Primitive Halloween...

Look what I found on eBay!!~~available from my buddy Sherry, of From Sherry's Heart...I LOVE this jackity lantern!!!--

...and just look at that rug!!!!
You can click any of Sherry's pictures to visit her auctions....

Just yesterday morning we were talking about the WORK involved with just getting ready to hook a rug...Sherry had blogged about it. And I think, gentle reader, she cursed me! Because yesterday was one loooonnng day, getting ready to hook a rug--in a nutshell: the bathtub leaked because I was absorbed in cutting my wool and forgot I was running a bath (our tub is 1941 like the rest of the house, and you can only run it so high or it leaks into our basement. We've tried to fix it of course. It's a mystery.) Thankfully, it just leaked onto 3 boxes of incredibly ugly pots from my unfortunate (for the viewer) sojourn into ceramics and pottery... So anywho. That's what happened while I was cutting my wools...now, onto dyeing!

A 9"X13" glass Pyrex dish blew up all over our tiny kitchen. I don't really think that should have happened, do you? Thankfully, I had just turned my back to the stove a second before it blew--an explosion of dye water, wool, glass, hot burners...the mess was absolutely horrid (and just between you and I, I'm not sure if the stove still works--it's 1941 too!!) Then there was this whole saga with trying to transfer my design--I don't have any red-dot paper which is what hooker's use to get those designs on the thick, opaque, backing fabric...I wrestled with some old locker hooking backing, a window screen, the living room window (sigh). I've actually never transferred anything as I usually just draw right onto my linen, but as this is a sample for my next book, I wanted it to be "true"...

So. At 7:30am I woke up motivated to hook a rug as sample for my new Christmas pattern book--at 6 o'clock in the evening, I finally sat down to hook. Keep an eye out for my this new rug!! It will be $500, buy it now. (I know that's high, but I have to buy a stove!--LOL)

Be sure to visit *Timothy Jack III (is NOT a fop!)*~~he's on eBay right now...

A changeable fellow~~he's quite prepared for Christmas AND Halloween with his dapper little costume...you'll just have to go see!)

Have a blessed Sunday,

and while you're at it--

have a sundae too!!

Meg

Crafty Christmas Challenge...

What, pray-tell, is that nutty little song playing on your blog Nutmeg??? Wellllll....it's off the Juno soundtrack. Juno is one of thee best movies I have seen in a very, very, long time. A few months ago Joe and I watched some of the Oscar Winning/Nominated movies. Whatever. I was heartily un-impressed. Then my mother-in-law told me to check out Juno--mostly for the weird music factor. Anywho. You should watch it. Now.

You're back?? Super!! :)

The main point of this post is the Crafty Christmas Challenge--but I've been meaning to tell you all about that little indie flick. So what's the challenge? Well, I'd blogged on the 12th about making my gifts this year, and asking other artists and crafters to play along...it's not super-structured or anything, not especially organized...I just thought it would be fun, for all of us who would like, to maybe share our pics. and progress with the blog community. Most importantly, I wanted to share with everyone why it's so darn important to buy handmade and to make things your very own self! You can read more here ...but one of the "finer points", imho:

Buying handmade is better for people.
"The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect...."

Hear, hear!! Just over the past few months, I have acquired some new convictions--this "stuff" is so important...to grow your own, make your own, and teach others (especially kiddos!) along the way. I have three quilt-tops from the 1930s--they belonged to my great grandmother, Ida Rice.

I have no idea how to quilt them! And oh, if I could only grow tomatoes the way Mom Chapman did!--I know full well she didn't pop down to the local big-box store and pick up a box of strange, neon, grainy, "fertilizer". These traditions, crafts, homesteading skills...they've simply disappeared for so many of us. The recovery of our loss is GREEN and it's a revolution! And of course, with those two words, I've lost a few of you...crazy Nutmeg rides again. :) Ah well...we'll be back to simple look-at-my-auction entries soon...

Anywho. Now that both girls are in some sort of school, I'll have a few hours each week to work on their gifts--in secret, un-interrupted. This vintage dollie is definitely on the list:

(You can get this pattern at Cloth Doll Supply.)

I also found a TON of freebie patterns at Lion Brand's website, for those of you who knit or crochet...

So. Spread the word!! And then, as you wish to, you can email me pics. of your Christmas goodies, and at some point in December I'll upload them to this blog, or, of course, you can load your own and link to everyone's lovely creations!! :) And do let me know if you'd like to play...and I'll add links and names to this blog entry...

I found this pic. this am and wanted to share it with you...that's my husband's Grandma and Grandpa--her name was Dollie, and I do all of my sewing on her sewing table...cool huh? I also have a treadle machine from Grandma Francie--not brave enough to try that out yet, but it's definitely on my "someday..." list!

Have a wonderful Sunday,

Blessings,

Meg