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

*Confections*, at Collins Gifts...

A lovely group of bears and 'keepers have recently left the nest--and they are all to be found in New Hampshire, at Collins Gifts!

And, you are all cordially invited to the web show which begins one hour after the artists signing...

The web show will go "live" at 11am EDT on Sunday, August 3rd--

***************************************************************************

*Aunt Tutty*

One of a Kind, 12"

CARE AND FEEDING:

Aunt Tutty is especially proud of her dress she's made to wear to Wendy's party!! It reminds her of coconut cream pie...and everyone knows that is Aunt Tutty's favorite lunch...breakfast...dinner, er, tea--snack! (In fact, that's all she really eats. You'll want to make two and freeze one...)

When Aunt Tutty's not eating pie, she likes to Jitterbug and take naps.

****************************************************************************

Cousin Johnny

One of a Kind, 14"

CARE & FEEDING:

Cousin Johnny is used to being quite spoiled by all of his auntie bears--he will expect--and sometimes, demand--a sweet treat made especially for him at about 10 o'clock each Tuesday.

NOTE: Cousin Johnny is most comfortable at bedtime with a feather pillow and night light--otherwise, he'll wait until the household is asleep and eat all of the Cheerios!!

***********************************************************************

Aunt Lemmy Pie

14", One of a Kind

CARE & FEEDING:

Aunt Lemmy Pie is known for exactly that!--her most excellent lemon pie...and, as you can see, she also enjoys dressing up. Lemmy is quite fond of her little paper shoes, & she will NOT take them off, under any circumstance. Strangely, Aunt Lemmy does not eat the pies she makes...she prefers green beans and cantaloupe.

NOTE: Very partial to Katharine Hepburn movies...

********************************************************************

And, finally, a party of pinkeepers!!

*Sunny the Sewing Bear*

*Oma's Pinkeeper*

*Pink Ele' Blossom*

*Blossom Duck--Ellie*

*Angel Bun'*

*Chickie's First Tea!*

Thank you all for your consideration--...now, you are sooooo disappointed aren't you??? I mean, a whole, entire, blog entry without one bit of looniness!! What's up with that?

Alright. I relent. And i'll share with you my very favorite dog haiku:

Dig under fence -- why?

Because it's there. Because it's

There. Because it's there.

Or is it this one....???

I sound the alarm!

Mailman Fiend -- come to kill all --

Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!

Or is it...okay. g'night gracie.

blessings,

meg

*Christmas Chocolate*

First of all....I am so sorry that i haven't had a freebie pattern up for November...my scanner completely, absolutely, died. It was a sudden death--quite unexpected for a scanner so young, and 2 hours with various consultants has led to no resurrection of said scanner. (sigh) So, when I have the foresight to drop off a freebie with a scannered friend, have her email it to me, etc. etc. I will have a new, fun, pattern for you...I'm thinking stockings! :) Or at least a tutorial on this week's pinkeepers accompanying the bears...

Now, for the bears...both have mugs or cups of "chocolate"--a rich, beautiful, brown, wool from Skip to my Ewe. I do believe it is my personal goal to make anything BUT a hooked rug with Tammy's wool...(and I'm saving hooked rugs for retirement). And here we go:

*Mr. Bennett's Christmas Chocolate*

This fella's name is directly inspired by "Pride and Prejudice", but not the new one! Indeed, I find the A&E version far better than the newer release! You must check it out...

Mr. B. is made in the usual Magpie fashion...distressed, over-dyed, and gently aged mohair...loosely jointed...stuffed with sand and excelsior to feel much like very old toys. I work very hard to age bears appropriately and realistically! ...his fur is this wonderful rusty pumpkin color...as "rich" as his cocoa!

I have sewn a sage green colored vest for him, embroidered 'round with blanket stitching and french knots and daisy stitches compose a pine cone on the right front vest panel. It is pinned on with crochet lace, a gingerbread man charm, and new and vintage sparklie beads...the teacup is printed with a pastoral scene is a shade that "just suits" Mr. B.

An extra special "touch" to both mugs of chocolate is a dollop of white wool "whipped cream", carefully filled with sand, to sharpen your pins and needles--such a yummy emery! And then each is topped off with a vintage bead that looks precisely like a peppermint...

Mr. B has a satin neck ribbon, is 10" high, and would be most delighted if you will join him for a cup of Christmas Chocolate!

SOLD!

(thank you kindly...)

email me to purchase...

*Cocoa for Santa*

Baby bear is trying so very hard to wait up for Santa! And she has been so sweet...not one sip of chocolate, you know! Baby is wearing a nightgown and nightcap made from a very fragile, very old, linen hankie...I have used the crocheted hem to accent the dress and cap appropriately, and added-to are tiny little "yo-yo's" sewn from red and white ruffled ribbon~! Baby's little mug is a Santa mug, and it's a wee 3" high, even with the whipped cream emery! Baby has an itty bitty 3" wool felt bear to keep her company as she waits, and she is 9" high herself (but quite plump!).

SOLD

(thank you kindly)

email me to purchase...

Thank you all so much for your interest in my work,

and for your consideration~~

Blessings,

Meg