Finished Tote Bags

I've shown my

"Stary

Night" and

"Snowman" here before, but here are the tote bags I made from the hooked pieces. Also shown is reproduction of the artist Klimt's "the kiss". I found the patterns for the art on Chantal's free stained glass patterns. If you like these tote bags you can find them in my etsy store Franiefran.etsy.com

Other hooked items I've made

I was going thru some old photos and came across these cute little doll ornaments... since I'm guest speaker for the Mason Dixon ATHA chapter this month and their newsletter said I would talk about my proddy and trapunto "lady dolls" I made up some kits for these cute "ladies" too!

I love these wool roses too.. but you really need to have a hands

on session to show how to make them...

easy but I can't explain on paper.

Gene Shepperds Book on Proddy

I'm so excited about this book I had to share it here. I love proddy, love dimentional rugs so this guy is a new blog I'm stalking... check it out at http://www.geneshepperd.com/. Any one forget to get me a birthday gift??? guess I'll be ordering it myself, it's that good!!

rug hooking felted sweater trapunto kit

I was asked by the Anne Arundel Rug Hookers, a McGown HookCrafters Guild, to do a presentation of my "Mother's Treasures" rug. This rug I have on my blog in many stages and is a Bev Conway pattern called "He who laughs.. last" that I adapted to be my daughters and myself. They liked it because I've used lots of proddy and trapunto with felted wool sweater pieces.

In preparation I made up some kits to allow them to give it a try themselves. Here are two before and after shots. I will be posting them on my etsy site... maybe my ebay store too, since I can't decide which way to go!!

In the rug hooking wool bag... new ebay store

Okay, I think I have it figured out. I've opened an Ebay store.... you can get to it at this address... http://stores.ebay.com/In-The-Rug-Hooking-Wool-Bag
this way the items stay longer (I hope) a low monthly fee (I hope) and I will be able to add my remarkable items for all to purchase to share with their equally remarkable loved ones!! (I hope)
And since I am offically disabled (makes me feel a little crazy)... or I should say retired on disability... ugh... I will have lots of time to create wonderful projects to add to my ebay store... check it out... let me know what to add...

thank you Captain Porkchops

My friend Danielle wrote about me in her blog www.captainporkchops.com the other day. I was so excited and received lots of comments. And last week on the way to Nags Head a customer in a Chinese Resteraunt asked if I made my apple purse and would I make her one... then when my mom and I went into a art gallery the clerk asked the same and gave me the owners card to inquire about adding my craft to their inventory. I'm high on rug hooking right now... here is Danielle's blog excerpt:
My Friend is a Hooker
My friend is a Hooker.Well, she's my friend's Mom, but she is actually my friend, too.Her name is Francesca. Exotic, huh? (Private Joke) Hooking was always in the family. But recently Francesca became unable to work because of a health issue involving mold spores in her office. And because the air quality in our lovely state sucks, she isn't really able to go outside very often or for very long. Just going out to check the mail can render her voiceless.Since finding herself unexpectedly housebound, she has been able to rediscover a craft handed to her from generations.Hooking.I know what you may be thinking. I know.But really, what better job to do inside your home. And she does great work!Rug hooking is a "dying" art. Francesca's mom actually dyes the wool that she then hooks into rugs.Francesca is busy perfecting her ability to look at a picture and hook loops of wool to replicate the image into bags, purses, stools, tapestries, possibilities that are endless. It is such a funky and original way to create art that just brings a smile to your face!You have to check out her blog and give this Mama props! And, comments seriously make her day.So go! Don't comment here today- comment for Mama Francesca at In The Wool Bag!!
(This piece is a rendering of Francesca (far right) with her two daughters.)

Covered wooden stools

I have a collection of wooden stools. My intention is to cover them with my own hooked projects. Here is a couple that I've completed so far.

Patchwork Cat

I can't seem to make a project following a pattern. I started this "patchwork cat" by DiFranza patterns with Bev Conway at the Delmarva Hooking School at the Dunes Hotel in Ocean City November 2007. I was so good, following the pattern for the first 3 outside squares. Then Bev helped me change the patchwork cat to a normal cat (which I absolutely love... his name is Morris... hi Boo!) and I took off changing the outside squares... I think 9 out of 14 were changed, not that they weren't great pictures, I just can't follow directions!! ha ha

Hope you enjoy my Morris and my little angel/fairy! Franie

stary night in fairy land

I love faces.... and I'm getting better and plan to take classes to learn more. This is a pattern I printed from Chantal's free stained glass pattern site.

(http://chantal-stainedglasspatterns.com/) . There are great free patterns to use for all sorts of crafts. I've used a few of them as stained glass and for rug hooking patterns. These two will be for sale on my etsy site at http://www.franiefran.etsy.com/

check it out!!

stary nite has been adapted a bit with my own thoughts, but the church is still a focus point. This will be a tote bag also.

Apple of my eye

The McGown Guild has a challenge this year of an apple pattern. Everyone does something different with the pattern and at a biennial in October all the "apples" with gather to be displayed in Owego, New York. I of course will miss this (wahhhh) to go to a family reunion (yeah!) in Williamsburg, VA.

After looking at a few cliparts of apples I had a brain storm of "the apple of my eye" which of course is my daughters!! Check out the process!

Ebay vs Etsy

Well, I've sold a few frame covers on ebay, but you can't post the item for more than 10 days and the cost is just too high. What a shame, because it is so easy and popular. So I'm only posting my "goods" on etsy now!! But I have two sites. www.franiefran.etsy.com is my "hooking" site. I'll be selling my hooked totebags, original rug hooking frame covers, little odds and ends that pertain to rug hooking. My other site is with Stevie!! It is www.recreateit.etsy.com and has our REcycled Repurposed Recreated items like my felted wool sweater purses and backpacks, wool cozys by Stevie, recycled glass pendants and bracelets and any other "stuff" made from other "stuff". Stevie and I enjoy getting ideas from each other and working together to create something unique while utilizing things we would have just thrown out (of course we NEVER throw out... we RECYCLE). I hope you can find something you like are our etsy stores and come back often, we are always adding a new "recreated" surprise.

Custom Rug Hooking Frame Covers

These are my two new frame covers. I made these custom for a new friend named Trisha in Florida. I think they came out beautiful. The rose cover is for a octagon frame and was "made to order" Thanks for the pictures Trisha!! B

Aspen and Seth

Stevie loved my "wedding" tapestry and asked me to try one of her pictures... then she left to shoot a wedding. I looked on her blog and found this picture. It is Seth holding his neice Aspen. Isn't that a cool name!!! So again I made a pattern, this time on "hookable" wool. A nice grayish tint that reminded me of a needlepoint piece my grandmother had done many many moons ago. also I wanted to try to duplicate it with a style I'd seen somewhere before where to picture isn't completed on the edges. Maybe I just didn't want to hook the whole thing... but I came pretty close to the whole picture... just Seth's hair mostly.... usually it is a shaved head with stubble... but now it is longer and wavy. So what do you think?

A new hooker... my daughter Sara. Yeah SARA!!

My finished project taught by Jane Halliwell Green... made into a tote bag... I love it, but I have a plan for it... he he he

Finished the hooking of "the wedding"

I'm so excited about this piece that I've hooked the whole thing in 2 days... and I mean I didn't even eat, sleep or you know!!! My shoulder hurts and my hand is stiff but my heart is so full of love for this craft and my two daughters that the time just flew... I was totally addicted!!! Thanks mom... so you know... I was absorbing everything for the 6 years I've been idle and it just comes back to me as I hook. My technique might not be perfect, but then either am I, so we are such a good fit. Years of sewing, applique, stained glass (failures) and a wish for artistic talent to draw has combined into this craft. Thanks to all the hookers, teachers and wool dyers that answered my questions, showed me their technique, and told me I'd be a "hooker" one day! Thank you MOM! I love you!!! xoxoxox Butchie

work in progress

But this is the best... I've been wanting to do this for a long time and have the photocopy pattern on this blog... now I've transferred it to linen... just wait...

This is a stained glass pattern free on Chatals free pattern site... cool huh?
I love how she has the finished product and the pattern... you just print...assemble and hook

I'm a "hookin" fool

I finally cleaned my house today, having company!! But inbetween cleaning I took some pictures of new projects.

This sunflower is finished and will be made into a tote bag. Jane Halliwell Green is my teacher... I am only half way thru the class and I'm finished... so I get to start another piece... two for 1 price... love a bargin...

I can sit in my chair and pretend I'm in Monterey California... A McGown pattern taught by momma, Janice Russell

EBAY--Exciting new projects in my life

click here to see the recycled sweater backpack on EBAY

Okay... I've gone crazy sitting at home for 2 months. Sewing my little heart out and now I'm trying EBAY along with ETSY. The difference is that EBAY sells everything and is very popular. ETSY only sells handmade items and is a bit tricky to get the item posted.. several more steps but about the same price. So I'm trying out EBAY to sell all those cluttering items around the house as well as crafts I've made. I'm trying to avoid having CLEAN HOUSE come from the LA area to do a show on the "cluttered homes of the east coast". So check out my posts on EBAY. I'm under BBUTCHIE and this is a link to one of my "treasures" ... don't know why it doesn't show... course I've done something wrong in placing the URL... but you can also search on recycled wool sweater backpack or rug hooking frame cover.

My treasures

A Bev Conway pattern called "He who laughs" was adapted to portray my two girls, Stevie and Sara, and myself... the "matron"... ugh... but I love it and renamed it "A Mothers Treasures" I'm sure you know why. Below are a couple of t-shirts of made of pictures taken from the rug. Enjoy!! Franie

Rug Hooking Covers

My design... I love these fabrics more than the tapestry, I think. For the Puritan frame all the way up to a 19 x 19 Townsend and as small as the little Frazier lap frame... elastic in the edges hold it tight to your frame. MEOW!!! I have several cat prints, but love love love Laurel Burch prints. The flap folds over to the back when you want to hook, stays down to protect your hooking, and the pocket holds anything from your scissors and hook to your wool you are using at the moment!!! Enjoy the ease that the elastic edged cover comes off to reposition your hooking AND saves your hands and arms both while hooking and/or transporting your frame. don't want cats??? Just tell me what you would like and I can email you pics of fabric I have. Want tapestry? I have that too! All it takes to get the cover of your DREAMS is an email(and a realistic price)!!

Just a few things I've been re-creating with re-purposing in mind!!

Backpacks... old and young, man and woman find uses for backpacks. Some of these are from men's sweaters, have crocheted straps, or straps cut from the sweater. None are lined which allows for a stretchy, roomy pack that will hold lots of necessities!!
The two at left are for a young girl... the two on the right are up for anything and anyone!!



These 4 are bright and each one different. Far left is a yellow sweater backpack with purple pom poms for straps. Next is a tan with red and blue spots and a blue pocket. It has a double button closure. Yellow with a cat print pocket and rainbow crocheted straps is a fun little bag. Last is a blue sweater pack with a multi-blue crocheted straps and button decorated wide mouth.

Checked red, black and gray, or grey with white and red accents, another light blue wool, lots of browns, greys, pretty peaches, and grey and light blue... I've got so many and will post more here later and check out www.franiefran.etsy.com

New Job

I've always thought I'd love to open a craft store... not one like Michaels or JoAnns... but one that you can go into and learn to do what you have always thought you might want to do... stained glass, rug hooking, t-shirt recycling, t-shirt decals, tote bags, sewing, crochet, desk top publishing or just painting a flower pot. Since I'm into just about all crafts and have a craft room bigger than my living room, I thought I might try my hand in a little home business. I'd like to give others like me, but not silly enough to purchase all the paraphelia, a chance to try out a dream craft or project.
Recycle those old kids shirts into a quilt, take those photos and make a collage and then print it onto a tote, shirt, or cover for a stool or bedspread. Take that old ceramic teacup you just broke and make a mosiac coaster or into a necklace. In other words I want everyone to be the pack rat I am... or at least help me use up all the goodies I've been hoarding through out the years!! Stay tuned for more information... I'm not a master at anything, but sure do have the determination to tackle about everything you can make yourself.

Sweater, Sweater, felted sweater!!

I've been collecting sweaters for a while now. Mens, womens, kids... they are all an inspiration to me to shrink, felt, cut and sew something new with them... even hook them. I've made them into backpacks, purses, change purses, fancy purses, vintage purses and baby diaper bags. I've cut them up and hooked with them as strips, cut out shapes and used them to proddy flowers, and cut them to trapunto (sp?) into a hooked piece. My shelves are full of them and still I look for more. So if you have a wool or mostly wool sweater, scarf, hat or anything of wool, let me know... cause I want it!! Or I want to tell you what you can do with it!! Recycle Recycle Recycle... Remake it!! take care... Franie

My family

My family from the left, Stevie (son in law), Sara (new hooker), Robin (husband), Stevie (photographer)

drop us a line sometime!! Take care, Franie