Lots of pics, new things and a contest!!

A lot of pictures today...........

A couple days ago I showed you this piece that I've had in the shed for about 4 years.  I finally pulled it out, sanded it down, painted it with HAY milkpaint, distressed it, antiqued it and sealed it.  Looks like an authentic old piece.  I'm very pleased with the outcome...

The last two game boards in the series of four waiting to be hooked.....

I love to go outside with my camera and get some "artsy" photos.  I also love black and white photos which is really a bit strange since I work with so much color!!  

I hooked myself a "chunky" hit or miss table rug this weekend!

No cutter was used, I just tore the strips for the primitive chunky look.  Harder on the hands to hook, but I love the look!

"Easter Delivery" partially hooked

This is the most overworked pin cushion I have ever seen!

"Have you any Wool?" OMG, love it!!!!  Available shortly on the website, www.theoldtatteredflag.com

In my spare time I'm trying to get all my designs punched.  These are my petite prims series, there are 9 in the series, only 5 more to go, the crow is on my frame right now!!

In her spare time....Mom works a bit here and there on our "Christmas in New England" tree skirt.  It's coming along nicely...

I need your help.  I just love these two, so simple and primitive and they must be hung together.  Two separate patterns that will come together as a set, will be available for hooking, wool applique or punch, but I can't think of a name for the pair.  Send me your suggestions and the name I choose will win a free pattern (you can choose hooking, applique or punching)

Send your name suggestion to theoldtatteredflag@yahoo.com  with"contest"
in the subject line.

Until next time.....

Projects, projects, projects.....

I can't believe it's Friday again!!  Where does that week go??

We do manage to fill up the weeks.  It has been a strange week with Presidents Day at the beginning of the week, then our little storm here yesterday, things have been upside down. I did manage to get some new ideas drawn on monks cloth for Mom to hook and always manage to keep busy myself.  

I've done a lot of sheep patterns, but this one I did for a nice lady a few months ago, slightly different, and liked it so much I decided to offer it.  We had been wanting to do a black sheep for some time and thought this handsome guy was perfect.  Mom is nearly done hooking it so check back to see the finished pic....

"Have you any wool?" coming soon

"Have you any wool?" partially hooked

I showed some WIP's (works in progress) on facebook a few days ago, these pin cushions, and have been having fun at night stitching them up. 

Pin cushions available at the website soon!  

Pin cushion/bowl fillers available soon at the website!

Ok, so Mom and I enjoy our food!!  We have really been struggling with good lunch places around here.  You can only go to Panera so many times.  I had heard of this place in Rolla so we thought we'd give it a try.  A neat concept on their menu was Tater "meals".  Gigantic baked potatoes in different flavors like Cheeseburger (which Mom had to try as she does like her burgers), Chicken Cordon Bleu, Santa Fe...and the list goes on.  Great idea huh?  Well, suffice it to say....no comment!!  The search for the great lunch spot continues.  (by the way, Mom didn't even eat a quarter of it and she said "oh, that potato" for the remainder of the day)

Holy Potato Mom!!!!

Last weeks project for Julie, we got it painted, now just have to distress and antique it!

Hubby made me a towel shelf for the bathroom!!

Last weekends projects.  I had that great piece in the shed for about 4 years now.  My sister got it for me in Vermont.  I finally dragged it out and sanded it down.  Check back for the finished pic.  

Missouri snow!

  I guess living in upstate NY, and I do mean upstate, getting all the lake effect snow from Lake Ontario has scarred me for life.  Snow??  This wasn't snow people!!!  They closed Fort Leonardwood for two days, not to mention everything else.  We were just shaking our heads.  I was going to say you'd have to get two feet of snow to close things down in NY, but actually 2 feet of snow was common and they didn't close things down.  

Nancy is probably the nicest lady here in Rolla and stops by the studio about once a week and always the latest project to show us.  Just look at her amazing work.   

Nancy's star rug!!  Gorgeous.......wool stars and circles on cotton homespun squares...

Nancy's 4th of July rug, this beauty was designed by Polly Minick!  That's our new Liberty blue wool in the background.

 "The Girls" is not a primitive design at all, actually it could be in the right setting, but I have had it in mind for some time. I really miss my girls, use to love to go out and collect the eggs every day.......ah, the simple life.  So I created this rug and Mom was so excited to hook it.  I get enthusiastic about a design and she gets the same way about color planning and hooking.  She knew just the right wool to use for the barn board background and man, it is perfect.  Be sure to click on the picture to see it close up!!

"The Girls"

"The Girls" close up

....And what would any blog be without a picture of Baxter.  The pictures just present themselves. He is such a ham.  He actually comes up to me when I get the camera out and hops up and down as if to take "take my picture".

Oh Baxter your so sexy!!

 Until next time.........

A nice Saturday.....

I have to say, I have the best customers/blog followers/internet friends.  I was in a February Funk yesterday and just a couple nice comments came my way and you really have no idea how nice that is.  Some people just don't realize how a kind word really matters in the middle of a well........shitty time!!  I thank you and you know who you are!!

It's been a nice Saturday here.  As I told you yesterday, I have not acclimated well to Missouri so have not really put too much effort into my house.  Well, the other night Kim from Ohio texted me to tell me how she loved her candle that she bought from the website and sent the most beautiful photograph of her dining room.  Kim, you have inspired me!!   I love your trencher full of sweet, primitive pillows, and look at that wallpaper, so folky and primitive!!  So, I took the afternoon to do some much needed cleaning and then shifted some things around.  It's amazing how good it can make you feel when your home is pretty and cozy, isn't it??  Thanks Kim.  

Kim also sent a picture of our "Prim Stars" pattern that she hooked.  She did it totally different than we did and I love it more, so will be offering it in Kit form with those colors.  Thanks again Kim, I think you've nudged me out of my funk a bit!!!  Isn't she a great hooker??

Next is, well, you know who it is, your daily dose of Baxter.  I wanted to show you all a birds eye view of what happens every night when I sit in my chair to punch or hook.  He's about 38 lbs. but thinks he's a lap dog.  He will just sit there on my lap and stare at me like that as if to say, "well, now what?"  

Next I snapped a picture of "The Homestead" which I decided to hang in our dining room until it sells, if it should.  Love it!

Then, as I was cleaning I got sidetracked and decided to do a bit of painting.  Thought I'd show you my little area in the house with some nice lighting for painting.  

So, with Kim's trencher full of little pillows in mind, I'm off to my chair to punch some cute little pillows. 

Until next time.....

Kim's dining room.........just beautiful!!

Kim's Prim Stars Rug, well done!!

You know who!!

Our dining room with "The Homestead" rug.

My little sanctuary in the house!!!

A bit of this and a bit of that.....

I really can't believe it's Friday again.  Where do the weeks go??  It's been............hectic here.  I've been yearning to get organized for a very long time and when we moved here to Missouri we knew we weren't going to be here long, so I told myself I was going to get all my pattern books, files, website, everything organized.  I have only now started doing it, in between designing, painting, punching, drawing, etc.  It's daunting!!!  We like to have an up to date book here in the studio of all our designs for ladies to look at should we be out of a pattern when they come in.  Well that book is severely outdated.  I find that all I want to do is keep designing.  I've got so many ideas in this brain that are just crying to get out, but unfortunately the boring stuff, like bookkeeping and paperwork must take center stage right now.  

I don't normally like to take about the personal stuff too much but lately it seems like the Thomas family is a bit "off track".  Do you ever feel like that??  When we left NY and our boys (in college), I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn't know how hard.  Our oldest is a senior in college and our youngest, a freshman.  He started college last fall in Boston, but hated it and so moved to a college in upstate NY.  To put things lightly, he has not had an easy time.  I alluded to it last week on facebook.  Suffice it to say that the same week he got to the new school (where by the way his girlfriend was), she dumped him.  I feel so bad for him.  He has not had an easy time at college and was really looking forward to the change, to the familiarity of New York (home, even though Mom and Dad are no longer there) and being around familiar faces.  So, right now he is "rebuilding".  After a few rough weeks I am just now starting to hear a lift in his voice.  He is really trying hard to start fresh with new friends.  Ugh, being the parent of older children is HARD!!  Plus, we are so far away that we can't be there for them, when you want to drive up and just hug them.  Anyway, add to that that I really have not acclimated well to Missouri.  My heart is still in the Northeast, so with that my husband has made the decision that it might be time to move on from the Army.  This is very big step because although life in the Army has been rough, especially the past 12 or so years with multiple deployments, it also provides a "security blanket".  It's a scary thing, has been our comfort zone for 26 years, but one that we are both looking forward to.  Normal life.........is there such a thing......??  Is it strange that my older son and husband will both be looking for employment at the same time??  Will I survive this??

So, anyway, back to business, I snapped a few pictures below.  Hope you enjoy them.  We are hooking and punching as fast as we can to get things out for you.  I hope to have some more things to show you in the next couple of days.  

Until next time......

A smattering of rugs......

The first two game boards, see how the colors coordinate?? I just love them!!

"The Patriot" all done.  We hemmed and hawwed over the right border and finally gave in and decide he was spectacular enough all by himself.  He is 15 x 16 inches and will be available soon on the website in pattern and kit form....

My next big project....a wall quilt with beautiful cottons and wools!!!  It's going to be beautiful!!!

Hubby did good!!!  Am I the only woman who says "no flowers"??  I prefer chocolate and he sure came through!!

Parcheesi is done and Baxter???

Just a quick blog today to show you the Parcheesi Game Board Mom finished last night.  Notice how the colors are the same as the Checkerboard I showed last week.  These are going to be fabulous hanging on a wall together!!!  I'm off to the website to list the pattern right now....www.theoldtatteredflag.com  

Parcheesi Game Board all done!!  Another great job by Mom!  This is the second Game Board Rug in the series of four, keep watching for the other two!

Baxter didn't come right into the studio with me this morning, and actually I kind of forgot about him,  See how dirty his nose is?  I think he was up to something.....

Lot's going on.......

I find myself feeling weird lately.  Isn't that quite an opening??  I've been watching the blizzard coverage from the East Coast while right now it's in the 50's here and sunny and it just feels weird.  I know that if we were in Evans Mills right now I'd be outside shoveling snow.  Instead, yesterday we went to the Boat Show in St. Louis.  What a different way of life here the mid-west from life in the Northeast in February.

Things have been busy here as well.  Business continues to grow, we will be advertising in 5 publications this year, I am really trying to get us "out there" by posting on facebook, twitter, here at the blog and now have a YouTube channel. Be sure to see our videos on rug hooking, a tour of the old studio and most importantly, our blooper video (are you all getting sick of us yet?)  These are all things I've been wanting to do but just haven't had time, so it's nice to finally get to them.  I have also committed myself to getting all my designs punched.  Then next it will be onto the wool applique designs.  Problem is I want to have my hands in EVERYTHING.  I want to punch, hook, paint, make pins, pin cushions.  How on earth can we do it all??  

So, hope you enjoy the photos of some things we've been working on....speaking of which, I better get back to work!!

Until next time.....

"Checkerboard" game board series available for punch needle.  www.theoldtatteredflag.com 

Jesus Baxter or Jedi Baxter, as my boys called him.  What do you think??

Coming soon......."Easter Delivery"...

This is how Mom keeps her strips separated while she's working on something....

Mom met a friend at the boat show!!

Here are some neat pieces I'm going to make pin cushions on, they will come with the great vintage look scissors...

The "Arch" from basically right under it.  

"Parcheesi" game board partially hooked, just gorgeous!!

I miss my girls, my white leg horn pullets!  See how Mom dyed some white wool with varying shades of brown for their undersides.  She's about to start this one...

This guy has been in my mind for some time.  I'm glad to have finally gotten him on to fabric.....

and once I give her a new design, Mom is giddy while choosing the colors.  He is called "The Patriot"!!!

and here's another one of the tree skirt, coming along nicely, Baxter, really?!

and next for me is 7 more of my petite prim series for punch. I hope to start them tonight....