2013 Semper Fi Rug Hooking Kit

 This is the new Semper Fi rug hooking kit for 2013.  Polly has designed a rug from a 19th century bandanna.  The hooked rug measures 17" x 19" and your kit contains the linen with the design drawn on, finished edges, and all the wool needed to finish your rug.  The first 20 will also receive their kit packaged in this nifty tote bag designed for the  Pour l'Amour du Fil show in Nantes this past April.

You can find the kit HERE.  Thank you again for all your help with our Semper Fi donations.

Polly and Laurie

1 Week Update

I've been hand quilting this quilt for 1 week.  I am about 70% done.  By next weekend I expect to be sewing on the binding.  I am using a "big stitch" technique with an embroidery needle and 12wt Aurfil thread.  I am very, very happy with how it's progressing.

It's the Nightingale quilt.....

The quilt is 90" square - so a queen size quilt.  I'm probably a bit more prolific than the average quilter, but instead of my usual 4-10 weeks of hand quilting - this will be done in less than 2.  Just something to remember when your favorite long arm quilter has a back log of 3 months and you would like to finish a quilt.  Big Stitch quilting - the 21st century hand work.  

Laurie

We Listened

You rug hookers out there wanted rug hooking kits and we listened.  Well, Polly listened and we have added more to our store.........

You can find them HERE 

Remember when I told you about the hole in front of my house yesterday?  It's a big hole.  

Notice the guy at the top and the ladder - for scale.  My fear is that they will find some ancient artifact, or human remains and then the whole thing will be surrounded by yellow tape and people with clipboards and microphones will arrive and the hole will NEVER be filled in again and I would need a gondola to get from my house to the other side of the street.  

Seriously, if you are a Michigander - you know that one of the favorite local summer games is to claim to know where Jimmy Hoffa is buried.  Every summer, somewhere here in the mitten state,  a "dig" goes on for Mr. Hoffa.  It happened earlier this week not very far from here.  Everyone with a shovel is a suspect.  I am happy to inform you all that so far - Jimmy has not appeared here on Miller Avenue.  But, if they keep digging - who knows.

Laurie

They're Here

They are digging a hole in front of our house.

I haven't gotten close to it, but I believe the hole goes on to infinity.  We are getting a new road.  The construction has been going on for a month.  Sigh.  We have been told it will go until November.  At least by November the windows will be shut.  We have had really lovely weather here the first 2 weeks of June.  Lovely weather.  The kind of weather where you want all the doors and windows open.  It's not just the dust, and it's not just the "tearing up and digging noise", it's the BEEP BEEP BEEP every moving vehicle makes when they are in reverse.  If I lose it - and start talking in tongues - it will be because of that BEEP.  Never have I looked forward to hot weather. I will this year.  It means the windows will be shut and the air conditioning turned on full blast.  And don't get me started on our driveway.  RIP driveway.

In other news......

Polly has started to list some rug hooking kits on our Etsy site. They will be on our website too in a day or so.  

You can find the kits HERE - and there will be more posted in the next couple of days.  

Ta Ta

Laurie

Slow Pace

While we have more than enough stuff to fill our days, the last week or so has been more relaxed.  My "to-do" list can be written on one page.  I am currently chipping away at all 4 things on my list.  Pretty happy about that.

 This is how I will spend my evenings for the next couple of weeks. Hand quilting my Nightingale quilt. I decided to use a big-stitch technique for this and am liking it so far.  That is basically the same hand quilting I always do, but with an embroidery needle and 12wt Aurifil thread.  I believe the 12wt correlates to the 12wt in pearl cotton.  This Aurifil is dreamy in this weight.  A delight to hand quilt with.  This top will go super fast.  The quilt is 90" square and I expect that I will have it just about finished by the end of the month - and that is only sewing on it in the evenings.  I'll keep you posted as to my expectations.

 Here I have started to mark the cross hatching lines that will go behind my vines.  I used a hera marker  to make the top - my favorite tool for straight lines.

I haven't decided on how I will quilt the nine patch "crosses" yet.  I have a day or two to decide before I get to them.

Polly is at a workshop in Florida this weekend.  She says "Hi" and wanted me to tell you that there will be a new Semper Fi Rug Kit posted soon here.

Paula asked in our last post - to list all of our fabric collections.  Wow, I just wrote them down and it sure sounds like a lot.  35 to be exact.  Lissa Alexander mentioned the last time I saw her that we had over 30 collections.  I said that couldn't be right.  Well, I guess since Moda Fabrics counts the woven and wool collections as separate - then it is well over 30.  My, my - how times flies.  I'll list them here - they can also be found HERE on our website.  Over on the left - they are in 2 places - Past Collections has the first that we did before we had the website - and then the rest are listed under Moda Fabric collections.  All are here except for the one that ships in September - Midwinter Reds. 

Nantucket

Nantucket Wovens and Wools

Coming Home

Coming Home Wools

Christmas Past

Christmas Past Wovens and Wools

Vintage Reserve

Vintage Reserve Wovens and Wools

Scaredy Cat

Scaredy Cat Wovens and Wools

The Hamptons

Prairie Paisley

Prairie Paisley Wovens

Winter

Winter Wovens

American Primer

American Primer Wovens

Flag Day Farm

Flag Day Farm Wovens

Jingle Flannel

Wiscasset

Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor Wovens

Halloween Night

Clermont Farms

Charlevoix

American Banner Rose

American Banner Rose Wovens

Prairie Paisley II

Independence Trail

Independence Trail Wool

Indigo Crossing

Indigo Crossing Wovens

Midwinter Reds

Midwinter Reds Wovens

Have a relaxing weekend everyone

Laurie

Yes! We Have Kits!

The long awaited boxes from France have arrived.  Along with our quilts and rugs that furnished our "house" in Nantes - we have a few kits.  That in itself is a story..... we were advised, by needle artists that had gone before us, that small kits were it.  Europeans had smaller homes and thus, less wall space as compared to Americans.  We noted this and shipped tons of small kits - both quilts and rugs to France.  I had to buck the trend and also add some of what I like the most - large quilt kits.  Guess what? Every small rug kit that Polly sent over sold. Every LARGE quilt kit I sent over sold, but I do have some smaller kits left.  Leave it to me to be abnormal.

Star Table Runner

Game Board Quilt

1868 Quilt

This is what we have, the Star Table Runner kit, the Game Board kit (both out of Indigo Crossing fabric) and the 1868 Quilt kit out of Independence Trail fabric.  You can find them here on Etsy.

Don't worry Rug Hookers ...... Polly is working on a new Semper Fi kit to be unveiled here on this blog very soon.  Keep watching.

Have a great weekend

Laurie

A Few Quiet Days

Yes, a few quiet days before all the hustle and bustle starts again.  We've been lucky and have had perfect June weather.  I am making another Nightingale quilt.

Nightingale

I will hand quilt this one - with big red stitches using Aurifil 12wt thread.

The nine patches are all done and I'll be working on the leaf applique for the next couple of days.

I'll be showing pictures in progress along the way.  The quiet time of hand quilting should be helpful to get my brain working.  It's time to design some more quilts for the future fabric group.  

In the next couple of days you should see some more kits added to out ETSY site.  These are the kits from the workshops in France.  

Hope you get some time to sit, relax and stitch or hook during this perfect June weather.

Laurie