Friday, December 30, 2011

New Pulleys! I am easy to please.

Finally replaced the old wooden pulleys with new metal ones,  Works smooth!
Working a rug with recycled sweater, and some bands of cream cotton selvage.  Ended up with a nice size rug. 44 inches long. You know how we always like to find our own faults with our work?  I have to point out something.  this rug was done right after another rug, I think you can see that in the prev picture.  Where you finish off a rug but leave it on the loom and go forward and start another rug without cutting the warp.  When I put on the filler, then the binding warp, I didn't notice till later that it seemed to pull in some, so when I started weaving the rug material which was a smidgen wider than the binding, I got a little puckering.  I think when the rug is used it will flatten out ok, but was disappointed in that little hiccup.  So will watch it when I do this again.  When weaving several rugs with the same warp that is beamed it saves alot to keep them on the loom if you can.  I am still learning. Any advice in this area would be appreciated. 

I hope the New Year finds all my friends with all they desire, good health, and friendship being on the top of the list.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

For the birds

This is my winter flag in front of my little book store.  It is funny, I have had several people come in and want to know where I got the flag.  I have to tell them that I have had it for several years, but bought it at a floral nursery in Joplin.  Wonder how many will go in there wanting this flag. 
We are having a very mild winter here in SW Missouri so far. 

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

He actually came back

I have to report that the young man (that I was pretty sure had taken my money and would never come back,) showed up on Fri. the 23rd of Dec.  The story if you didn't catch it a couple weeks ago is that this guy came in with some pretty crappy books that he wanted to sell because he needed money for cigarettes.  I really didn't want the books but felt sorry for him so I offered him $5 for them but he said he had to have $10 and if I could give it to him he would come back that next Sat. and pay me the $5 back.  Well I was a softy and gave him the $10 and figured I would never see him again.  Sat. came and went.  Then last Fri he popped in and told me he was sorry for being late but he wanted me to know he was a man of his word and he had the $5 in his hand.  I told him I wanted him to keep it and wished him a Merry Christmas.  He still didn't have a job, but had the possibility of one to start after Christmas.  I wish him the best.  Its got to be tough to be alone in the world, no home, no car, no job. 
We all need to count our blessings and be thankful for what we have. 
I have a blog site to share that I found his last post to be very eye opening  Hope you might check it out.
Happy New Year and be sure to count your blessings,  you have more than you realize!
http://www.raptitude.com/

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Thinking of spring

Awhile back I bought all I needed to make this springy looking wall hanging with pansies.  So yesterday I got it all cut out.  Here are my labeled strips on the first cutting.  Alot of the strips are sewed together in a certain order, then recut to be turned this way and that to create the desired blocks.
Here is the 3 finished squares.  Sorry the color sucks.  That really is a pretty dark purple and the center blocks are a lighter purple print.  The green has a glitter look and is real bright.  I will take a pic of the finished product out in the sunlight.  I still have the 4 squares to make the applique pansies.  That is the topic for our quilt club in Jan.  So I will wait and get some expert advice on how to do that part.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Sold!

Sold my first wool rug already.  A local merchant came in and bought it plus another rug, and 3 of my bowls to give as Christmas gifts.  That was so nice of her!  Another guy was in last week and bought 3 rugs and 1 bowl.  Looks like I better get busy. My rug basket here in the store is almost empty!  I almost hated to see that first wool one go.  Maybe I will get another one just like it started on the loom tonight!  For sure this weekend.  Got my order placed for some black and gray warp.  But I have a feeling I will be ordering more wool one of these days. 
If books don't start selling I may have to switch to rug making.  LOL
Merry Christmas to all out there lurking around!
This is one of those pre printed wall hangings that i quilted, (my first attempt at machine quilting). Then I put the batting and backing on it.  I kinda like it.  Hung it right behind my loom.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Beautiful balls

Got the first wool rug done.  Love the texture and heaviness of it.  I have to get some black warp before I weave any more as I think it would do better.  I was amazed how much it took to make the rug.  I ended up with a 33 inch rug for this first one.  I figure out of the 23 pounds of wool I will get 10 to 12 rugs.  Maybe more or less depending on how long I make them.

Friday, December 9, 2011

pictures don't quit do justice

My 2 bags of Pendleton wool selvage I ordered 20# but they came already bagged up, so got one 9#, and one 14#  Will be fun and messy to pull it out and roll up in balls.
This is the black and tan.  Notice the fine texture and tight weave.

Dark navy and gray with some rust every so often.  Should weave up beautiful.  Not sure what color warp I need to use.  Hate to buy more so will look at my colors and maybe mix some cream, and navy and not sure what other colors I have till I start looking.  But think I really need to order black as it is so versital and I don't have any.  Got silly when I first started weaving and bought up to many colors that I "liked". 

Just warped quit a bit of off white on the loom so may try a rug with the black and tan with it and see how it looks.  Actually when you weave selvage often the warp only shows on the ends, but still you want it to look good.

So Mike, I will be interested to see what colors you got!  And what will you weave?  Rugs I am sure but the gal in Branson had some hand bags made by folding the small rug and stitching the sides, (putting the ends to the side) Then she used a 1 inch wide heavy webbing for straps.  Made a nice tote.  Tell me if you have other ideas and have you ever done weaving with selvage??  If so I have the website of where I order my cotton selvage, & have gotten quite an assortment.  Last time I ordered you didn't have a choice on amount or color,  just a huge 80# box.  I am still weaving on it!  Check out Leesburg Looms and Supply.
http://totalrug.com/
Again the pictures aren't quite bright enough to do justice,  Hope you like your investment.  Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

A good day!



Yea, had a local guy (not loco) come in this morning and buy 3 rugs (made on my table top loom) and a bowl from my craft dept. of the book store.  WooHoo,  he said he refused to spend money at Walmart for gifts.  Wish more folks would feel that way.  We have WAY to much junk in the stores that we spend good money for, just so we can say that we bought a Christmas gift.
Don't think I mentioned that I finally got the big loom working and did my first 25 inch wide rug on it this last weekend.  I have started another one with selvage that I think will turn out nice. I still don't get a clean shed, but it is workable, so I am ok for now.
And...... I got my order from Pendleton Or.  The pre-story is that while I was in Branson right after Thanksgiving I was in a Crafters Mall and met up with a weaver.  She also makes baskets and brooms.  Very crafty lady!  Anyway I digress. She gave me the phone no. for the Pendleton store in Or. to order this beautiful wool selvage!  I got to feel her rugs and the selvage she had on the shelf.  I was so excited I came home and called and ordered 20 pounds.  $1.88 per pound, plus you don't want to know the UPS fee.  But I got this wonderful batch of gray and black, and another bag of navy and tan. So if any weaver out there is reading this I will share the phone number, and Mad Mike you can share it with your weaver friends if they weave with this type product.  541-276-6911 
Also you can go on line to pendleton.usa.com click on home and blanket, then click on native American bed blankets. And you can see some of the colors available.  The gal said they don't do internet orders. Its all very personal.  You can order colors, sort of general, like earth tones, greens, blues, ect.  She said you just can't order something from a specific blanket.   I would have liked some rust, and browns, but I am OK with what I got.
So there you go, hope someone else will find this useful.
Got my monthly column in this weeks paper, so will post it here tomorrow.  As my daughter might say: "I am ate up with myself"  lol. 
Don't we love to see ourselves in the paper?  Well maybe it depends on which section.  Ewee just had a bad thought with that one, so best stop for today!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Surprise! No show

Of course that guy didn't show up Sat to return the $5.  What is funny is that if he had, I was going to tell him to keep it.  I just let him tell me he would return with it to see if he would.  But I am not surprised, just disappointed.
Well if business gets any slower for me, I may have to start borrowing money too.  Would hate to do that.  This little used book store has at least paid its own expenses, and other that a start up fund for the renovations back in 2005 I have not had to put my "own" money into it.  I only take out a little each week to pay for my gas.  But that's OK.  I love my little store and am so happy to show up here on Wed.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Did I just get hoodwinked?

Well that young guy came back with a bag of books.  Of course they were old books that someone left in the house he is staying in.  Story is that he came up here from Texas for a job and it fell thru.  He has no car.  Been going door to door to ask to rake leaves.  Says he can do construction.  I gave him names of 2 local construction guys that are working their butts off in Joplin what with all the reconstruction going on.  He just wants money for cigarettes!  Says has some money coming in Sat.  I gave him 10$ for a few books with the understanding that he would return $5 of it on Sat. (that was his idea since he said he really needed $10 and would repay it Sat.  The books aren't even worth the $5.  I felt sorry for him, but he admits to a history of rehab and no job.  So I really doubt that I will see him again.  I also suggested that he find a ride to Joplin and see if he can't get hooked up with one of the outfits there and maybe stay at the homeless shelter so he can work there. 
Guess this is the stuff that happens when you make bad choices.  What a waste of potential that was God given.  Makes me very sad indeed.

Times are hard




Had a guy in the store this morning wanting to know if I would buy some of his books, he is out of cigarettes!  Told him what I might be interested in and he said he would be back.  Please don't let him bring in a sack of crappy books.
Wonder what he will do when the next pack of cigarettes are gone.