Beat the Heat 2016

Colored Block Hooked Rug

From the book, Comfort Zone

by Maggie Bonanomi

Beat the Heat 2016 is just around the corner--July 16.  Instead of doing what I usually do waiting until the last minute I decided to get proactive and choose my project instead of waiting until the night before the event to start planning it.

I have all these left over worms from previous projects and wanted to use them up.  Words from Grandmother waste not, want not.  I also have re purposed wool from Goodwill.

Maggie Bonanomi is one of my favorite designers--love her primitive style and she never fails to give me inspiration.

Maggie did not disappoint and I found this rug in her book, Comfort Zone.  Ahhh, primitive and a way to use up my left over worms and re purposed wool.

I located my sharpie, tried as best I could to draw the 6" squares on the straight of the linen fabric.

The rug reminded me of one of the quilts I saw at the Paducah Quilt Show in April.

And this rug from the March Madness Hooking event in Franklin.

Now to locate my hook and pull some loops.

Annie Magnolia (aka Anne Pennsylvania Peacock)

 

Little by Little, Anne Pennsylvania Peacock

NPI Silks

??? Linen

Gulp!  Sometimes life takes precedence over stitching.  You know those things like a super busy work schedule, family commitments,  removing poison ivy from the garden and marathon netflex watching.  Okay maybe not the netflex viewing.  Annie Magnolia has not been forgotten, she's just been on the back burner. 

Slowly, progress is being made.  The wisteria has bloomed (the name I have given to the purple flower Annie is smelling).  Annie has a house (some color changes from the original) with a luscious green lawn.  The birds have found a home and the naked tree is beginning to leaf. 

All of the big elements of the sampler are in place.  It is now time to add the personalization.  Anne Pennsylvania Peacock will be changed to Annie Magnolia Jackson, I will be adding the name of the community where Annie lived along with Tennessee instead of Pennsylvania and I will be adding Annie's birthdate.  Then onto the border--there may be some more color changes.

To the back of the framed piece I have written information about Annie which has been shared with me by family members.  When Annie is all finished she will be shipped to Arkansas and will live with AppleJack's daughter and granddaughter. 



 

About Annie's face and head--it is painted and will be mounted to acid free card stock and glued to the completed piece.  At the last stitch-in there was a lively discussion about this.  Seems at one time it was fashionable to paint the faces and heads to needlework.  The Porcupine Collection of samplers uses this technique.  Please share your thoughts:  add the painted paper face, paint the face and head directly onto the linen, or free hand stitch.

This and That

Oak Leaf Hydrangea is one of my favorites--she never disappoints with her big beautiful cone shaped flowers.

Of course, MopHead Hydrangea are equally beautiful.  Hard to choose a favorite color with the blues, pinks and lavender.

This beautiful blue was hiding in the foliage.

The cone flowers in the curb garden are just beginning to bloom--the bees find them irresistible.

Jackmanii clematis is a very hardy specimen.

It's hard to have a bad day when primroses line your path.

The daylilies are just beginning to bloom.

Next Year, the garden thrives on neglect.  Have been especially neglectful of my gardening duties this growing season.  Several things, people, and situations have been keeping me preoccupied--some good some not so good.  Grandmother Bessie would smile and tell me it's called life.

Time to pull on those big girl gardening britches and tackle that growing gardening list of things to do.