Here are a few of my own creations. I like to have fun and add a touch of nostalgia to my finishes.

Thanks for visiting on this lovely August Monday. What are you working on right now?

I found a beautifully illustrated book by Evelyn Lawrence and Kathy Wright filled with pictures of hooked rugs done by Magdalena Briner Eby  (1832-1915) from Perry County, Pennsylvania. While Magdalena worked with wool and rug hooking, primitive design and punch needle also make a perfect pair.

One of my summer projects was a make-do of Yankee Doodle.  It is punched mostly with Valdani perle cotton #12. Note from the picture, his hat is finished separately  I used a cotton background fabric; blue with little stars.

I used a wedge from a wooden bowl to create the rocker. After stuffing Yankee Doodle I used dowels run through holes in the rocker to attach.

I debated whether or not to leave the cherries, but decided they were George’s from his cherry tree.

So, here he is!

Three years ago I had never heard of punchneedle.  A loose definition might be embroidery created by drawing a scene/picture on a piece of fabric (usually weavers’ cloth) and finishing with floss, perle cotton, yarn threaded through a tool called a punch needle. You do all your ‘punching’ on the back of the piece and the finished product appears on the front as loops similar to what you see in rug hooking.  My sister repurposed the utensil box below. It makes a great supply box. In the picture (no points for neatness) you can see the blue Cameo punch needles. A few of them I have covered with foam for wrist comfort.

Wikipedia defined hornbook as a book that serves as a primer for study; dating back to the 1400s. ” In childhood education from the mid 16th century to the late 19th century, a hornbook was a primer for children consisting of a sheet containing the letters of the alphabet, mounted on wood, bone, leather, or stone and protected by a thin sheet of transparent horn or mica.” Hornbooks, whether antique or newly created serve well for displaying your work. My husband, Bruce made the hornbook used for the Family Tree, punched from a pattern generously offered by Rebecca from A Simple Quiet.

How does it happen, you suddenly have five projects that need to reach the finish line? Guess I’ll post the picture as incentive to complete some projects and show you the results. What you see here is a doodle from Primitive Betty, Olde Goat from Lori Brechlin,  (Lori’s pattern was in the premier issue of the Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine) patterns from Rebecca Lindquist, and variation on Magdalena Briner rug. How will they end up? Framed? On a hornbook? What’s a hornbook? Be sure to come back and find out.

August was always the month we packed up the family to head home to Mohawk, MI. It was important that our kids got to enjoy  country life (where my husband and I were born.) A bonfire with roasted potatoes and s’mores at Eagle River (at least once) was mandatory and I’m sure I have an album full of sunsets.

This year’s picture has no beach, but is still stunning. It is taken from the front porch of the Mohawk house.

Finally the last sunset, taken yesterday by our son-in-law, David in Tel Aviv Israel. I hope your summer is filled with beautiful sunsets and surrounded by people you love.