A Woolly Post

Seems most of today's post is wool related. Not a bad thing at all.

First of all, a finish!!

I adore this runner. Everything about it. It was a kit from Diary of a Rugmaker. Cee does the most wonderful early style primitive penny rugs. Her talent is to be envied...in addition to that, she is kind, humble and generous. She has done some really good instructional You Tube tutorials. It is well worth it to visit her blog.

On this particular penny rug the instructions were to featherstitch around all of the pennies, but that just didn't work for me. So I used buttonhole stitch and then feather stitched around the outer section. I am happy with that.  I used DMC floss 842 that I over dyed by dumping a bunch of old floss I had...papers and all...into a pot of tan Rit dye. Figured I had nothing to lose, and they turned out great. When I removed the papers, it added a nice lighter color giving me a variegated floss.

Not great photos, but you get the idea.

You can see the variegation here. It also diminished the sheen, making the floss look aged.

I stapled all of my pennies on and the top section to the bottom section. A real timesaver, held everything beautifully and came out without a hitch.

I switched out the bottom to an old Army blanket...the kit had the same gray. I like the contrast.  Cee furnished the aged binding. The pattern didn't call for backing, but I used a homespun and backed it.

Next up, I pulled out Words to Live By. I have the last three of the main dozen blocks fused and ready to stitch. Yesterday I was able to finish off one except for the inking, and start another at Woolgatherers.

Then I will need to do the large central block and four corner blocks in wool applique. After that there will be a million half square triangles to set it with. But it is a gorgeous quilt and worthy of being finished. This will be my main UFO focus in the quilting category.

Tonight I pulled out this rug...

I started it last year in an effort to use up some worms.  The worm bags are not diminished in the least...in fact, they are even fuller now that I have completed these last two rugs. But I think that I will get back to work on this rug as it really was fun. The pattern is My Way by Hooked on George, size 30x54 I think.

I am still plugging along slowly on the Alleitare Mystery Quilt. Nothing exciting to show there.

Sara Ashley attended her last Bedford Middle School dance tonight. So grown up and pretty....and such a sweet blessing.

Another good one from Bonnie Hunter...

Take Care,

Jennie