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

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!

Wonderful foliage...Enjoy!

Glorious October!

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!

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 : )

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!

"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!

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.