My Friend Gail's Halloween Collection~Come Tour Her Home!

It's kind of scary... and loads of fun... when you get a chance to roam around my friend Gail's home and see her marvelous and HUGE collection of vintage Halloween memorabilia!   Her love of these colorful and hard to find pieces is evident in every room in the house.... including the powder room as you will soon see in a photo! 

Gail's  kitchen is filled with many neat old store display pieces like this metal spice cabinet which works perfect for displaying the hundreds of small pieces which are all neatly organized!

You can't help but smile or laugh out loud at some of the whimsical ways she displays, like these little skeletons in the  half moon tin.

Candy candy everywhere! Displayed in one neat old jar after another! 

An old wooden tote with orange paint... perfect for a Halloween display!

Gail loves to collect old advertising signs and this is a beauty from the Gustafson's Creamery which was here in Rice Lake!  A most sought after local piece of history!

A couple of neat old vintage Halloween costumes hang in the entryway.

I love this stenciled floor in the hallway... nevermind my foot... lol!

A most unusual iron bed in one of the bedrooms.

More spookiness waits upstairs.... 

.... and I just love the color Gail painted the stairs...don't you?

The resident pooch.. Relfie... followed us up the steps! Isn't he a cutie?

I told you the bathroom even has a year round Halloween touch! LOVE the black and orange tiles!! I should have closed the lid before the photo though...LOL!  

A very rare metal and glass spice container probably from a general store... the containters swing out to access the glass holders.  Of course Halloween candy fills the jars! 

The old sink is wonderful in Gail's laundry room! 

Gail with some of her Halloween creations! Wonderful paper mache' pieces she's collaborated with a friend in the past to sell.  I believe she still has some available but in very limited numbers. Let me know if you would like to know more about them. 

Thank you Gail for letting us browse through your lovely home today and feast our eyes on your rare and wonderful Halloween collections!  We had so much fun!

So after we had all this fun touring Gail's home... our little band of friends hopped in the car and took a road trip to some local shops... looking for more Halloween and vintage goodies!

left to right: Sue, yours truly, Gail, her sister Dawn and Liz

We need to do this more often.... right girls?

Cathy G

Second Tuesday Hook-in and Challenge Rug Progress!

There's a whole lotta hookin' goin' on around here lately!

Today was our second Tuesday of the month gathering here in the studio! Big rugs, little rugs, wool appliqué and even a couple of quilts to show were enjoyed by all! 

We welcomed three new rug hookers to our fold!  Welcome to Louise, Patti and Celeste!  Louise is working on her very first project and I do think she may be hooked!

It's such a joy to see someone pick up the hook a-new!  With our experienced group they can learn so much just by coming and sharing in the fun!

And... I've been making good progress on my challenge rug!  If you would like to learn more about the challenge please go back and look at my last post.  

Short post tonight as it's been a long day!  

I want to get a few minutes to hook on my rug tonight!

Thanks for your visit and stay tuned for some exciting information on a show I will be participating in next month... which isn't that far off.... whew! 

I need to get BUSY!

Cathy G

A Fun Visit with Terri and a Rug Challenge!

Yesterday I had a fun visitor here in the studio from Superior, WI! Terri hooked my Sassy Sunflower pattern and brought it along to show me!  Wow!  I LOVE the colors!  And isn't her hooking nice!! 

Here's a close up so you can see the colors and wools she used! Love the textured wool she used in the sunflower center...see how it kind of frays a little on the edge?  Don't be afraid to use those wools in certain applications like this! It really makes this rug fabulous!  And I love that teal colored wool too! 

She also brought along another round chair pad she finished hooking.... She really has a unique eye for color... and I love how these both turned out!

I hope she gets back soon and brings the witch rug ( a Tish Murhpy) design that she's working on. She found some really cool oranges and red wools in my shop  for the witch's hair while she was here!  That rug is going to be fabulous!  Can't wait to see it!

Ahhhhh..... as I said there is a rug challenge going on here!  I am hooking along on our FaceBook group headed up by Lori Brechlin at NotforgottenFarm!  The name of our group is "The Out of Hand Rug Hookers!" In case you'd like to check it out.  The Hook-Along Rug Challenge has already filled up but there will be another Challenge in January.  Lori provided a dozen or more motifs from her artwork and we could pick as many as we wanted for our rugs.  We had to design using those motifs only.  

I made mine perhaps a bit too challenging.... tee hee!  I have this old very looooonggg antique bench I've been wanting to hook a rug for the top.  Well I decided to make it my challenge rug.  The requirements for size had to be at least 18 by 24 inches or bigger.  We have to have it all hooked by Jan. 3rd, 1016.  So.....

......here is the bench and the plan with some of the motifs we were provided. My bench is over a foot wide by 70 inches long.  My rug is 12 inches by 64 1/2 inches long!

This is what I came up with!

Here it is already transferred onto the linen!  Think I can get it hooked by then?

There are prizes.... some good ones!

I'll fill you in later on them!

So my hook will soon meet my hand again!  It's been awhile and they've become strangers!

Not a good thing!

But with Fall like weather here now and some cute little squirrels and acorns to hook we are off to a great start!

Stay tuned!

Cathy G

This is the witch pattern from www.tishkits.com that Terri is starting to hook.

Design by Tish Murphy

Wish I had time to hook this!  A great pattern!

Autumn in Bayfield, Wisconsin

Dave and I with the two pooches in tote are in Bayfield, WI for a much needed little break from our daily work and routine. We are being blessed with perfect weather as we walk the hilly streets in this quaint village on Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay. 

My favorite thing to do is check out the residents' backyard gardens and the local architecture of the old houses.  This charming whale weathervane caught my eye this morning as did a garden of dahlias. Or are those zinnias?  I couldn't remember which but they were gorgeous and worthy of a snapshot!

The sumac are the the first to show their firey red color here on the south shore of beautiful Lake Superior.

Yes... there were vacancies here at the Seagull Bay Motel this morning but by early afternoon the neon sign switched to No!  It's still very busy with tourists here this time of year but we beat the mobs of Applefest goers who arrive next week for the town's biggest celebration!

Milkweed was the plant of choice in this frontyard garden. No doubt to attract the Monarch butterfly that is experiencing a decline in numbers.  Worthy of a snapshot and it made me smile.

Our time here is never long enough, but it sounds like I may have an opportunity to come back and teach a rug hooking class at the quilt shop here in town!  It may have to be next fall before we can get the class underway but it will be a great excuse to come back to one of our most favorite places of all.  Bayfield, Wisconsin. 

Cathy G

September Hook-in at Red House Wool Studio!

We gathered here on this gorgeous day in northern Wisconsin to hook, stitch, a little show and tell and above all enjoy each other's friendship and company! 

I hear it again and again how everyone looks so forward to our monthly hand-work gathering!

Shirley in the photo above, is working on her bunny rug with beautiful background! A Sharon Smith pattern. She's hooking in 8.5 and 9... wow!  I love it!

Saundra brought this quilt she is working on.... her grandson is an Eagle Scout and will soon be gifted with this quilt!  Isn't it awesome! I am sure it will become a family heirloom! 

We love looking at all kinds of hand-work and are so grateful when someone brings their projects to share!

Betsy who will be heading south very soon ( yes, she's a lucky snowbird!) has finished hooking her reindeer rug(a Judy Cripps design-her website is Rustic Rugs) ..... oh it is wonderful!!  I love the wools in this rug so much!

Maybe she'll accidentally forget it in front of my fireplace for the winter! LOL!!

Betsy is just starting to hook my Autumn Trio pattern! I can see already that it is going to be full of Autumn glory!

And sweet Nancy! She is working on her stitchery with wool appliqué!  I can't wait to see this one finished!  She does lovely hand-work and loves the primitive patterns!  A girl after my own heart!

Well.... it's been SO DARN busy around here!  The wool is flying out the door and I am working like mad to keep things fresh with new models, colors of hand-dyed wool and inspiration for all to feast their eyes!

If you are traveling this Fall and are near Rice Lake, WI and would like to visit the studio... email or call ahead as I would love to see you!

I carry plenty of wool, patterns and books, linen,Valdani threads and supplies for all your hooking and wool applique' needs!

I am headed to the studio right now to unpack the latest shipment of wool!

It's gorgeous!

Maybe it will inspire a new pattern or two!!  

Cathy G