Closing in on a finish!

Shep's World is coming along and nearing completion.  It is always satisfying to finish a rug.  This one is in the running for binding before mid-week because we are running away to Arizona for 12 days.  We leave on Wednesday.  I will be binding in the car as my husband drives.

While in AZ I will be taking a class with Sharon Smith of Walnut Creek, CA.  Now being from CA, and only about 2 hours from Sharon you may wonder why I would go all the way to AZ for the class.  Good question.  Well, AZ is especially nice in the winter months and we are very fond of the state.  It's a great get-away place for us and I've made many hooking friends there from attending classes and teaching there last October.  Taking a class with Sharon will be lots of fun and a very exciting part of the adventure is meeting up with my friend Loretta (aka, Hooked on the Lake blog).  Loretta is coming in from Canada to take the class. I met Loretta last March in AZ in a Karen Kahle class so here we are rendezvousing again!

Shep's World before the border is added.  

I hope to finish up hooking on Shep today by adding my border rows while at my first Saturday hook-in group .  I have a quirky border in mind and can see it in my mind's eye, but will it actually turn out the way I want?  I will only know once I've hooked it.

I've got my wool cut for the border area, and guess what?  I made a mess cutting wool and it's OK to make a mess for the first time in 4 months!  This is because we received an offer on our house last weekend, we are in escrow and the public showings are over with!  Making a mess doesn't cause the same pressure as it did when the house could be shown at a moment's notice.

Please keep your fingers crossed for us to close escrow in early February.  We've made an offer on a home in our desired community and it will be a good house for holding hook-ins because there is no organized hooking group in the community.  If all goes well we will be moving in mid-February.  I'm afraid to be excited till the check is in hand, but it feels like everything is going to work out this time.

The Story of Izzie Mae

Thank you -  I've received some positive feedback from adding a new banner for the blog.  It was fun to make the banner, and it made me think I should tell you the story of Izzie Mae.  Little Izzie is part fact, part fiction and a whole lot of story from my mind.  As the banner says "A girl, a hook and lots of stories" so let me tell you the tale of Izzie Mae.

Before starting, I recognize I will either lose you as a reader because you will decide I am entirely crazy or you will find my tale entertaining enough to come back again for more sheepy nonsense.  I hope Izzie Mae's story makes you smile rather than doubting my sanity.  So here goes:

I love rug hooking more than any other artistic pursuit, and let me tell you, there have been many hobbies, interests and attempts at different crafts.  When I retired last year I took some basic altered art classes.  I was scheduled to be a vendor at the Hooker Hill Rug Retreat, a small and intimate camp run by fantastic women, and I wanted to make something different for camp.  I wanted to make a statement and keep up my reputation:  the hooker who makes crazy stuff.  This all coincided at the same time I found Izzie Mae.

Izzie May's name is from my imagination as is her persona which developed after my purchase of a tin type photo of a little girl and her mother.  I named the girl Izzie Mae and so began the saga of her life as a hooker girl.   Izzie shows up sometimes as a normal girl, but she evolved into a sheep girl and has many versions.  Some of the photos are not so great; it's hard to photograph altered art.

Me and Mama - Mama knew I was destined to be a Hooker.

It's only natrual Mama let me be a Hooker when I grew up.

Color - That's the answer.  Color.  The spice of Life.  Lots of color.

Izzie Mae's life story collage.  Story is below.

Izzie Mae Hooker- Snooker

I was born’d on Hooker Hill in July 1847.
Becuz of my natural talents, Mama always
said I was meant to be a hooker.

  I been hookin’ for
so many years I can’t
  remember when I started
but I love every
 minute of it.  I tried
   bein’ refined and usin’
 those small cuts, but
I’m a prim girl at heart.

I’ve tried a lot of
  things, but hookin
is my best talent.

In 1863 I was married to
Billy T. Goat & we’z plannin’
 on havin a big
brood of kids startin’
any time now.

And this is Izzie Mae's cousin Matilda.  They don't show much family resemblance between one another.

Now that you know Izzie Mae, will you still come by to see me for future blog posts?!