Hubbys on his way!

Well, I am just sitting here waiting for the phone call from hubby saying he's in Atlanta. I thought he would have called by now.....the waiting is the worst...! He should be in Syracuse by this afternoon. Knowing him, he's at a ticket counter trying to get on a flight right now!!! 2 weeks of R&R, then he goes back for a couple more months but the worst is behind us. This is the longest we've gone without seeing each other. 9 1/2 months before R&R is tooooo long!

So, before I head down to get him, I just wanted to share a couple things. The first is a picture of our first butter mold inspired chair pad in a series of 6 that I have designed. Mom is working on them all, but has been sidetracked with the next picture. She wanted me to design her a rug to enter in the NYS fair, so I had some ideas swimming around and the pattern you see is what I came up with. Fun and whimsical. The wools are really going to make it. So, I had all six of the butter mold chair pads drawn, and she got the first one done, but then just "had to" start the fair rug last night!!! So, hold for the other 5 chair pads, looks like I'll have to hook them. I'm off to put the first one on my website right now.

Until next time.....

A couple posts back I was talking about the great antique European bed I found at a yard sale. I paid.............$7.50 for it. Well, finally got the photos on. Just remember, you do not have to spend alot!! I can't tell you how many gorgeous pieces I have found at yard sales for next to nothing. I think I'm preaching to the choir though since if you are following my blog, you probably love the same things I do and are a "junker" like me. Anyway, this might be my best score, or high on the list anyway. Tell me what yours is...
Until next time............

Nice Steady pace..........

This is the time of year I just love. The yard is being maintained, the garden has been planted (by Mom), things are lush and green and you can take the time to really enjoy things. I have been "puttering" taking photos of things, finishing up projects, starting new ones, coming up with ideas for new patterns. I swear, my brain is in overdrive!
I actually drew out a set of 6 chair cushion designs that I will be getting out soon. They are super primitive and I can't wait to start hooking them up.
The pictures.......
The first one is a gorgeous owl my father bought for my mother a few years ago. He has a nice spot on the porch!! He is made of cement and is very heavy, but when my mother was moving here from Florida and wondered if she should keep him. I told her he's way to0 special not to keep.
Next is my floral heart punch needle pattern I just finished punching. The next photo is the same pattern that I am hooking. I should have that done by the end of the week, but, hubby is heading home this week for R&R, so you just never know.
The last photo is just a nice picture I snapped and "aged". My mother was sewing out on the porch and had her pin cushion next to the beeskep. The best pictures are the ones that are not staged. I just love to go outside and snap away.
So, keep watching because I've got lots of pictures and ideas to come in the next few weeks.
Until next time....

Great weekend!!

My nephew Mitch was graduating from High school in Vermont this weekend so my boys and I headed up Thursday afternoon. We met up with my mother who was already up there visiting. A great time was had by all. As you can tell, we had a makeshift game of ping pong. We've always had intense ping pong battles over the years, so since we had a large group of people and captive audience, we decided to put together a tournament. I made it to the semi finals, but sadly I think the three drinks I had caused me to lose the prize!!! It was very fun though. The sunsets from my sisters house are just gorgeous, as you can tell. So, now it's back home and back to work.

Until next time..........

I thought I'd add a closer up picture of the round part of the bird feeder.

Also, I am oldtatteredflag on twitter and my facebook link is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Old-Tattered-Flag/158522534215598

Still not sure how I'm going to keep up with everything, and I will repeat but, I'll give it a go....

Good Old stuff

I'm almost done putting together that large punch needle order you see in the previous post and am feeling antsy to paint. So, today I went out and looked at my stash. In the last photo check out these awesome door panels that I get from a great place in Vermont. They make the best canvases as there is a built in border. And when antiqued, because they are wood and have great "character" they look so nice. The "arched" piece is going to be a "Come Sit On My Porch" sign that I will get on my website.
I have a very bad addiction............antique beds. I can't pass one up. Here in the North Country of NY I cannot tell you how many $5 old wooden beds I have gotten. My husband has turned several of them into gorgeous bed benches and I like to paint on the headboards. So, a few weeks ago I bought 2 or 3 and the guy threw in the side rails (which I really never use, so they end up in the fire pit), but the two he threw in had a nice decorative detail on them, so I painted them and made them into "Land of the Free Because of the Brave" signs. I attached two hooks on them for hanging and brought them into the shop on post. The manager told me they are already gone. This makes me so happy because I have really gotten away from painting and now that I am getting my pattern work under control I am really feeling the pull to start seriously painting again. I'll paint on anything if it's not tied down. So, watch for more.

The next thing I wanted to share is the neat bird feeder I made. I could have sold this several times over but just LOVE IT. At some time or other I picked up that neat metal thing on the top, not knowing what I would do with it. It had a hole in the center. I really dont' know what it was, maybe one of you does. So, it sat in the barn for a couple years until I saw this tall spindle with a tabbed end. **DING DONG** (that's really what it sounds like when I get an idea) I thought, "I wonder if that round piece will slip on there. Sure enough, it did, so a little liquid nails or maybe a screw or two, a base screwed on the bottom and a dry brush with white paint and a very cute and primitive bird feeder was born. It is very unique and I get alot of comments on it. So, keep your eyes open for those old wooden spindles and neat pieces for the top. Your bird friends will love you.

Back to antique beds.............tomorrow I'll show you a picture of a gorgeous European wooden antique bed I got for..................wait for it.........$7.50. It's my mother's bed and it is probably the best thing I've ever gotten. So check back.

Until next time.........

Busy, busy, busy

Well, I'm trying to be better about writing, but sometimes it doesn't always work. I'll be sitting here and think, "hmm, when was the last time I was on my blog". Add to that that my college age son convinced me that his professor told him, "if you have a business you have to have a facebook page". Ugh, I have been fighting facebook since it started. All my friends have been trying to get me to join in, but I have avoided it............until now. My son created a facebook and twitter account for my business. One of them is theoldtatteredflag and one is just simply oldtatteredflag and to be honest with you, at this point I can remember. And, it seems that with your twitter you just snap a picture with your phone and type a line. (wow, I sound old) Geez, I can barely keep up with my website and blog and now I have to think about facebook and twitter? Well, I'll try but who knows. Anyway if you are a facebook or twitter junkie, give me a lookup. I promise I'll try to be better about updating.

Right now I am in the middle of filling a big order of punch needle patterns, that is the picture you see. I am covering my table with the order. 275 patterns to hand draw. But, I will say, it's very relaxing to sit and draw, just time consuming. I'm almost done which is good, because when I sit and draw I get all these ideas for new patterns, so I'm dying to either paint or sketch. I get bored with one thing easily, so it's a good thing I have so many avenues in my business to explore, hooked, punched, stitching, painting.

On a different note, I went to my sons docu-play last night called "in our shoes". A playright asked 7 military kids random questions and then put it into a script of their own words and they performed it last night. It was very open, truthful and insightful. I think military families have been on autopilot since 9/11 and just go about their everyday lives, coping the best they can. Most of these kids were between 5 and 9 when 9/11 occured, so they can't really remember any other way of life in the military. I was so proud of my son to hear the "strength" in his voice. Most of the other kids talked openly about their feelings of worry and other difficulties in everyday life, but my son did not. I asked him about this afterwards and he just said, "mom, we've done it so much now (deployments) that you just get use to it". I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. He mentioned that our family deals with things with humor and I worry, as a mom that perhaps we don't address issues as we should, but then on the other hand, I've been told I am blunt and don't really have a filter, so I can't imagine keeping things in, and neither of my sons are shy, not by a longshot, so I really don't think any of us keep anything in. I think it's just like he said, "we just do it". I don't know where I'm going with this. If any of you are military folks I'd love your perspective on it, or even if you are not.

Until next time........

Meet "Sam"

Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to share a couple of new rugs my mother has finished. You will see one of my newest patterns, "SAM". He is also on my website as a painting. So patriotic, the perfect summer rug and I just love the colors she used. The second Pear Tree rug is a rug that was commissioned by a very nice lady in Maine. She had seen a similar rug but wanted it quite a bit larger, so I did up the pattern and Mom hooked it for her. It was AMAZING and we are very happy she loves it!

Some exciting news for The Old Tattered Flag, the August issue of Create and Decorate came in the mail today, and our two page article was in there. I am so pleased with the article, even got a little choked up. After reading it, my mother looked up and said "wow, I'd like to meet those ladies". LOL! The write Judi, did a wonderful job and was such a nice lady, she put us right as ease as she interviewed us. Hope you can pick up an issue, they always have the cutest ideas and patterns in there as well.

Until next time......