Wednesday, July 16, 2008

MR. CATFISH AGAIN ~ ~ ~

Here's one more picture of the Catfish! I had two really good mornings of hooking time this week and it makes a huge difference! Many times, I'm hooking late at night and it's an hour here and an hour there ~ but I really covered some ground this week!

The points of the star are being hooked in antique paisley ~ therefore, I'm leaving them till last. I hooked one point early on and it is so shreddy (if that's a word) from lifting it off and on the frame, that I decided I would wait till the rest of the rug was done ~ put it on the frame one last time ~ and hook all the points at the same time!! Good thinking, hm?

Well, the one thing I did not realize until yesterday, is that I had picked up a piece of paisley from several pieces I am lucky enough to have ~ and it wasn't from the nice big piece that I bought ~ but just a small remnant ~ therefore, I only have enough of that particular burnt orange color to hook one more point!!!!!!!! So ~ my decision now is to cut the remnant and muddle it in with the other paisley that I have lots of ~ or maybe reverse-hook that one point and start over. That will be very hard for me ~ as that paisley will be lost, since it shreds so badly ~ and I am pretty opposed to reverse hooking unless absolutely necessary!! My friend, Heidi, has offered me to look at her paisley stash and see if there is a match there ~ if not, the dilemma begins!! But I'm not going to stress about it until the rest of the hooking is done ~ I'll let you know!! I know ~ it's not brain surgery ~ but a piece of hand-made folk art that doesn't have to be perfect, as long as it's made with love ~ and this piece I do dearly love!!!

If you've never hooked with antique paisleys, they can be very fragile and the wider the cut, the better! But the life and light it gives to a piece is just amazing to me!! When I suggested to Barbara Carroll, as we were color planning this rug, that I use the paisley ~ she agreed ~ that was the PERFECT thing to use in that place on the rug!! Yippee ~ I was a happy camper!! So stick around ~ it will all work out!!

Our builder's association had their annual golf outing today and I drove one of the 'beverage' carts along with two of our daughters-in-law and a variety of other people!! How fun!!! I've done this for years and it's just a great fun day for the old girl!!! It is really heart-warming to me, to be greeted so warmly by all the old guys that we've known for years and all the young guys that are friends of our kids and of us!! We all need all the positive strokes we can get and this was just a great fun day out in the sun with people who work so hard in the building industry and related services!!! This has been a challenging year, not only for our industry but for many ~ so it was just great to see everybody laughing and enjoying the day!! The serious golfers weren't laughing so much ~ they were out to win!! And one of the bonuses is that my son belongs to the country club where they played ~ and he had the wait staff put my 'beverages' on his tab ~ that's a Happy Day for a mother, when the kids pay your bill!!!!!!!

More tomorrow ~ have a good evening!
Alice

8 comments:

JoJo said...

Alice, when you get some time to hook, you really go to town. Mr. Catfish is looking great!! And although I've never hooked with paisley, I've heard that it can be "shreddy." So I'm wishing you much luck in figuring out exactly what you're going to do with those points.

Your day at the golf outing sounds nice....and relaxing. And what a benefit to find that your son is picking up your drink costs for you! What a good boy!

It was just plain hot and humid here today so I only got out long enough to deadhead my balloon flowers again. Within 15 minutes, I was dripping wet so I decided to quit and cool down. But hey, I got it done!

What an improvement from just a few weeks ago when I couldn't even walk across the lawn!!

I hope you're staying cool and didn't get sunburned while you were out today.

Alice ~ Folk Art Primitives said...

Good Morning JoJo!! How good it is to hear that you are out in your garden again! Isn't it a wonderful thing to be mobile and able to do for yourself? It's a slow start but you've come a long way from the first time I became "acquainted" with you on Wool Snippets.
Our cart had a roof on it so no sunburn for me yesterday! I'm headed out for a walk now before it gets to hot ~ have a good day!
And as always ~ thanks for appreciating Mr. Catfish!
Alice

JoJo said...

Yes!! It's wonderful to be outside again. Even though it's icky out with the humidity and heat, at least I can retrieve my own mail from the curb and take care of my flowers, birdfeeders and birdbaths.

I was feeling like a shrew because hubby would come home from work and it was "you need to do this" or "I can't do this, can you?"

I'm still a bit sad over the lost time.....it's 15 weeks today! But since God and Mother Nature won't go back and let me have a re-do, I just have to move on and go from here.

There's always fall to look forward to and that's my favorite time of year! And now that we're into the 'dregs' of summer, I wouldn't have been outside much anyway. *smile*

Mr. Catfish is great. He's going to be finished before you know it. And the colors you've chosen are great!

Anonymous said...

Hooray, Alice!!! : ) Your "Mr Catfish" is coming along wonderfully! Isn't he fun to do? I know you are having a great time! : )
I'm hooking away on the "Helen's" and will be starting other rugs too so I'll be one busy hooker!!!!
Hugs to you, Sunnie : )

Plumruncreek ♥ said...

Hi Alice!!
Great rug! Are you going to be at Quail Crest this year?? By the way I have known one of your DIL for years.

Alice ~ Folk Art Primitives said...

Hi Julie ~ yes, I will be there with bells on!! Stop by and introduce yourself, please! Is it Cheryl? She's a great girl!! Come over and see me sometime ~ I know we'd have lots in common!
Alice

Plumruncreek ♥ said...

Yes, it's Cheryl.Tell her I said hi!! I seem to only see her once a year though.She knows Rena also. Your gardens look great. I'll drop by and say hi at Quail Crest. I went to the spring show at Quail Crest and it wasn't as good as the fall one. This year it was soooo hot.Julie

Unknown said...

Wow really love your catfish rug. Nice and colorful.

katie paxton
http://primitivewoolen.typepad.com/primitive-woolen/