Our Second Tuesday Hook-in at Red House Wool Studio! Dec~2017

What a wonderful fun-filled day to spend with dear friends who gathered from near and far for our monthly hook-in here at the studio! 

We were blessed and pleased beyond measure to have visitors from quite far spend the day with us! 

Deetta ( shown above with her wonderful wool feather tree and hooked tree skirt) traveled over 3 hours to join us!  She also brought along her friend Karen who is new to hooking!

You will recognize Nancy who finished her fabulous wool spread she has been stitching on!  We photographed it on our bed as it is quite large! 

Nancy found this wonderful wool material and stitched the twelve days of Christmas on the squares which had the green floral already stitched on.

A close up of the stitching!  Quite wonderful to see how she utilized a found piece and turned it into a family heirloom.  Nancy's two daughters will have to "battle it out as to who will inherit this beauty" says Nancy with a big smile!

Shirley is working on and making good progress on her sheep rug.. pattern by Pris Butler entitled "Sheep Happens"!  

Kathy is just starting this Santa rug... a design by Primitives by Carol Rae entitled "Christmas Shepherd". 

And Mya brought the tree in the lower left corner she made and her fabulous "Merry Christmas" Rug! Designed by Cathy at Red Barn Rugs. Look at the beading around the rug!  It just sets the whole rug a twinkling!  Great job Mya!

I just love this photo of Cindy who is working on her large Polly Minnick horse rug! Doesn't she look beautiful with a rug on her lap all settled in for an afternoon of hooking and chatting with friends!

Oh and Cindy that Cheesy Cauliflower soup you brought for our lunch was the hit of the day! And it was gluten free so I was very happy I could dish up a bowl! I still need to get the recipe written down so I can try to make it soon!

Here is Karen... Deetta's friend who is just starting to hook!  Her first rug and I have to say her loops are looking like she was born to hook!  She is a fun lady and we had a great time getting to know her and showing her around the hooking world!  You can always tell when someone has caught the bug!  I think we will be seeing more of Karen here at the studio! 

Sharon and Judy "a working away" on wool appliqué!  The tables were full of fun projects and the coffee and  smart phones are always close at hand!  No one talks on their phones while here... tee hee... they are too busy hooking, stitching or sharing photos to answer their calls!  

I'll leave you with a little collage of photos of our dining room decorated for the season with the sun shining through those new windows!  Oh what a happy and peaceful space now to sit with a cup of tea and enjoy the lighter look!  I brought an antique pine linen cupboard in from the living room for a little more storage.

I hope you take time this Holiday Season to sit with your own cup of something warm and delicious!

Reflect on the blessings, the simple pleasures and joy 

that friendships bring to our lives.

To all my online friends, those near and far, and those who may be reading I've yet to meet...

A very Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Peace and Joy as we celebrate the miracles,

the magic and the gift of Love.

Cathy G

December? Really???

How can it be?  There's absolutely no snow on the ground here in northern Wisconsin!  The calendar however says it's time to haul out some Christmas decorations... 

I've decided to keep  the

decorating really really simple this year..putting out a little bit  in each room... just enough to make the season bright. 

Monday our carpenter friend is coming to help trim out the new windows we had put in last month. So a little more saw dust will join the regular dust around here.

I like sawdust.  I know the work is getting done.

I hope you are finding  joy and happiness as you decorate your homes this blessed season.

I'll be looking for that little snow in the forecast this coming week.  

Just enough to make everything white and sparkly!

Our dog Max loves the snow.

Be Merry,

Cathy G

Our Second Tuesday Hook-in at Red House Wool Studio~November!

Our second Tuesday of the month Hook-In here at the studio was a fun day even though only about half of our large group were able to attend!  But rest assured the talents and projects were in abundance!

Rhonda models a wonderful sweater she crocheted! Don't you LOVE the color!  I am always impressed with those who crochet garments and big projects!  The extent of my crochet skills is very limited... I have made a few dishcloths. 

Lisa brought a whole pile of cross-stitch projects she is making good progress on!  I think I counted at least half a dozen or so!

She finished stitching this one by Stacy Nash... and it is on it's way to the framer!

Another wonderful one she is almost done stitching by Stacy Nash... she changed the rifle to a pitchfork and is changing the  the dog to a wheelbarrow!  

Yay Lisa!  Get those samplers done so you can get back to rug hooking!!  LOL!

Holly is looking marvelous in that rust colored sweater... she wears those colors so very well with her auburn hair!  The colors in her projects reflect her color palette as well! 

Holly likes to collect and make things for Christmas that depict the holly plant. So fun!  And did you know she has a brother named Noel?  Her mother loved Christmas!

Nancy finished this little stitchery and brought it along for show and tell!  And these girls with their wonderful sweaters!  I must pay more attention to my wardrobe!!

Nancy is also featured in the blog header with her framed wool applique "Believe"! 

Believe me... the time is marching on! 

Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas on it's heels!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving everyone!

Cathy G

Remodeling This "Home Sweet Home" Continues!

The long awaited new windows are finally being put in today! My excitement was mixed with a little anxiety as the snow flurries and cold temps yesterday kept me wondering how we were going to survive during the time the old windows came out and new ones put in!  

Our small dining area is windows all around and a door which is also being replaced. 

Oh and the bedroom windows too... so lots of work going on here today!

Yup that's snow on the deck railing!  Surprisingly enough the day is rather mild and Max and I are staying quite cozy through it all with a little space heater going in the living room!  It's only about 39 degrees outside!

The large front window is in.  It replaced two double hung side windows and a picture window.

A new door awaits to replace the old screen door and door.  I like the style of the old one but it is not very energy efficient and is rotting away slightly too. So it's time!

Here's a pic I took earlier this Fall before the snow!  I can't wait to see the difference the new windows will make!

This is a little antique sampler I found a while ago while antiqueing with some friends. It is framed under glass so couldn't get a very good photo.  I love the misspelled word "thers"! 

My header photo is a rug I hooked recently for a dear client.  It is my "Home Sweet Home" design.  

While in the midst of all the remodeling we've done lately I keep thinking how fortunate we are to be able to make these changes.

I do like to keep things simple and sometimes the changes to an older home involve more time and money than we'd anticipated.

But.. it is our home and we'd like to live here for years to come God willing!

It's getting sweeter by the minute..  so stay tuned for those "after" photos!

Cathy G

A Few Things to Share Before I Forget!

I never did share photos of our last second Tuesday Hook-in!   So many wonderful things were shared including this hand-decorated vest that Holly was wearing!  Maggie Bonanomi made this for her back in 1994!  It is signed and dated...how cool is that!  

I took photos of this all around and as you can see it is so awesome!  

The back....

And the signature and date just under the arm.

That Holly... she is always full of surprises!  And what about her crow necklaces!!  She doesn't remember where she got them but at a folk art show she thinks!!  

So fun!

Nancy shows her newest project... a turkey pillow... the design is by Buttermilk Basin I believe. I LOVE those colors!  Great finish Nancy!

Rhonda was just starting this cute wool appliqué...  I hope she brings it in November so I can share more info. on the design! It sure is a fun piece so far... don't you think?

Lisa is working on this wool applique runner from Rebekah Smith's new book.  She has adapted the design to have two deer, the pattern has one deer.   Lisa is new to wool applique and is very brave to take on a bigger runner!  But did you ever know Lisa to fear taking on a 

bigger project?  

We had a special guest as this month's gathering!  Carol from Lodi, WI.  She travels to Rice Lake frequently to help out her elderly dad.   She has wanted to stop forever... and finally she did!  What a delight she is and she brought her rug from Lori Brechlin's challenge a while back.  What a treat to see it in person!

Yummy wools and fabulous hooking! 

Carol is a wonderful quilter as well.  She brought this fabulous one with the tiniest postage stamp size squares to show us.   Look at it close up....

I just LOVE her colors!  

I have been wanting to try a little quilting myself but I think I will start with a something a little easier!  

Life has been busy here to the extreme... I keep thinking I'll have more time as each day passes and all I do is get further behind.  

But hopefully I will be able to post again soon.

I did finish this rug for a client... my Home Sweet Home design.

I have to sew on a label and send it off soon.

Are you ready for the weather to change?  We are expecting snow in the next couple of days... so we've been busy buttoning up around here!

SO many things to do before we settle in for that loooonnnnng winter's nap!!  LOL!!

What is a nap anyway?  LOL!  I think I need one!! 

Cathy G