Last week I had errands to do.  Of course, with me, that includes a trip to the thrift store.  I was actually on a mission when I went.  I was looking for some old pillows.  I buy them along with pillow shams and put them in the bottom of the dog kennels.  The dogs like them and if something happens to them, I don’t care a bit as typically I only pay $1.50 for the pillow with the sham.  I frequently wash the shams but the pillows..not as much depending on what they’re made of.  Anyway, I found my pillows and was off to scope out some other deals.

Being Kelli and I are both wanting to do rug hooking I was on the hunt for wool.  Sadly no jackets, blazers or skirts could be found.  I went to look where they sell fabric on the off chance that there might be some there.  There was just one piece…but I also found this… Some lady’s forgotten project of Huck Weaving or Swedish Weaving.

I’ve seen this weaving several times and have always wanted to give it a try.  It’s just so beautiful.  I think the second reason why I am so attracted to it is because of my own Swedish heritage.

Here’s a close up picture…beautiful right??

Well the bag was stapled shut so I wasn’t sure what I getting but I did know that I was going to buy it and hope for the best.  After all there looked like there was at least $3 worth of the thread and the whole bag only cost $3.

I got it home and took everything out.  There is one towel done except for hemming it.  One is started.  There is enough fabric for 4 yellow ones and 4 more green ones.  There is also quite a bit of thread, needles and the instructions.  That was a great deal!!

Here’s a backside of the work.  It’s counted much like cross stitch but the needle doesn’t go to the back side of the cloth.

I don’t think I am going to be the huck weaver of the family but I am guessing once Kelli sees this she’ll want to give it a try.  I have to say that the green and yellow wouldn’t be my very first choice of fabric colors but I can say that they’ll be great to learn on.

I did take a couple minutes to check out some more examples of huck weaving.  Here’s a great pinterest page about it and here is a google image search.  I could just look and look and look.  Hopefully Kelli will like it and give it a try.  If not I might have to get out my magnifiers and see if I can.

Do any of you practice this craft??

On our travels while out and about on our trip to the Kansas City photo shoot for our new quilting book, Kelli had wanted to stop at a cross stitch shop.  We found a great one at CC & Company in Blue Springs, MO.  We decided that being they didn’t have the linen Kelli wanted we’d stop at Old Mill Stitchery in Liberty, MO.  It wasn’t really out of our way and we’re always up for an adventure.

We came to this building and were kind of confused.  We didn’t see a sign…didn’t see anything welcoming.  Then we walked around the side and saw an entrance.  We went in and found a gift shop.  UGH.  Kelli and I aren’t gift shop gals.  We want to create the projects ourselves.  Well there was a stairway and I ventured up.

I saw this.

Now this looked a little more promising.

Then I turned and saw this…

and this…

HOLY RUG HOOKING!!!!!!!!

I didn’t know if all of these were manufactured of what.  Then I saw this.

Nope.  Not manufactured.  HAND HOOKED.  I was in awe.

Kelli was blown away.  I don’t think she knew about rug hooking like this.

I had never been in a rug hooking store…to be honest, I didn’t know there was such a thing…and let me tell you…this store has got to be the grand daddy of them all.

JUST LOOK!!!

Rug after rug after rug.  Then we entered the next room.  The center of that room was full of nicely, neatly stacked wool in every shade and hue.  (I forget to take picture of that…the rugs had me BLOWN AWAY)

Then we saw a grandma looking lady and asked her about the rugs…telling her we had no experience with rugs.  Well she was AMAZING.  The rugs had primarily been done by her….a few by her daughter.  What a talent and what a charming lady.  Before long she had us in her room and she was demonstrating.  She made it look so easy…and pretty quick.  We could tell by talking to her that rug hooking was not just her job and livelihood, it was her passion.  What a lady!!  She was just contagious.  With in seconds of talking to her Kelli and I had both decided that we’d be trying rug hooking.  I had tried it years ago but didn’t know a thing about it….now I feel like I could actually do it.  Her lesson was quick but very effective.

We asked her if we could take pictures and share about her shop here on the blog.  She said yes..and my are you in for a treat.

The rooster was done by her grand daughter when she was eight.

The walls are just packed with finished projects.  All are for sale.  To the left is just a smidgen of the wool that is for sale…all shades…all colors.

So many beautiful rugs.

Florals and geometrics….

We talked and learned enough to know that I was buying a hook and frame….now some monks cloth but what to make….how do I choose??

Then Kelli saw this… She said mom-how about you make stair treads for the stairs at the house…PERFECT!!

I know this one looks a little boring compared to all the beauties…it just might be a good place to start.  I could make this and get the hang of it.  Then go on to make more and make each tread different.  I liked the idea.  Then if that all goes well I could make a bigger one on the landing.  It sounded realistic to me.

But I wanted to look more…

Rugs were big and small…just amazing.

Aren’t you amazed too??  Let me say, just like quilts, these are even better in person!!

This was about six feet long….

I ended up leaving with a hook, frame and monks cloth…Kelli got a hook and monk’s cloth.

I didn’t buy any wool.  I have some here I can start with.  My wool isn’t the wonderful rich colors but I’m a beginner and will need to start somewhere.

I have a plan that once I get to the house in town I’ll take a little more time to do some crafts to decorate the house like the rug hooking….oh I love the look.  I just really want to love it too.

Oh..so are you wondering about the cross stitch shop that we originally went to find.  It was in the same building in an adjoining room.  We walked through and then walked straight back to the rugs.  It wasn’t that the cross stitch shop was bad or anything like that at all.  It’s just that the rugs were like magnets to us.  We just love them.

As we drove away Kelli and I were again in awe of Sandy’s (the lady who owns the shop) passion for her craft.  It was such a unique experience talking and listening to her.  Oh we love Iowa but we wish we were just a bit closer to this shop.  Both of us would love to go to a class with Sandy and learn all there is to know about rug hooking.  In the mean time, until we put this quilt book of ours to rest, we’ll be dreaming of the awesome rugs we saw at The Old Mill Stitchery in Missouri.

On out road trip to deliver our quilts to Kansas City Star Kelli had the goal of finding a cross stitch shop along the way.  She had wanted to do a Lizzy Kate wedding saying for Kalissa for her wedding…so the hunt to find a place was on.

Initially she had planned to go to one near Warrensburg, MO.  Well it wasn’t where it said it was…then GPS took us somewhere else…then the we ended up on never ending circling gravel roads and then they were closed.  It was a mess and really out of our way.  Kelli was frustrated.  I was frustrated.  We half way decided to give up.

Then the next day at the photo shoot for our quilts for our upcoming book, we mentioned it to Jenifer our editor.  She mentioned that there were a couple cross stitch shops in Kansas City suburbs.  We decided if the photo shoot got done at a decent time we’d try to find one….I am so glad we did!!

Kelli has been doing more and more cross stitch and just loves it.  Of course she doesn’t just ease into things…She take the bull by the horns and dives in.  She isn’t intimidated a bit by the size of the project.  Me, I used to cross stitch and would love to get back into it but time is not my friend and likely won’t be for a year or so until we get into the new house.

The shop we went to is…CC & Company in Blue Springs, Missouri.  What a wonderful shop!!  I am going to apologize before I get too far into the photos.  Many time the reflection on the glass shades part of the picture.

This piece was really neat.  It was done in one thread over one thread.

This little one was a favorite of mine.  Anything with an alphabet always catches my attention.  I could easily have alphabet samplers everywhere!!

Kelli on the other hand is a huge fan of this type of work.

Here’s one I like.  Remember I said I love alphabet samplers??  Well second from that on my list is saying with a little religious meaning to them.

The shop was small, cozy and just the way we like them.

Had I had more money I would have bought this shirt for Kelli.  It’s very her.  Let’s just say she’ll glad for-go house cleaning for most any craft.  She gets that from me!!

The displays were so cute!!

Kelli debated on getting this so she’d have a standard something to make for wedding gifts then opted to wait on it.

There were lots of cute Halloween and Fall things.

Someday if Kelli ever starts getting some of her project framed, this will apply to her.

…another one I loved.

Kelli really liked this one but opted not to get it.  She lives in the country and this saying seemed a little more for city dwellers.

We were in the store for quite awhile.  Kelli wanted to get the big design that’s rectangular in the middle of the wall.  They didn’t have linen for it though-well at least not in the color that Kelli was looking for.  She debated about different colors and then I think she even just ended up with different design.

As we drove away from the shop Kelli and I both talked about the ladies in the store.  Each was so helpful, kind and welcoming.  They were a trio of great ladies.  It’s so great to go into a shop and have people there who are gifted at customer service.  These ladies were!!  We’ll definitely be back if we are ever heading your way again.