New Designs

I've been playing a little lately, making up some new designs.  Making designs on the computer is so fun and relaxing for me.  But tell me, when will I find time to hook these designs?  And which one shall I work on first?  After all, I have a huge number of patterns I want to hook besides these new drafts.  The colors below are for purposes of illustration and not color plans for the ultimate rugs.

I am not really a big angel fan, but I have always been fond of the Fractur image of two angels arms up to one another.  This general design has been used in so many art images and hooked rugs with the angels grasping candles, Christmas trees and whatnot.  Mine are passing on a message to be true to yourself, love yourself and take care of your heart.

To Thine Own Heart be True:  Kathy Clark, Briarwood Folk Art, all rights reserved.

I was sort of itching to work on a pictorial rug and I usually head for the dogs on my pictorials.  But I have been doing a lot of dogs in the past two years and I figured it's time to expand my horizon.  So sheep became the focus (what a surprise, huh?).  Capitalizing on one of my favorite antique rugs of a Ewe and lamb, I added in another sheep and a farm scene around the sheepies.  I have this rug in progress and am working out some bugs in the design.

Farm Life:  Kathy Clark, Briarwood Folk Art, all rights reserved.

I want a fun rug to hang in the guest room that is whimsical and makes guests feel welcome.  The guest room is still "under construction" but it's getting closer to completion.  I am hoping to have some very honored guests here from Dallas TX in October.  Hint, hint Martha, if you are reading this!  And Pat, who sometimes reads this blog, when are you coming out dearie?!  This rug is next on my "to do" list so it can adorn the guest room by late September.

Friendship Message:  Kathy Clark, Briarwood Folk Art, all rights reserved.

If you are interested in hooking any of these designs, please email me for more info: briarwoodfolkart@surewest.net

If you wish to pin a picture for Pinterest, please give credit to me and reference to my blog.

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.