January is half over already!

Wow, time is flying by.  Classes started this week at the university where I work, and it's been a little busier than it has been.  Plus two friends and fellow fiber artists (Jenny Williams and Eileen Kane) and I have a gallery exhibit going here on campus, with a real opening yesterday afternoon and everything!  Check this link if you're interested in seeing some of our work on display: Elliout University Center Gallery 

Enough of that "fame", now back to real life.  Jane Sassaman is a famous fabric designer and quilter, and I've had some of her fabric for a while now (you can find it on sale in your LQS frequently because some people feel it's a little difficult to work with or sometimes even consider it to be UGLY fabric).  I used three fabrics to make this quilt top up, the blue leaves down the middle and the side panels were all cut from the same length of fabric, and were broken up a little with a fussy cut piece of the green tile fabric (also Sassaman I think).  Then the borders were done with another Sassaman print, and I used up every little bit I had of that, piecing little scraps of it just to keep the design of the "grass" pattern intact.

And of course, Leo had to be in the picture, plus the wind picked up just as I tried to take it.  The center portion actually looks pieced to me in these photos, even though it's not, which I guess is the intent of using big prints in the first place.

Here's another WIP using some Sassaman fabrics mixed with others.  I'm not sure if I like this, but since I'm so far along, it will be finished!



I can't decide yet if I like fussy cutting of fabrics.  But I have more Sassaman fabric to use up so I better learn to like it.

And now, another craft has taken over some of my free time-- rug hooking --a craft that's almost nonexistent here in North Carolina.  Since there is hardly ever any wool fabric at the thrift stores, and the price of new 100% wool fabric is outrageous, I decided to try to hook with 100% wool yarn instead, which is available at yarn stores around here. 

This style of hooking is called Nantucket style, and is actually pretty easy.  I got some burlap at Joann's and drew a design on it with a sharpie marker.  Then I figured out how to hook by watching some you-tube videos and reading some tutorials on blogs about rug hooking.

I've since read that you shouldn't use burlap, as it's not as long-lived as the linen produced specifically for rug hooking.  But I'm going to finish the hooking part since I'm about 90% done already.  But I have absolutely no idea how to finish the edges, so have to find some tutorials about that when the time comes.
What did we ever do without the internet??

Linking up with Nina Marie's Off The Wall Friday today, I forgot all about it last week.