Paisley class at the biennial

I had a great group of women in my class at the biennial.  Everyone embraced the class and developed a pattern and picked their colors and started hooking.  In my mind I thought there would be those that would design quickly and pick colors and get started hooking and there would be others who would spend more time in designing their patterns---this is what happened and there were some great projects started.  I only wish that I could have cloned myself---hard to do both at once.  I spend the first part of the class explaining the process.  I had lots of templates and design inspirations---napkins, books, fabrics,  etc.  I had pieces that could be cut out and traced around, pieces on red dot and had a couple of temporary light boxes using an under the bed storage box turned upside down with an ott-lite under it---wish I had gotten a picture.   Thanks Donna for bringing the tubs and thanks Sally for getting me extra tables so there was plenty of room for people to work.  Note to self---not a good idea to draw on linen with black markers with a white tablecloth under it.

My great class---a great group!

Here are a couple of close ups.

The biennial was a lot of fun---great vendors, a large rug show, great classes all in a beautiful environment.  

Start making plans to attend the next one in San Antonio on the Riverwalk in 2015!

I purchased a DVD that was put together at the biennial and am looking forward to receiving it---it will feature the rug show as well as candid shots of the classes etc.  I was not a good picture taker so am happy that it was done.

I am having home classes today and Wednesday so I  have to get busy.

Yesterday I did my 10 mile training run---it was hard!

October 19th I will run my 4th half marathon---13.1 miles!!!!

Special for blog readers

My husband is having a special for my blog readers on the rug hook pendants in our ETSY store---here is the link to the store.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/anitahooks?ref=search_shop_redirect

Click on "apply shop coupon code"

enter code:  anitahooksrugs01 for a $5.00 discount on each item.

Favorite us if you like the items---thanks!!!

Home from the ATHA Biennial 2013 Long Beach

I had a wonderful time spending two weeks in California.  The weather was absolutely picture perfect.   A lot was crammed in to my time there.  Since my last post we had a wonderful day in Sonoma and attended a party in Golden Gate Park with my daughter's friends---many of who were talented artists and musicians.

This photograph of my husband Doug was taken at the Bump Winery in Sonoma.  My husband's middle name is Bump (his mother's maiden name) and as it turns out he is related to the Bump Winery family---they had a white wine named Fortune that was named after the ship that brought the family to America in the 1600's.  Naturally we had to buy some Bump wine.

 Chelsea and I posing in front of Bloomingdale's in San Francisco on our way to the Golden Gate park.

 Daughter's house updates in Oakland---living room

 dining room

 Front of house sporting a new paint color

After leaving Oakland we headed to Dana Point where we spent a couple of days with my sister Barbara before heading to Long Beach.

Night view from the hotel

I took this photo early in the morning on the day I did my 10 mile training run---a nice run from Dana Point to San Clemente---except for the fact that I did not eat enough before or take any energy gels with me and I was out of gas and water!  Had to walk the last part of the "run"!

My next post will be about the biennial---maybe later today or tomorrow.

Watch for it!

Fun in California

Having a great time in California!  I have kept very busy since arriving last Friday---oh where do I start!  Last Saturday we went to the Lake Merritt Farmer's Market and many places in Berkeley including a fish market where we bought oysters and three kinds of Tuna---had a wonderful meal that night!  Also went to a rose garden.  On Sunday we drove across the new Bay Bridge and went to an antique market in SF and hit the Costco store to stock up on food.  This is where I discovered It's -It ice cream bars---LOVE!!!  We also went to Lake Merritt again and went out on the paddle boats.  On Monday I went in to SF with Chelsea---we had to deliver their 1993 Volvo wagon to SF---it is going to be used in an HBO film being shot on the Bay Bridge this week---so after going to where Chelsea works I took off on foot and walked to the ferry embarcadero and then to Fisherman's wharf and through Chinatown and places that I don't know where I was.  I did go through a wonderful Britex store with very expensive woolens.  Here is a store window that I took a picture of.

I worked my way back to the Bloomingdales' mall and got a tour of the store and went to lunch...then I took off on foot through Nob Hill and several other areas before making it to Japantown and then back to Bloomingdales and then taking the train and the Bart back to Oakland.  The next couple of days my legs were killing me.  On tuesday we took the Bus to the Bart to the Ferry to Vallejo where we were picked up by Platypus tours for a wine tasting tour in Napa---it was a great day.  It is a small world when it turns out that one of the members of our tour turned out to be a girl that was in my high school graduating class in Lawrence Kansas---what are the odds of that!!!  the ferry brought us back to a different pier---so more walking---ouch!!!

Wednesday became my day of rest---very much needed!

Thursday we rented bikes and rode all around Alameda and visited the Pinball Museum where we played Pinball for an hour---now that was fun!

 At the end of the day it was Happy Hour time at the Tiki bar before returning home for dinner.

This morning I am going to get my run in---think my legs have recovered enough to do it.

We have had a great time preparing many wonderful dinners and making many memories.

On a sad note Chelsea's cat "Jackson" said goodbye to the world.  He was a wonderful cat who had been enjoying the good life in the country the past couple of years with Noah's parents.

This  was a picture I took of him when he lived in New York---rest in peace, Jackson.

That is it for now...looking forward to the biennial next week.

More from Shake Rag Alley

Okay I think this will be the last post from Shake Rag Alley---I need to finish packing---can't believe that I am leaving tomorrow.

 Leslie was working on Karen Kahle's rose runner---it is a large rug---you are just looking at one of three sections.  It is color planned to work with her bedding---soft blue, peach and lavendar.  Good job Leslie!

Joan chose one of my all time favorite patterns---Jumbo Star a Lib Callaway design---those lines you see in the star are all paisley---love!  The inside background is a light mix and the outer background is a dark teal blue.  What a great rug!

Harriet worked on two patterns---on this one it was a matter of background and border choice.   The one below is a William Morris adaptation of Strawberry thief---the strawberries were hooked with an texture that made them look like they were seeded and I love how the bird turned out just using two textures.

Fay Marie was hooking Paisley Hex, another favorite of mine---It is a jane Flynn pattern---she used a lot of paisley in the piece---I always love how this pattern hooks up---about the size of a piano bench.  Just lovely!

Well I think that I covered it all---what a great group of students.

I have three bags full packed for the Paisley workshop at the Biennial---weighed them this morning---two 40 pounders and one 45 pounder ---good thing that I am flying Southwest and that my husband is going too so I can still check one of our clothes bags.

Shake Rag Alley continued...

Have a break---no one at the open studio right now...so here is more from Shake Rag Alley

Trudi designed this rug for her son---we tweaked the design a bit to keep the sun on the right side znd used a dip dye to create the rays.  the rooster is going to be a "Pretty Boy"!  This was Trudi's first camp---always fun to introduce someone to the joys of rug camp!

June chose "Freedom" for her project---The eagle is working up nicely and the banner on his body will be red and white stripes also--a great patriotic rug!

Nancy's piece is called "Devonshire" and is a crewel design but she didn't want to hook it as a traditional crewel but wanted to use textures and we even used some antique paisley---you can see the beginnings of the dark background which will really pop the motifs.

Sandy chose Emma Lou's Tulip Cross---I consider this a great workshop pattern even though it is large because you only have to work out one quadrant and you've got the color plan---and Sandy was able to do that---I really like the large leaf ---sorta hooked two sided with the addition of the jagged vein.

This is my daughter's house in Oakland sporting a new paint job---looking forward to seeing it on Friday!

These interesting plants were on the property where the workshop was held---Pokeberry I think!  According to the book about the Magdalena rugs---they used Pokeberry to dye wool.

This house was for sale in Mineral Point---it had been redone beautifully!!!

that is it for today---will post the rest of the rugs tomorrow!

Home from Shake Rag Alley

I had a wonderful workshop in Mineral Point Wisconsin at Shake Rag Alley.  This is a wonderful historic town that really supports the arts.  You can read more about Shake Rag Alley at the following link.

shakeragalley.com

I arrived in town to set up early on Thursday so I could spend some time in the many antique shops and well as galleries.

Okay so here are some pictures from the workshop.

Here is the group picture we took on the patio area outside the Smeja's studio where the workshop was held.  The facility was wonderful with good lighting and plenty of room for everyone to work.

Ellie, inspired the plaid that you can see in the picture (which will be a braid) is well on her way to a wonderful primitive floral---Nottingham.

Teresa chose an oriental paisley pattern from Ingrid Hieronimus ---this pattern had lots of detail and to get it to work with the texture that Teresa wanted we had to simplify some of the design as well as make some small adjustments to the pattern---Teresa missed the last day of the workshop but got a lot accomplished in two days!  She chose not to hook the pattern as a traditional oriental---the blue fields really popped in the piece better than my camera shows.

Pat was working on a pattern of her design---a paisley influenced crewel design---can't wait to see this one finished---it will be a beauty!

Pam chose a Red Barn Rug's pattern---I love the non-directional hooking on the pot ---she first wanted to use a green plaid for the backgound that just didn't work---so tried another one---so if at first you don't succeed, try try again---she is going to dye a light background when she gets home and I am confident she will; get it right!

Sheryl was working on a Magdalena style rug she started in Ohio with Evelyn Lawrence---she designed the rug was doing a great job with this primitive style which is not her usual  thing---Almost got it finished---should be done soon...

hazel chose a Lynn Rudeger design with crows and sunflowers.    Hazel used a lot of Sari Silk ribbon to create interest in the sunflowers---a fun and challenging design.  If you look closely at the yellow flower you will see some fringing done with the silk as a possible addition---I like it!

I am having an open studio day today but not much activity yet so I had some time to work on my blog...but I really should stop and work on my packing for California as I am leaving on Friday for my trip to see my daughter in Oakland and then on to Long Beach for the Biennial---will be gone for two weeks all together.

Will post the rest of the pictures from Shake Rag in a little while.

Thanks  Harriet for pulling it all together---great job!!!