Binding Can BE.......

Relaxing once you figure it out.  Now let me be the first to say I have tried all kinds of binding techniques and I have a couple of favorite ways.  One is with binding tape which I have found to be one of the most easiest once I learned how to do it.

I admit I once had a pile of over 40 hooked pieces needing bound all because I wasn't sure how to finish them without getting discouraged.

So I just kept on hooking and let them pile up.

This method I am using on this oxford punched rug does not use binding tape.  I simply just trimmed the monks cloth folded it in and sewed a simple running stitch to hold it in place and rounded the corners a bit with needle and thread.

 

 

Here is the backside of the rug.  See how it adds the look of almost another row to the rug.

I have another rug I need to bind and I will try to take step by step photo's of how to do this.  Maybe it will give you another option to binding if you have never tried this.

 

I am binding this with the same wool yarn I hand~dyed for the punching.  It is a 4 ply wool yarn and it binds it very quickly :)

 

Enjoy your weekend and take a few minutes to slow down in this busy world we live in and just enjoy the simpler things of life!  You will be glad you did :)

 

Happy Trails......Ginger

Summer Fun

 

Busy days of punching and hooking samples and of course that means  putting the binding on all these little mats :)

 

Some days I sit outside and watch Sloan ride the scooter and catch grasshoppers while I whip around the edges.  Then in the late evenings while watching British comedy (my mom got me hooked on them) I bind or sometimes punch more.

 

I punched this little basket of flowers for a paper mache box but can't seem to locate the box so I made a wool needle case out of it instead.

 

My friend Dee told me about these neat little magnetic heart shaped closures.  Easy and simple to add and they close so nicely.

 

 

I took the grands to the zoo today.  It was HOT but we did have fun seeing some of the critters.  Sloan wanted to stop and have our pictures made in the fun booth so we did just that!

 

 



We had a great time last night celebrating Dad's 72nd birthday at a new Mexican food restaurant nearby.  He had another round of chemo this week and is to the halfway mark. 

 

Well the days have been filled with packing up everything I can think of for our 6 week stay in Branson.  Hooks, frames, wool, yarn, finished goods, patterns, displays, and so much more.  We will be dressing the part of pioneer gals from the 1800's so prairie dresses and skirts with granny boots :)

 

Sloan took this photo and has taken to calling me an old granny!

 

 

Hope you are enjoying your summer and taking time to have a little summer fun!

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger



Poppity Pop Pop Pop

 

Just about every day I do some sort of crafting.....It is my therapy and brings me lots of pleasure making something with my hands.  I finished these needle punches into little memo book covers.  Some have wool yarn around the edge and some have a heavy jute sewn around the edge. 

Needle punch pins overflowing finished with wool on the back and a pin sewn securely on.  Snowmen, Gingerbread men, Pumpkins, Birds, Christmas Trees, and more!

 

 

I wanted to try dyeing some wool yarn purple and came up with this color.  A quick oxford punch for Halloween!

 

It has been such a different July with several different days of rain and more on the way this week.  We are certainly counting our blessing!

 

We have a little surprise to share soon :)

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger

Snippets!

 

This rug has been needing finished for a long time.  I finally set down and finished up the background and added the border.  Pulled the last loop and now to get it bound.  If you are interested this is a pattern by Pine Island Primitives.   Think I will place it in front of the fireplace where the grandkiddo's like to set and look at books :)

 

 

Started this scrappy little rug on Saturday and finished pulling the last loop on Saturday evening.

 

 

With the same pile of wooly worms and a bit of scrap monks cloth made a small little scrappy mat.  With hooking all these pieces I have lots of wooly snippets for stuffing :)

Now to get everything bound!

 

 

A week or so ago I spent the day dyeing about 200 skeins of wool yarn.  With the Oklahoma winds and the sunshine it doesn't take long to dry.  Pati and I are building a website that will offer wool yarns, patterns, and finished goods later this fall.

Our 6 weeks of demonstrating at Silver Dollar City is coming up soon and we have a few things left to finish up!

 

 

We had our little rug hooking group here on Saturday and Sandra and Pati were both able to come.

 

There was 10 of us in all.  We enjoyed our time spent together and it will be October before we will all be able to meet again. 

 

Mom even got to come over and stitch.  Dad is doing pretty good with the chemo and radiation.  He continues to cut and bale hay but does rest when he needs too.  We are so thankful that he is getting through this.  The daily driving to radiation does get tiring for Mom and Dad but hopefully in a few weeks that will be done.

 

We have one more family gathering planned before school starts!  We have a few July birthdays to celebrate and we do enjoy getting together :)

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger



Embrace Every Day!

 

We are taking each summer day and enjoying them as much as we can.  Time slips away so very fast.

Sloan gave all of these rocks their own personality.  The green ones glow in the dark. 

I have been trying to read to him as much as I can this summer so we joined the Library dig into reading program.  He starts kindergarten the middle of August and he said he is looking most forward to the ice cream that will be available!

 

 

We hop into the truck and meet up with Aunt Jenn and Eva Mae at one of the local parks.  The riding toys are hot so we cool it down with a big beach towel.

 

On to the splash pad where we all enjoy the cool spray of the water!

 

 

Back at the house Sloan tells me he wants to earn some quarters and he  asked  if I have some chores he can do.  There is always something needing done and so he shines up the glass doors.

 

 

He told me that he needs six more quarters and so a sink full of dishes gets done!

 

Miss Eva Mae comes to visit and they both have a great time playing together.  She calls him bubba and he tells everyone that she is his lil' sister!  Cousins that are as close as brother and sister :) 

 

 



 

Pati Jane and I have been working for months on kits and finished goods for the time we will be at Silver Dollar City.  We set up a mock display with a few things we will have in our booth.

 

We have boxes filled with lots of kits, patterns, yarn, hooks, punches, and so much more!

 

We will be at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo from August 23- September 30th.  If you are in the area we would love you to stop by.  We will be demonstrating rug hooking, oxford punch, and punch needle.  Silver Dollar City is an amusement park set back in the 1800's that is a family friendly park with activities for young and old. 

 

 

I hope each of you are taking each day and embracing it and making memories along the way.  Memories can last a lifetime and time slips away so fast!  Take time to enjoy the simpler side of life :)

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger

 

Bright & Cheery!

 

Some days you just need a little something to brighten up your day.  I've made my own bit of bright and cheery in the dye pots.  The dye pots have been going since early morning and I have been hanging out wool yarn all day long.

 

The day is almost over and it is just about time to start gathering in the yarn that has dried so far!

 

Just finishing up dyeing lots of greens....they will have to wait until in the morning to take a turn outside in the sunshine.

 

The grasshoppers are plentiful this year and the flowers are getting eaten up.

 

 

Sure wish they would leave my splashes of color alone.  I didn't plant much this year but I do enjoy a little bright spot here and there.

 

 

The cows are grazing late into the evening.  We are enjoying some cooler temps and it makes me want to be outside as much as I can.  Sloan spent the day chasing grasshoppers and putting them in his bug barn.  He turns them loose and gathers more.

 

Tomorrow I will be making lots of yarn cakes....in lots of yummy bright colors!

 

 

The cameo punch needle gets used a lot late in the evening.

 

 

I also started a bright and cheery crochet project.  As usual I have lots of projects going at once.  The washing machine seems to always be humming, cookies are being baked for all the guys, and someone is always calling my name :)

 

Dad is really struggling trying to eat.  I will be so glad when all these treatments are over for him.  I will say this Cancer is not for sissies!

 

Thank you so much for all the prayers for him and my mom....they are all much appreciated!

 

Hope you each have a bright and cheery week :)

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger

What Is That Cooking...Yarn, Fish, & Frog Legs!

 

The dye pots have been going almost non~stop and some wonderful colors are making their way from the dye bath  to outside to dry and then I have been rolling them into wonderful wool yarn cakes.  Ready to use for oxford punch, binding rugs, or even crochet!

 

 

This week the colors have been blues, rich browns with black, and a wonderful dirty white.  All great for backgrounds and so much more!

 

 

After they are rolled up they are being packaged for our little store we will have at Silver Dollar City this fall.  There is 35 to 40 yards in each wool cake.  The good part is it is ready to use no winding!

 

Oh and I forgot I did a few mustard cakes too and here is the rich earth browns with black. 

 

I did have to try out the dirty whites and just love the way the pumpkins turned out!

 



 

Over the weekend we had a fish fry and the guys also had some frog legs to cook up.

 

My dad's brother came up from Texas with his wife for a visit.  The two cowboys on the left "Dad and my Uncle Bill" caught the fish.

 

Dad started his chemo and radiation this week.  He goes early in the mornings to OKC and is back home by 8:30 and for now he is still baling hay!  We sure appreciate all the well wishes and prayers. 

We are taking one day at a time and are praying that the treatments shrink the tumor and dad stays as well as he possibly can. 

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger

Busy Summer Days!

 

It has been way too long since I have updated.  So many things going on...where to begin!

 We took Sloan for a mini vacation to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo.  He told us best weekend of his entire life!  That boy is a character :) 

Sloan and Papa mining for gold (lots of interesting rocks)

 

He talked me into riding a small rollercoaster with him and a pirate ship and yes we both got soaked!

He like to froze eating dip n' dots!

 

Miss Eva Mae is quite a darling.  She loves books and is jabbering non~stop.  She has learned to say MoMo.....got to love that!

 

 

Sloan was in a wedding as a ring bearer for his cousin.  He loved dressing up and decided he was one cool dude!

 

 

Father's day we spent at Mom and Dad's with a picnic and working.  Dad plowed up the potatoes and we did the gathering.

 

 

It was HOT but we all worked together and got it done.  The yard got mowed, a barn was cleaned out ready for more hay, and lots of kidding and visiting.

 

 

Sloan and Eva having a great time at a nearby waterpark.

 

Well I've been packing and pricing lots of rug hooking, oxford punch, needlepunch, wool applique', and patterns for Silver Dollar City.  It is all starting to come together for the adventure Pati Jane and I will be having soon.

 

Dad is suppose to start chemo and radiation soon.  He went in for a simple port to be put in for chemo and his lung collapsed.  He was on the mend and it collapsed again.  He spent about a week in the hospital and Mom would not leave except to run home and grab a few things.    By the end of the week he was setting on the edge of the bed with his jeans, cowboy hat, and boots on ready to go!

 

Did he take it easy after he got home!  Well no out cutting and baling hay the day after he got home.  Those two can run circles around me :)

 

Well I'm hoping to catch up on what all of you have been up to within the next few days!  Hope you all are taking time to enjoy a little summer fun :)

 

Happy Trails....Ginger