Lucy Blue.... Where are You?!!!

I know it's crazy but after not having a rug on the frame for so long I decided to start one on Monday!  What better way to keep ones mind occupied on something other than the intense heat outside than some intense designing and color planning a new rug( in the AC of course).  One of my rug hooking students requested a design with horses so this is what I came up with.  It is based on an antique rug from the 19th century and is a runner that measures 11 by 30 inches. 

  

I also decided to try a new binding method called the Doris Eaton Edge.  Maybe you have heard about it and watched the video on You Tube.  If you haven't well HERE is the link and I suggest you give it a try on your next rug.  It is super easy and is a nice looking and durable binding.   The only draw back that  I encountered was having to decide what color I wanted the binding to be before I actually hooked the rug.  I usually wait until I'm done hooking to make that decision because as you know the color of this type of binding  can effect the overall look of the rug.  Well not wanting a silly little thing like  that stop me from trying this exciting new binding method I forged ahead and made the choice of navy blue.  One of the horses in the rug is blue. 

I still haven't decided on a couple of colors for the background yet.  Hence the title of my post.... Lucy Blue.... where are you?  

Last Thursday I placed an order for the new wools just released by Heavens To Betsy.  One of the wools I ordered is named Lucy Blue.  I'm not sure but I think that wool may be the perfect blue for part of the background in this rug.  The only problem is Lucy Blue is still making her way here on a truck and is probably spending a hot night or two on the Ohio Turnpike with all the other packages westbound from Claverack, New York!

I'm at the point now where I need that wool to decide if it's the right one before I can progress any further on this rug!  If you know me..... the hooking maniac from hell ( stayed up til 3:00 am this morning hooking and trying to decide on colors)  I'm going crazy not being able to continue because the wool isn't here!  

Maybe it won't be the blue I'm after but it's really hard to tell from the little 2 inch square of it on the sample sheet.  

So tomorrow I'll be watching for that  UPS truck to pull in the drive-way and hopefully Lucy Blue will be all rested up and ready for her trip through the hot wash cycle in my washing machine. For as quick as you can say Lucy Blue.... where are you?...... I'll be running her through the Townsend!

To be continued........

Cathy G

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR-ebWIJd_Y

Oh Deer! Oh Dear!!

Smokey Dog

How does that country rock song go?  Poor me.. Poor me..... Pour me another shot of whiskey!  All of this play on words has me thinking..... thinking of all the crazy things that have happened here  since I've done a blog post!!      

You probably remember me whining about the bee stings a couple of weeks ago. Turns out that was the least of my problems! Although it certainly took the better of two weeks for the pain to subside from those stings!  I ended up with a least 13 bites in the crotch area.  That bee definitely did not like being trapped in my jeans and took full revenge while it had the chance! 

Then....  a pelvic utlrasound and probe on June 7th showed a polyp on my uterus and thickening of the uterine wall.  This past Thursday I underwent a D&C surgery to remove the polyp and another scope to check things out.  A "dusting and cleaning" as the girls in my American Primitive Gatherings Group so fondly referred to it!!   I didn't feel much like doing anything after that until a couple of days ago and now that I'm finally feeling better I'm so far behind on everything I haven't decided where to start!

I haven't gotten the results back yet from the polyp being sent in.

Hurry up and wait..... right?

Today my little Smokey boy had a little surgery and tooth cleaning scheduled.  He ended up having EIGHT teeth removed!  Oh Dear!  If I had to have eight teeth removed I probably wouldn't have very many left! LOL!  The vet said it isn't unusual for dogs to have that many removed.  Most of them were smaller ones in the front that he said they don't use that much anyway.  Smokey is our diabetic dog so I was a little concerned how that was all going to work with him not being able to eat.  He had half his usual dose of insulin this morning before he left.  He is home now and seems to be doing fine.  So between the two of us we've been singing the "Poor me..." tune and hoping we get a little reprieve from any more surgeries for awhile.  

Seriously it could always be worse!  I do count my blessings each and every day.  

Dave's photo of the deer in the woods up there in my blog header reminds me of how talented he is with the camera!  He has also been our "Dear" that is holding it all together while we go through surgeries and health issues!  He's probably wishing he had a shot of whiskey and some time off work to relax!  

Maybe in July!

Cathy G

A Magical Garden Tour....Let's Go To The Saffert's!

It's true when they say that sometimes you don't need to venture too far from home to find wonderful places to visit and things to see!  Case in point... the wondrous gardens and garden art at Paul and Marilyn Saffert's place here in Rice Lake about three miles from my home.   A couple of weeks ago I decided to take my Mom and go see what their place was all about as I have been hearing from everyone who's been there how awesome it is!

We weren't disappointed!  

The gorilla head mound of dirt ( pic above) was just too funny!

And that was only the beginning!

Paul and Marilyn work many long and hard hours to create the magical landscapes on their homestead and consider it a labor of love and joy!  

So come along and you'll see what I mean!

 How about THIS bottle tree!  Whimsical and beautiful as it refects the sunlight in the garden !

And shouldn't every home have a castle among the hosta's?!!!

I LOVE their entry way to their house! The cool bricks and stone make for a nice place to rest on a hot day!

I couldn't resist a shot of these iris blooming and admiring themselves in the glow of a gazing ball!

An awesome gazebo! One of the many sculptures made by Paul from welding horse shoes together!   I want one of these!!

Another sculpture made from horse shoes is this magnificent horse which stands proudly amongst the apple trees.

And a covered wagon and horse team made of MORE horseshoes!  I need to ask Paul where he got all those horseshoes!

 Whimsical tall and wavy birdhouses!   Even the birds here live like artists and reflect the owners talents!!

I absolutely LOVE this metal tree that stands so proudly by the barn!  Paul is an expert craftsman and handy with the welder!

Hand hammered spoons and dippers make a soothing wind chime in a shade garden.

Brick archways invite you to step through to explore!

A vine covered path leads to more gardens, the pond and so much more!

Mirrors and frames on the side of garage with a hedge of ferns.

Kids and adults alike love following the yellow brick road to explore the land of the Wizard of OZ!  Dorothy's red sparkly shoes start the adventure!

In the garage Marilyn has created a space for play and fun!  

I think I need to redo MY garage!  Move over Dave's tools and garage junk!  I want a playhouse in my garage! This is just too fun!

Meet Paul and Marilyn and their dog Max!  Wonderful friendly souls who greet and welcome you to come tour their gardens and artworks!  They are master gardeners and have a wealth of knowledge about all things garden and plant related!  I need to go back as you know gardens change through out the seasons and I bet the fall blooms will be spectacular!  

Thanks Marilyn and Paul for letting me share this on my blog!

And Marilyn..... that Eyeball plant I bought from you is growing great!  And thank-you for digging up some of your specialty Black-eyed Susans for me!  They are doing great as well!!

Hope to see you soon!

Cathy G

The Log Home! Come on Inside!!

I'm back again with the continued tour of my friend Sue's homestead!  Just steps from her house is the log house that she and her husband Eric so lovingly and meticulously moved to their property and restored log by log!   Of course this is where the unruly ground bee decided to hitch a ride into the cabin inside my jeans leg! This was Lisa's( on the left) first trip to Sue's and I was eagerly anticipating the look on her face as we stepped through the door into the cabin!  

If you've ever been to an authentic log cabin the first thing that you encounter upon entering is the deep woodsy  smell of the logs and an aura of history and "Little House on the Prairie" mystique!  So get ready to experience a return to the 1800's!

  

I'm warning you ahead of time to get the drool rag ready!  LOL!  Sue's little log house is filled with wonderful cupboards and things she's collected over a life time.  Again many family pieces like the Dentist sign above the door that came from her Grandfather who was a dentist!  What a treasure to have!

The wood Laurel cook stove has been restored and is fully functional!  Many pots of soup and chili are still warmed and served on this cast iron beauty!

Lisa is still in shock!  She didn't know where to begin looking!

Notice the old photo in the oval frame above the bed.  Sue was able to obtain this from the original owners of the log house!  They are the ones who built and lived in the house in the early days!

The log home is one open room with an upstairs!  Sue has old cupboards filled with wooden ware, enamel ware, crocks and her favorite thing to collect pantry boxes and firkins.......

.... and trunks full of linens, old ticking and more!! Don't you love this blue painted one with the great hardware!

 Another antique cast iron wood stove warms the cabin in the winter months.

This great early red painted wooden trammel light is one of Sue's recent purchases!  Does she have a good eye or what for those wonderful painted pieces!  

Sue is showing Lisa a scrap book about the cabin while it was being restored!  

A great old mustard colored painted cupboard holds early treasures!

I finally was able to talk Sue into having her photo taken!  ( I know the wind was blowing that day so our hair do's were a tad on the wild side)!  I told her she had to have it taken by this famous homespun dress!  Yes.... the dress was in the April 1992 issue of Country Home magazine on page 131.  It was borrowed from the lady Sue bought it from to decorate a home in Wisconsin that was featured in that magazine!  

( Sue has decided to part with this fabulous homespun dress.... $185.00  DRESS IS SOLD)  

Sue is willing to part with this homespun treasure!  It has been very well taken care of and loved for many years!  If you are interested in purchasing it from Sue you can email me for her email address.   

Well, there you have it!  Hope you enjoyed the tour!  I have to thank Sue for her hospitality and of course her willingness to let me share this on my blog!  The treasures of the past bring us all so many pleasures and the work of collecting and preserving these things is a gift to future generations!  

Blessings to you my dear friend Sue!!

Cathy G

The Tour of Sue's house and a special Thank-you!

Lately I've been feeling as old as these teddies!  Seriously.... my health hasn't been the greatest.  Nothing to do but wait for a few test results and see if the Docs can help me out.   I'm just plugging along one day at a time here.

I have those photos of Sue's house and collections to share with you.  There are quite a few so I may break them up into the ones from her house first and then the ones from their cabin in another post.  

The antique teddies above are one of her collections.  Aren't they the sweetest thangs! 

Sue has marvelous displays in every corner of her home. It is an old farmhouse with so much warmth and charm you never want to leave!  She has many family pieces and blends them with the antiques she's collected.  I just have to be braggy and make sure you notice the oval hooked rug on this chest... it's one I made for Sue a couple of years ago for her birthday.  It really looks great with her pewter display don't you think?

These two are the sweethearts of the farm!  Sue's dogs Punky and Buster!  The sweetest dogs and I think they are a german water spaniel mix...... I probably have that wrong.... if you read this Sue leave a comment with the correct breed.... they are wonderful dogs and I know Sue has a soft spot for them like I do my two fur kids!  

This stack of old wooden bowls is wonderful.... and notice the old tin Christmas tree cookie cutter with the candles on the branches.... have you ever seen one like this?  I think it is a pretty rare cookie cutter!

A wonderful collection of antique Quimper pieces. 

A china cabinet full of Christmas, paper mache rabbit candy containers, sheep, and Santa collectibles!  What wonderful things collected over many years!

A lovely old doll amongst some antique toys and dishes rests on top of another cabinet in the living room.

An antique leaded glass window that is made into a shelf to hold pewter and candle molds. It really makes a beautiful display!  Notice the wonderful old betty lamp in the lower right hand corner!

Antique  coverlets, children's clothing and shoes, painted sugar buckets and more.

A nice collection of antique weather vanes.  I wish I would have taken more photos of things in her house.  Of course these were all taken before the notorious bee sting when we got to the cabin!  I have a ton of photos to share of the cabin so stay tuned!

I cannot close this post without saying Thank-you to Linda.... a very dear blogger and fellow rug hooker who is the author of the blog The Wool Cupboard!  I won a give-away a while back she was having for her 150th post!  

How do you like my winnings? I LOVE everything and have been devouring the book about rug hooking!  I can't wait to use some of this lovely wool in the best colors in a future rug!  Linda sent a wonderful card which is giving me some inspiration for color too!  I love the rug Linda just completed which she has photos of how she hung it on a cupboard door!  It looks fabulous!  You need to check it out on her blog if you haven't already!  I am inspired every time she does a post!  Thank-you again Linda!!

.........to be continued with more photos of the cabin and a special famous homespun dress!

Cathy G