I can't stop !

I have been having SO much fun with this pattern:

I have five already made up ! 

I just need to stuff them all but don't know where to put them once the are stuffed :)~

I'm adding a little bit of Lavender to them as well as small scraps to give em' weight.

My daughter LOVES them 

I made her a smaller one out of cotton too but she spilled milk on it and it is in the process of drying :)

 I would continue sewing them but I am supposed to be sewing zippered pouches. Which I will show off sometime soon.

Due to a couple of cancellations there a 2 more Openings for the Shaker Rug Hooking Retreat!

 Shaker Rug Hooking Retreat

July 14th ~ July 18th 2012

July 18th ~ July 22nd 2012

            Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill                3501 Lexington Road Harrodsburg, KY 40330

      Betsy Reed                                                        Beverly Stewart

    betsy@heavens-to-betsy.com                             cas13ie@aol.com

Imagine 4 days of rug hooking, learning new techniques, visiting with old and new friends, having fun and relaxing at the historic, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. To see more of this beautiful and majestic place you can visitwww.shakervillageky.org. Whether you want to begin a new project or need help finishing one you have already started, you can get color-planning help and ideas from both Betsy andBev.

There will be door prizes, demonstrations, rug hooking and braiding instruction by both Betsy and Beverly and some “surprises”!! Whether you are a “new hooker” or are experienced, this will be a camp you will truly enjoy.

Camp will begin with a “Meet and Greet” at 3pm at the West Family Wash House. We will be hooking here at the Wash House so please bring your hooking, supplies, find your “hooking spot” and meet the other campers. At 5:30pm we will all have dinner together at the Inn at Shaker Village. You can then go back and hook or retire for the evening. Class will begin the following day after a delicious hot buffet breakfast in the dinning hall (Breakfast will be served each morning) Thursday). We will hook until lunch and then we will have a “Sack Lunch” prepared by Shaker Village. Your afternoons can be spent hooking, exploring Shaker Village (tours available), antiquing or shopping in town. Dinner will be “on your own”. We will have one or two evening projects if you wish to participate. You are welcome to stay in the hooking room to hook as late as you would like. We will have 24 hour access to the hooking room.

Room accommodations ~ Guest rooms will be available atShaker Village at a group rate. Single $75.00 per night and double rooms $85.00 per night. You will need to make reservations for your stay. Please call and speak with Anne at1-800-734-5611 ext. 1548 and mention you are with the Rug hooking Retreat to book your reservation. Please visit theShaker Village of Pleasant Hill website to see the rooms and amenities available. There is a refrigerator, coffee pot and microwave available in the West Family Dwelling building for all to use.

Cost for the Retreat: $350.00

This includes Meals: One dinner, 4 ~ Buffet breakfasts and 3 ~ “Sack Lunches”

Instruction with two teachers ~ Betsy Reed and Beverly Stewart.

( You will have 24 hour access to the hooking room )

Shaker Village tour pass for the week ~ $10.00

There will be plenty of as is wool, dyed wool and patterns available. We will have a Camp Store with specials goods especially made for or “camp” All of you are welcomed to bring items for sale – we want to make this a great store. Please get additional information and forms from Betsy or Beverly. A 15% fee will be withheld on anything sold to help with expenses.

RUG SHOW ~ Wednesday evening we will have a rug show. Please bring as many rugs you like ~ with each rug entered you will earn a chance at a prize.

               Please contact Betsy or Bev ( e-mails up above)

                                if you would like to attend

Best day of the year!

I think for most women when they are young their favorite days are their Birthdays or Christmas or other "fun" day of the year.

 Then something happens and we realize that there is a day in which cements the fact that we are going to have more SUNSHINE, More time to enjoy our hobby, More time to get together and more quiet time for Months!!!

Sure we may "Spring ahead" but there is that feeling (at least in NY there is), You look out the window in the morning and Mr.Sun is there telling you today is a good day.

This coming weekend is that time ( in the U.S ). 

Let us rejoice, Hear the birds sing, Open our windows, Plan our gardens and make some sweet tea and Lemonade. Daylight savings is just around the corner...Wahoo!

and because I could resist , Here is a history of Daylight savings time ( kind of interesting  and I accidentally copy and pasted in this tab so I can't tell you where I pirated the info without losing this post, Please forgive me):

The Invention of DST

 The invention of DST was mainly credited to William Willett in 1905 when he came up with the idea of moving the clocks forward in the summer to take advantage of the daylight in the mornings and the lighter evenings. His proposal suggested moving the clocks 20 minutes forward each of four Sundays in April, and switching them back by the same amount on four Sundays in September.

Willett’s daylight saving plan caught the attention of Robert Pearce who introduced a bill to the House of Commons in February 1908. The first Daylight Saving Bill was drafted in 1909 and presented to Parliament several times and examined by a select committee. However, the bill was opposed by many, especially farmers and thus the bill was never made into a law. Willett died in 1915 without getting the chance to see his idea come to life.

The Start of Daylight Saving

DST was first adopted to replace artificial lighting so they could save fuel for the war effort in Germany during World War I at 11:00pm (23:00) on April 30, 1916. It was quickly followed by Britain and many countries from both sides, including the United States. Many countries reverted back to standard time post-World War I, and it wasn’t until the next World War that DST would make its return to many countries in order to save vital energy resources for the war.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted year-round DST in the United States, called “War Time” during World War II from February 9, 1942 to September 30, 1945. The law was enforced 40 days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and during this time, time zones were called “Eastern War Time”, “Central War Time”, and “Pacific War Time”. After the surrender of Japan in mid-August 1945, the time zones were relabeled “Peace Time”.

Daylight saving was first recognized as an energy saving aspect during World War II when Double Summer Time was applied in Britain which moved the clocks two hours ahead of GMT during the summer and one hour ahead of GMT during the winter.

Brief History of DST in the United States

DST caused widespread confusion from 1945 to 1966 for trains, buses and the broadcasting industry in the US because many states and localities were free to choose when and if they would observe DST. Congress decided to end the confusion and establish the Uniform Time Act of 1966 that stated DST would begin on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October. However, states still had the ability to be exempt from DST by passing a local ordinance.

The US Congress extended DST to a period of ten months in 1974 and eight months in 1975, in hopes to save energy following the 1973 oil embargo. The trial period showed that DST saved the equivalent in energy of 10,000 barrels of oil each day, but DST still proved to be controversial. Many complained that the dark winter mornings endangered the lives of children going to school. After the energy crisis was over in 1976, the US changed their DST schedule again to begin on the last Sunday in April. DST was amended again to begin on the first Sunday in April in 1987. Further changes were made after the introduction of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

DST Now

Daylight saving time is now implemented in over seventy countries worldwide and affects over a billion people each year. Although many countries observe DST, the beginning and end dates are often different than the US. The European Union adopted the summer time period that was used in the United Kingdom for many years which begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.

The DST schedule in the US was revised several times throughout the years, in which the DST schedule period lasted for about seven months from 1987 to 2006. The current schedule began in 2007 and follows the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which extended the period by about one month where DST starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. Currently, most of the US observes DST except for the states of Arizona and Hawaii, and the US insular areas of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

Still Not on PINTEREST ?????

Oh My !

You still are not on Pinterest ?!

You mean you are not drooling over your computer in complete amazement over all the inspiration to be had, All in one place ?

         

wool quilt

ROAD TRIP !

Mom is visiting Maine this weekend to go to CAMP WOOL

They have new antiques in !

better get there before mom does !

A while back Judith from 

Just go hook it blog 

posted this wool quilt and I have had it in my mailbox just to look at it every once in a while. Thought I would share it with you:

mom is usually the one to go for the primitive look but I too am loving this. It is almost modern in a way.

Make it with wool contest

We vend at a few shows a year,

( a list of upcoming ones coming soon if you are interested )

One of our favorites to attend is in our own backyard...

The New York State Sheep and Wool Festival

( Don't leave yet if you don't live near NY ...  )

each year NY and other states hold a contest called "Make It With Wool"

   

You can win tons of prizes!

Including:

Sewing machines and sergers !

Plus.....

• Junior and Senior state winners advance to the National Competition.
• Adult state winners send 5"x7" photos and video (maximum 3 minutes) of themselves wearing garments to national photo competition. National Adult winner receives a trip to model in the National Competition.
• Fabrics, sewing books, equipment and notions are awarded at State and National levels.
• Scholarships are awarded at National level:

       $ 2,000 American Sheep Industry Women (Junior & Senior   Winners)
       $ 1,000 Mohair Council of America (Junior & Senior Award for a complete garment made of Mohair)
       $ 1,000 Pendleton Woolen Mills (Junior Winner)

You can check your local Sheep and Wool Festival's website for more information.

I have always wanted to enter but never have. I am not sure if it is because of fear or laziness :) or maybe I just forget !

What about you?

Have you ever entered a contest? or would you?

Birdbrain Designs and Happy Valentines

Happy Valentines Day to Everyone

Another Great ! shop to mention is

BIRD BRAIN DESIGNS

They have Everything you could imagine for crafting

Downloadable patterns for embroidery

Wool Applique' designs and kits

Pin cushion kits

Cotton Fabric, Wool roving and all sorts of accessories 

And a blog you can visit here by clicking on the image below:

Sue Spargo's Class has a few more openings

Figured I would pass this along :

Favorite shops continued

While working on getting orders out I thought it would be great to "visit " Your fave shops. We obviously can't travel right now but we certainly can window shop on the web....

~Primitive Gatherings~ 

Lisa and the gang must Never sleep ! 

There shop is loaded with all kinds of great applique' and quilt kits. Their blogs are Chocked full of goodness too!

~Camp Wool~

Maine

Camp wool is a must stop shop while in Maine.

They have classes and event, Tons of patterns, books, Lots of wool, Floss, needle punch kits and everything you may need for your next project. 

~Country Craft Cupboards~

Berlin, Ohio

Wow!

From yarn punch to rug hooking, clothing, applique', and anything else you may imagine...This looks like such a great shop to visit!  I think I saw mention of a PJ party on their website too!

Your favorite fabric/craft shop

While we are busy packing orders 

I thought I would stop in and ask :

Where is your favorite fabric / Quilt / Hooking / Applique' shop ?

Favorite Antique Shop

      
                                         My most favorite place to shop - they have wool too!
                                                                         Betsy

Still Gluing......

Still gluing samples ......

That is what my face looks like right about now :)

We have had the great pleasure of having a local hooker offer her gluing services in the future in exchange for wool!

I am SO excited!

Brickhouse Red

Butterscotch

Little Boy Blue

Polly Peacock

Raspberry Crumb

Prairie Dog

Kingston

Shepherds Sheep

Harvest Moon

Turkey Feathers

Tic Toc

Tinker

Kermit the Frog

Remake Bundle

Jan. 2012 Bundle

And for fun and to make you feel good, This is what the downstairs of my house looks like:

Your house is looking like a palace right now , Isn't it?