the most part but use motifs from antique sources, blending them together in my own way. My work is almost always whimsical and colourful...and I work in wide-cut -numbers 5,6 and 8 cut- wool strips.

Although my rug themes are not grand or political or precise geometrics, I enjoy painting with wool small pictures of our rural life, the designs of past folk artists and the joys of home and family relationships.
I was able to hang the clothes outside to dry for the first time this year...and the songs of the birds seemed a little sweeter this morning as they, too, enjoyed the sunshine.