Harvest Blessings

'Harvest Blessings' 

A piece of wheat. That is where this one started. I saw a picture of a piece of wheat. Later that night as I lay in bed, I started wondering about wheat and colors I dye. Which formulas would work? Hm..I wonder how beautiful it would be if I dip-dyed a gold color to use as wheat? Blues and golds look beautiful together.....Wheat needs a sky. What to go on the sky? Cream and my 'Overcast Sky' that I always use. Those colors would be so soft and beautiful together. What time is it? Nearly one a.m. Oh well....cream.....a scarf...a scarf. OK. Did I turn off my coffee maker? Wait a minute. What about a girl carrying wheat? Oh yes! Ok and this will be a pattern and so to keep it simple, she will be facing away. Hm..hm. Wheat in a border- I always have those borders. 

As I lay there, I started visualizing my idea. The rug you see is what I had in mind as I started to doze off. I was tempted to get up to quickly sketch it all out but was convinced that I loved it so much that I would remember it and I sure did.

See those hills in the back-ground? Where I live , they surround me. You will notice that most all of my backgrounds show those purplish-blue hills. A back-ground is not 'right' without them to me because it is where I live. 

What was also exiting was that in the days that followed, as I drove about in the area that I live, wheat fields were being harvested and because of my plan, they seemed to have an excitement to them as never before. My eyes were studying the colors that I was seeing and through out the days that went by, I sampled different dye colors until I could not contain myself any longer and I BEGAN.

Doing this rug was a lot of fun and the best part was seeing something that happened in my head late one night come to life as I hooked away!

I almost for got to tell you that as I worked on this rug, I also was working on a little punch needle design to 'compliment' the rug design. It is a softer version and I like it very much. I used what I had of my growing collection of Valdani floss. I have to say I really love that floss. It has a naturalness to it. To me it is like hand-spun wool vs. acrylic- that's just my opinion. I very much love it- mostly those variegated collections they have. Here is a picture of the punch needle version of 'Harvest Blessings.'

Both of these are available in my Etsy shop. Both are available as kits if you prefer.

My Etsy Shop

One last thing! I made my own web-site! Yes! I had my old web-site but found it so very frustrating. Someone was managing it. Every time I wanted to update it, it became a matter of me remembering to do it. And if you are familiar with how lousy I am at texting and messaging, you might guess that one simple change became very daunting for me and very frustrating. I am just someone that needs something right in front of me in order to focus on it. That is why my Etsy shop works so well for me and now I have a web-site that I can manage all by myself and keep focused on. Here is a link to it! Please check it out!

Vintage Heart Rug Design

New Punch Needle Embroidery Designs

A few months ago, I made a list of things to accomplish over the summer months.

A Web-site I can manage myself.

20 Half Yards of hand Dyed Wool

One or Two Magazine Submissions

 Punch Needle Patterns

These are the latest two.

Above is 'Fancy Needlework' that is based on my rug hooking design, 'Fancy Needlework.' 

Below is 'Flower Market.'

You will  notice in the 'Flower Market' design, a wooden crate. One evening my husband suggested that he make a tongue and groove box-end for me to attach my piece on. I LOVED the idea! There is a lavender tag that I aged. I have been pretty exited about that.

I have limited  kits for either design and patterns are available as well. I also have the boards that can be ordered.

So what have I accomplished on my list? 

Website is one page short of being finished.

Working on a Magazine Submission.

I have a half dozen punch needle designs done.

And I am slowly getting that wool done. I will not get caught off guard like I did last year- holy moley!

Either design and others are available in my Etsy shop!

Refinement

I have been in a deeply contemplative mood the last few weeks- contemplating life, my life and the things that matter to me. I have been feeling peacefully alone in my thoughts.

I have been thinking about the different times in my life that were painful and yet, refining- things I have gone through that on the surface seemed like I came out a tangled mess but, in time, I found that I was made better, softer...made 'less.' And how many times have I said, 'Less is more!'

I have been thinking a lot about my work and what exactly it is I want it to be. I want it to be considered, 'less.' 'Less' meaning truly authentic and simple. Just simple. No bells, no whistles, nothing loud or ostentatious. Just true. And being 'true' is being vulnerable because it is the stuff of the heart. Have you ever had a rejected heart? I have discovered that rejection, if you let if make you better and not bitter, leads to more refinement- it makes you 'less' in a 'more' sort of way.

When you are 'less', you 'see' more- I see how much my husband adores me. I see that he is the love of my life. I see the stars in the night sky because I am looking up to God for answers and consolation. I see my own father's face as my children look at me. I can do this because of the refining and uncluttered 'quiet' in my heart.It makes me realize just what this life is- it really is so simple and wonderful and painfully.........refining.

"God, thank you for the refinement you have brought to my life. May it be expressed in all I do and all I am. 

Yours truly, Yvonne"

The last month I have been working on punch needle designs as requested! Now! Nothing can captivate me like rug hooking but I will create some punch needle designs. I started using the DMC flosses but have noticed (and how I have noticed!) the striking difference between the DMC and Valdani. So, now I am waiting for my Valdani to arrive and then I have a design that I am very exited to begin.

In the meantime, I have been  reproducing a rug that I have so admired. I do not know what it is called- all I know is I see a sweet lady , a dress, a handsome man and possibly cupid or a jealous man and I am mush- where is my hook? My basket of dyes? This design, I just found out this morning, was part of a series commissioned by James and Mercedes Hutchinson between the years of 1925-1945. Authentic and true and refined- and is admired still today!

'Handiwork'

I have sold out of the 'Handiwork' kits that I had available and I have more floss on the way for more kits. I have more punch needle designs coming. The next one involves a French Flower Market. Last night my husband came home and had a suggestion for a certain board for it to be mounted on and I was floored at his genius. I think you will be very pleasantly surprised.

While I wait for the floss to arrive, if you are interested in a kit, please let me know and I will reserve one for you. I have been surprised at how fast these sold and I hope to have enough for 15 more kits.

Feel free to contact me at yvonne@vintageheartprimitives.com or hooknwool@gmail.com.

Thank you so much!
~Yvonne

Punch Needle Embroidery Patterns

Stoneware Kitchen

During my life, I think I have tried my hand at countless arts and crafts. Calligraphy, ceramics, paper mache, all sorts of painting, knitting........of course, rug hooking............pottery, punch needle using yarn and the Amy Oxford punch-needle. I have done quite a bit and really enjoyed each one.

Then there is this punch needle embroidery. Hmmmm..............

I have been asked so many times about converting some of my rug hooking designs into punch needle. The thought of such tiny work has seemed very unappealing to me. All I could envision is wads of tangled floss and knots and forgetting to write down floss numbers. It just has sounded so tedious!! Not to mention how difficult it is on my eyes looking at such fine detail.

Well, where there is a will, there is a way. I have come up with two punch needle designs for you and I am half way liking them. The turning point was when my best friend introduced me to her reading glasses. 'Ohhhhh....so is this the key?? Ha!'


I have two patterns that I have done. 'Stoneware Kitchen' and 'Handiwork.' Both will have in the weeks to come complimentary rug hooking designs.

'Handiwork' is mounted on a board that I thought up- I love scalloped edges on anything and so why not? I would sure be glad to make you one if it is something you are interested in.

Handiwork

I am working on having two rug hooking patterns to compliment these punch needle designs. I really looking forward to doing them.

Here is a link to my Etsy Shop:

My Etsy Shop

I hope you have had a great three day Memorial weekend!

~Yvonne

'Morning Light'

"The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining brighter till the full light of day" Proverbs 4;18


I have to say that recently I saw a quote shared on Facebook that helped me to understand myself a bit better. The quote simply said that great art starts (or involves) emotion. So many times, I have wondered to myself why that most every design I do has to have a woman. I really do TRY to think of other things. I mean, my 'Lamb and Crocks' is one of my top selling patterns. But, try as I might, late at night after the day has settled and the house is quiet, I listen to my music and my heart begins to stir. And I start to draw what I am feeling- so maybe- just maybe, each of my 'ladies' represents a piece of my mind and heart.

I have not made a pattern for so long and I have known that I am due. So, I wanted this one to be hooked with easier cuts and a fairly simple design. It's pretty simple- yes  indeed!

Many of the colors that I offer in my Etsy shop were used in this design- Peony Pink, Midnight Blue, Charcoal, Run Through A Meadow, Vanilla Bean and shades of Overcast Sky. Look at this little sheep!

This design is available in my Etsy shop:

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageHeartPrims?ref=hdr_shop_menu

I bought the most beautiful yarn from an Etsy shop I love. Eager to use it, one of the little skeins ( the middle pictured below) became fleece for these little sheep. If you look carefully, you will see bits of lace- isn't it sweet? The name of the Etsy shop is 'Autumn Rose' 

I have so much on list to do in the coming warm months- a better website that I have been working on using Weebly, a couple more beginner kits, possibly some punch-needle designs, and the next pattern has already been hanging where I can look at it through-out the day planning my colors. It is very sweet.

On a completely different note, below you can see a little house my husband, Neil, has been making me. Things have gotten a little out of hand at my house- my living room is the hooking room as well as always having two easels with current and future work brewing- baskets and baskets of strips everywhere! My kitchen has dye pots and plastic wash basins of soaking wool- the island top full of baskets of dyes. Now the kitchen table has piles of folded wool and lists and labels and orders. If you were to go into my 'work room' which would be used in any other house as a family room, you would find my cutters and tracing table and patterns and piles and piles of wool- bolts of linen and wool and kits in the process of being assembled. Rug Hooking has taken over my home and I LOVE every bit of it! This little house outside will have water and electricity - I will be able to move all the dyeing out here as well as having a little 'nook' for friends that visit. I am thinking of doing the inside in creams and pinks and old blues. I can hardly wait!

Seeking, Striving With All My Heart!

'I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart.' 

Vincent Van Gogh

'Louisa' is finished. I have learned so very much from doing this rug. I am here in Idaho and what I have learned has been on my own. A lot of studying and observation and things I learned when I used to paint. Who would have guessed back then how someday I would glean lessons learned painting and use them as I 'paint with wool.'

The collar bone area down to the scoop of her neck went in and it just looked wrong. Then I thought to trace my own collarbone area with my fingers and create the shape with the direction of my loops.

The background. Ha! I was convinced that once I had Louisa finished, the back-ground would be easy. Wrong. The background that I had dreamed of simply competed with her beautiful skirt. As I cut the area down and started pulling more and more lavender out, I saw that less was more. Suggestions of flowers over the ground was all that was needed. 

Louisa hung on my easel for over a week as I felt increasingly annoyed. I do that. I will feel such aggravation when I cannot solve a problem with whatever I am working on. As I looked through one of my favorite books of art by Alphonse Mucha, I noticed all the arches he used to frame all his ladies. A stone arch came to mind- stone, so that color-wise it would tie in with the soft  folds of her blouse. Lovely!

Currently, I am actually working on an up-coming new pattern. I have not done one of those in quite some time. I am taking some of the things I have learned from other rugs and bringing it into this new design. Similar in style to my 'Marie, the Rose of France' pattern, this one has a beautiful woman  and a sheep and a floral border. I have color swatches laid out and am in one of my very favorite stages of any rug design- the dreaming and building of inspiration. 

I have been working on many, many rug hooking kits this last few months. Currently my work room has neat piles broken down per kit and customer. I am getting them put together and I am visiting my Post Office daily. I have been receiving messages asking me if I do kits for my designs and the answer is absolutely 'yes!' Contact me through my Etsy shop or at hooknwool@gmail.com for information. And please come visit me on my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/vintageheartprimitives?ref=hl