Goings On

     It's a tricky business finding that balance in time management between too much and too little to do. In my eagerness to do everything I do just that, everything. Spring is usually like that anyway. It comes in with such a rush as the sunshine and warmth rouse us out of our winter slumber. The beauty of spring is both intoxicating and exciting and we want to plant every inch of field and explore every corner of woods. Lazy days will come again when the heat and humidity build, but for now we can be outside in comfort and fill our plates with too much to do.
     Craft-wise, my hooked rug is coming along. This is my learning piece and as such, I am learning a lot. The perfectionist in me wants to pull loops out and fix this and that, but at that rate it would never be done. My mentor, Eleanor, is full of praise for what I've accomplished so I will trust her judgement and not fuss too much about perfection. She uses the word, "primitive" a lot and reminds me we are making "primitive" hooked rugs. She is a genteel lady, in her eighties I believe, and she lives in a very, very old home that had its beginnings as a log cabin. Entering her home is like stepping back in time. There are hooked rugs and antiques everywhere. This week she invited another fellow "hooker" to join us and we spent a lovely afternoon together, hooking and chatting. Eleanor served tea and shortbread with a tea cozy, quilted coasters and all. Sometimes being grown up is just like how we played house when we were little. I loved playing house...
     Anyway, here is my progress thus far. I like the process of hooking and I see a lot of room for personal improvement. I may revisit this same pattern one day and hook it again in a year or two just to compare.    

100% wool fabric is cut into 1/4" wide strips and then it's pulled, in loops, through the linen backing.

The main pattern is finished and now I can start on the background.

    Another sewing project I started is a calico prairie dress for granddaughter, Mari. I used to sew a lot of calico clothing for the girls when they were little. Claire has a prairie dress that she played in quite a lot. Here is a photo of her when she was about ten years old and we lived in New York. I'm happy that I can now sew for Mari. Claire chose a pretty blue calico for Mari's dress and she gave me the pattern to use.

Claire (now Mari's mom) around 1995-96

Mari's calico will match her pretty eyes

     On another note, the raised garden beds are all planted and we've been harvesting asparagus and baby spinach. Last night we put up the electric wire to protect our little crop from the deer. We also took a stroll across the field to William's to visit his lambs. His three ewes all had twins and they are adorable! I'll be feeding the animals this weekend and will try to take more photos. Those little lambs don't stand still for a moment for me to take a photo so, I have a little video instead.