hobby

Taking My Time Tufting

Posted on by Josef Havelka

It’s been about three weeks since I last made a rug. I have been busy taking advantage of the beautiful weather on my days off. Not hanging out in a cold crafting room in our basement.

I have been missing my new hobby as of late. But I didn’t want to “Power Through” making rugs like I was doing. So yesterday I set up my monks cloth and cleaned my tufting gun. I also calibrated it to a comfortable speed and checked the blades. The basics are ready for when I start tufting.

This afternoon, I drew out my next series of rugs. I made a few basic and easy designs and one really tough one. For the most part, I have all the yarn I need to get these started. The one color I am short on is black. And black is what the majority of my outlines are. I also need felt to glue to the bottom of the rugs to finish them off nicely.

That means next Thursday I am making a quick trip across the border to hit up Joanne’s. That is my favorite craft store for the supplies I need. I’ll probably spend upwards of over three hundred dollars. But that should last me for the summer. I hope. Or else I will need to start making different rugs that don’t require black yarn. I’m sure I can design rugs based on the colours I will have in abundance.

These next few rugs I am going to be taking my time to work on. I don’t want this hobby to feel like a chore. And since none of these are commissions, I don’t feel the need to rush at this time. Maybe when someone requests a design, I’ll pick up the pace. But for now I really want to enjoy this hobby for years to come.

Expanding Social Media Presence

Posted on by Josef Havelka

The other day my wife suggested that I add a Facebook Page for my rug making. I haven’t created a Facebook Page since the last time I created one for this blog. I hadn’t really thought of making one, so I’m glad I did. My new page was created in order to share more of my hobby in one place, which really is a good idea.

I’d appreciate it if my friends and followers would head over to Facebook to “Like and Follow” Tuftleupagus. The link is Here: Tuftleupagus . Currently on the page I have some pictures of rugs that have been made. I will post more of my “work in progress” as time goes on.

Perhaps if I end up at a craft fair or show, I will share that as well. Mostly my Facebook Page will be a sharing of my Instagram photos and stories for those who prefer that social media platform.

Thanks again to my friends for their continued support! I appreciate everyone for their kind words and likes.

Back Into My Hobby

Posted on by Josef Havelka

After a couple of weeks off this month, I’m happy to be back into making rugs. Besides making a rug for the Rug Wars I wasn’t sure what to make next. I was at a loss for the last few days. So I went to look at my yarn. The blue called out to me.

I decided to make a Spiny Shell aka Blue Shell from Mario Kart. I needed to get myself back on top. Taking a short break was good for me. I felt like I was pushing too hard to make rugs since I started. Slowing down and taking my time to figure out my next designs helped in not burning out and hating my hobby.

I still plan on doing a rug each week, but I may not use my large frame for a bit, unless there are rugs on request. Doing one at a time is more my pace. After trimming this weekend, I’ll take a few days to decide on my next rug.

Maybe my yarn will speak to me again. Huh, I though my last rug was trippy and hallucination inspired…

Second Rug Created By My Son

Posted on by Josef Havelka

My son wanted to make a rug for his speed skating coach since she was going to be leaving at the end of the season. He wanted to make something unique that he knew she would like. He found out her favorite anime film- “Princess Mononoke” and made a rug based on the mask the main character wears.

From start to finish, my son did all the work. He drew out the image, used the tufting gun to fill in the colours, and then did all the tedious trimming to finish it off. I guided him along in the process, offering advice, but he did all the work. He took a few weeks to get it done, where as I try and finish in a couple of days. However long the process- the results were impressive.

He gave the rug to his coach last night at the end of season dinner. He was really proud of the rug; his coach was happy and delighted that he had made it for her.

Perhaps my son will make more rugs as time goes on. For now, he’s really happy with what he has made. I’m proud of the hard work he put in to finalize the product.

Before and After With Pride

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Making rugs has been a fun adventure these past 8 weeks. I have learned a lot and improved tremendously in the art. One of the things I am working hardest towards is the finishing touches and final results.

It’s amazing how a bit of trimming, cleaning and shaving can make all the difference in how a rug looks in order to get crisp edges, it starts with how close you stitch the yarn to each colour and change. Leaving a small gap can make it easier to show the transition since yarn has a tendency to spread a bit when cut.

Noticing the difference in the quality of how my rugs turn out is huge for me. Not everyone sees it as I am making the rugs. They look pretty good without the extra work. But I take great pride in making sure they have crisp edges and lines in order to look amazing. Especially when the rugs are going to a new home. I want my friends to be happy with what I have made for them.

Taking pride in one’s work is a quality I admire in others. Which is why I work so hard in all my ventures.

Wrist Rugs

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Recently I wanted to make some of my own designs when it came to rugs. One of my favorite inspirations has come from other tufters. The idea of rugs going on your desk below the keyboard sounded interesting. So I made a few of my own “Wrist Rugs.”

I first created matching Wall-E and Eve rugs. I liked the idea of their eyes and the simplicity of the design. The rugs are recognizable and I love the fandom art behind it. Perfect for a His and Hers style!

I also made a wrist rig for me to use at work. I made the CN logo and the basic red and white stripe of the locomotives. The black background will also be good for hiding any dirt and grime that my office space has.

These rugs are soft and wonderful for underneath your wrists as you type. If you want one let me know! Perhaps I could even design a custom one for you!

New Rug Designs

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This week I tufted more rugs. I have not made any of the same designs yet. I like that each rug I have made at this is a “One Off” and unique.

I enjoyed designing a couple of the rugs this time around. I did a sakura flower and a pot leaf. Both very different designs, and both fun to make.

I also made a couple of “wrist rugs” that can be placed on a desk in front of a keyboard. I designed matching Wall-E and Eve inspired rugs. The colour scheme and simplicity of just they eyes really works.

I also have a couple of other rugs that I made, but don’t want to show them off yet as they are gifts for a few friends. Once they are given away- I plan to share the images.

This hobby is a lot of fun. I am enjoying creating recognizable images in rug form. I hope that everyone else is enjoying seeing what I make. Remember to follow on my Instagram Tuftleupagus to see progress of what I make.

New Rug Designs

Posted on by Josef Havelka

This week I tufted more rugs. I have not made any of the same designs yet. I like that each rug I have made at this is a “One Off” and unique.

I enjoyed designing a couple of the rugs this time around. I did a sakura flower and a pot leaf. Both very different designs, and both fun to make.

I also made a couple of “wrist rugs” that can be placed on a desk in front of a keyboard. I designed matching Wall-E and Eve inspired rugs. The colour scheme and simplicity of just they eyes really works.

I also have a couple of other rugs that I made, but don’t want to show them off yet as they are gifts for a few friends. Once they are given away- I plan to share the images.

This hobby is a lot of fun. I am enjoying creating recognizable images in rug form. I hope that everyone else is enjoying seeing what I make. Remember to follow on my Instagram Tuftleupagus to see progress of what I make.

Keep on Spending

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I am really enjoying my hobby. So much so that I am spending more money than I am bringing in. But that’s okay, right? I mean it is just a hobby after all.

I keep buying monks cloth and yarn. Loads of yarn!!! I am stock piling a variety of colours just in case someone wants something different than what I have made this mid far. I have also purchased some new trimming scissors and am waiting for a second razor as I want one for the edging and one for making the rugs smooth.

I am even at a point where I want a second tufting gun. Mostly as a backup, but also to be able to teach others how to make rugs. Like family and friends. I think it would be a neat activity to do in a group environment.

So if I do get a second gun, my door and knowledge will be open for those who want to learn this fun hobby! Maybe I’ll teach classes at the local Maker Space.

Making More?

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I have enjoyed tufting- obviously since I can’t stop talking about it… But I was only able to make one rug at a time with my set up. So on Thursday I decided to make a larger frame.

This one is six feet wide and four and a half feet tall. This allows for my entire monks cloth sheet to fit without much waste.

On my previous frame, I made removable and adjustable legs. I moved them to my new frame. I also added a hook to hold my tufting gun when not in use. I also added a couple of dowels on the side for my yarn in hopes to make it easier to work with.

I was able to draw five large rugs and a couple of small pieces. Over the past few weeks I was able to complete one to two rugs every week. I hadn’t realized that working on a layout for the images was going to be so time consuming. I spent most of my day just getting this ready that the only colour of yarn I was able to finish with was the black yarn.

Tomorrow I will be spending more time rug making. Hopefully by Monday night, my rugs will be ready for the finishing touches and by next weekend they will be completed. I can’t wait to show off these designs.

Hobby For Work

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I’ve been doing tufting now for a little over a month. During this time I have gotten visibly better at it. My coworkers are genuinely surprised at my skills. Which is totally understandable- I usually keep work at work and my life outside of there is where the fun is.

But after seeing my work, two of my coworkers asked me to make rugs for them. Both very different designs. Both are something I wouldn’t have done on my own either. I looked up ideas online and got feedback prior to creating the rugs.

The first “commission rug” was requested to be a mushroom. The colours just POP in my opinion. This is going to be a gift for his wife since she loves mushrooms. Before doing the rug, we discussed what style to do and went with a cartoonish style- reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. This one was fun to make because I was able to create it in a more whimsical style. When I finished it, I wasn’t sure what rug to make next. So I contacted another coworker who asked about a rug the other day.

This next rug was from Naruto. It was a Mangekyō Sharingan symbol. He asked for this specific design with black and red. As simple as this image looks, it was far more difficult to make than anticipated. I decided to draw a circle on the fabric and lined up the image to fit perfectly. The hardest part was sewing the curves. The monks cloth is set up horizontal and vertical. Making the turns takes longer and is slow going.

In the end, these two rugs are the most perfect ones I have made to date. I’m really happy that they are going to new homes. My house is getting full…

More Yarn!

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I was running low on black yarn, so I did a quick drive across the border to the USA to buy some more. Of course, I couldn’t just buy a few black skeins- I needed to get some other colours as well.

50 more skeins came home with me. I got home and organized all my yarn once more. I also did a quick tidy up of my work station and tools. It’s amazing how much dust and debris comes off the yarn when it’s worked. I need to keep my equipment in good working order.

So messy.

My days off from work have been filled with this new hobby. I have also spent a small fortune on it as well. But I am enjoying the process and the therapeutic nature of making rugs. I can’t stop coming up with designs and rugs. There are so many I want to make.

Of course, I’ve already completed another rug. This time it was for a coworker. He wants to give it to his wife for Valentine’s Day. Before I share the pictures of the progress, I don’t want to spoil the surprise in case his wife follows my instagram account as well. But tomorrow I will start a different set of rugs and share those.

I can’t believe how much I am enjoying this hobby. Sorry for inundating my blog with it. But it’s only a couple of days a week.

Crafting A Leaf

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Today I made another rug. Or rather-just like you do in Animal Crossing- I crafted a leaf (from the video game Animal Crossing).

The design is pretty simple. So drawing it out wasn’t too difficult. This is now the largest one I have made. It almost filled my 3’ frame. I enjoyed the simplicity of the design, but really worked hard to make it perfect.

Since I was low on black yarn, this design was a great option since it uses four different shades of green. Video game images are fun to tuft. Plus the recognizability of icons and characters makes for an enjoyable crafting experience.

Creating rugs has become a fantastic pastime for me over the past few weeks. I have found tufting to be therapeutic and calming. I listen to music that relates to the rug I tuft. It gets me in the zone. Making two rugs a week seems to be my average. I may slow it down a bit though. I can only have so many rugs in our house.

The next rug to be made will be created by our youngest teen. He has an idea and wants to get it out in the world. I can’t wait to see what he crafts. His first one was pretty good- read about it Here: Son of Tuftleupagus.

Poolside Rug

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today I made a rug for my wife. She requested a rug to go outdoors for the summer. A rug that will be for her feet as she exits the pool. So I took what she asked for and made one specifically that would make her happy.

Ever since we moved into our home with a pool, my wife has loved pink flamingos. Naturally I had to make a flamingo rug with a palm tree. After weeks of tufting, I am finally able to make the “waterfall edges” between the yarn colours more defined. A tight cut allowing an obvious transition between each shape.

I love this hobby and have been enjoying the fanart I have created. I make one or two a week currently for myself and my family. It’s given me a good opportunity to learn this skill.After about a month, I’m finally feeling confident.

Perhaps it’s time to start selling some rugs. I can only have so many rugs in our home… I’ll probably start with commission sales and custom orders. If anyone wants to contact me- direct message my Instagram: Tuftleupagus. I’ll do my best to create something that you will enjoy.

Hope you like my rugs and watching my journey to get better.

Amazon Delivered!

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I was excited about getting home today after work. I had been waiting for an order from Amazon to show up. I have been eagerly awaiting since I ordered the items a couple of days ago. Today’s delivery was arriving just as I got home. I saw the truck up the street and knew it was going to head my way. And it did!

Most folks would not be excited to get what I got. But with my latest hobby- I am thrilled at what arrived for me. More tufting cloth is most important. I also got an equal amount of backing fabric with anti-slip. I got a roller to help flatten and smooth out the glue between the fabric pieces. My favorite item though is the yarn winder.

When I unboxed it, even my 16 year old son asked if it was from the 70’s. It truly looks like it is. Honestly, it’s one of those things that works exactly as it was meant to- it doesn’t need to be changed. I swear it looks like the one my mother had from… the 70’s! I remember playing with it as a kid. Or was I winding yarn for my mother? Either way- this thing looks like I could’ve dug it out of grandma’s attic.

This weekend I plan on winding some of my “pound of yarn” skeins into more manageable sized skeins. It will also allow me to not need double skeins of yarn in colours I don’t use as often.

Getting excited over mundane items feels wrong and right at the same time. I’m glad the items showed up and cannot wait to play some more with my yarn and rug making.

Carpet Kirby

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today I made what I consider my best rug yet. I made it for our oldest kid. They requested the video game character Kirby holding a star. I found some images online and created my own design in the end.

I learned some more techniques from following other tufters on Instagram. I have been growing my abilities each week and with every rug. After each colour, I went to the other side and trimmed the edges. It was a bit more time consuming, but the results are superior to anything I have made yet.

This rug was challenging in its own ways. The pink was a different size of yarn and caused me to re-thread it repeatedly. A few curse words may have been said over and over again. But look how cute this rug turned out!

I’ll finish this rug later in the week. There’s just a bit more trimming to complete once I glue the backing on. Hopefully our 20 year old likes this one as much as I do. If not- I have an amazing pink rug!

Cleaning The Garage Workbench

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Today I spent hours cleaning the garage. I went through a bunch of cupboards which contained boxes and tubs filled with stuff. Stuff that I thought I may need one day- so I kept it around. That is until today. Today was a cleanse.

Besides the cupboards and shelves getting cleaned out and organized, I tidied up my workbench. I even took the time to finish gluing a couple of models that I 3d printed in our old house. Originally I was holding off because I wanted to add lights to them. But I realized as I was cleaning that even if I did add lights- I’d probably never turn them on and they’d be stationary anyways. Soon I’ll paint them and put them on display.

I also realized that I am not using my 3d printer, and haven’t for over two years. Since it was given to me, I paid it forward to a coworker of mine. Removing the printer from my workbench cleared off a lot of space. It doesn’t mean I won’t be printing anymore. In fact quite the opposite.

My wife got herself a resin printer from her work as a Christmas gift. The space it takes is far less on the workbench. Bonus- I get to learn a new toy over the coming weeks! This printer is one I have wanted for a couple years, but now my wife is excited about it, so that’s different.

As you may know, I love being crafty and creative. The hardest part about the creative process is keeping everything clean and organized. Hopefully with this start of a clean space will help. I’m still doing my best to keep my rug making area clean.

Anyways, the garage looks better and more open now. The clutter is gone. That makes me happy.

Improving My Tufting Skills

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I have now made four rugs since starting my newest hobby- Tufting. Creating rugs based on our Fandoms has been fun so far. This week I made one with far more detail than my previous rugs.

I made Haku- the dragon from the anime: Spirited Away. This one had more colours, thinner segments and an attempt at blending that I hadn’t tried yet. I spent a couple of hours today trimming the image in order to make it pop more. I still have a long way to go, but I am enjoying this new hobby immensely.

Tuft working with yarn reminds me of Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street. So I finally created an Instagram account for my artwork: Tuftleupagus. (Tuftle-up-a-gus). I even had some fun making logos, but haven’t settled on any yet.

I think I’m obsessing too much with the 80’s lately. However, I am having fun with this hobby. No plans on making it lucrative yet. I still have a long way to go in the process of making these rugs. I’m also going to need to buy more yarn soon. My white and black are running low, plus there’s other aspects of the tufting work that I need to buy soon. Like more glue and backing for the rugs.

This is my first hobby that I have enjoyed since perler bead art almost a decade ago. That lasted for a few years mind you and I enjoyed what we made together as a family. I kind of see tufting going that route soon enough. With the potential to be a battle over who gets to make a rug.

Follow along with my rugs on my Instagram account. I’m going to keep working hard at getting better at these and hope to make a large scale rug one day.

Fandom Rug Making

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Over the last couple of days I finished another two rugs. Spending about four hours on each rug seems to be average. These next two had more intricate designs in them. Both fandoms are near and dear to me, which is why I chose to make these.

Akira has been my favorite anime since I first saw it as a teenager in the late 80’s. Something a bout the style, music, and pace of the film just captivated me. I own every iteration of it on video, I owned a shirt for almost thirty years from it, and the soundtrack has been in my playlist for ages. It seemed natural to want to do something from this film as my own personal rug.

The Powerpuff Girls was something that my wife and I connected over when we first started dating. Ever since then we have been enjoying finding items, gifts, trinkets, etc from the series. (Read more about our love of PPG Here)

I was able to put both on one framing this time. The Akira one will be going on my side of the bedroom opposite the The first one I completed for my wife. The Powerpuff Girls logo is going to my wife as a soft support for her wrists while she uses her work computer.

Both turned out pretty awesome. I completed the final touches on my Akira rug, and my wife wants to do the last bit on the Powerpuff Girls one. Now that I have a better understanding of how to tuft, I am looking forward to making more challenging pieces for myself. Next week, I already have an idea of my next one to make.

Any suggestions on what I should attempt next? Keep in mind that the size is under 36” square, so no area rugs at this time. But I do love my fandoms and anime. I have a feeling those will be the majority of what I make. Once I get good enough- I may just start to sell them.

First Rug Completed

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After a couple of weeks, my first rug was completed yesterday.

Now, it doesn’t take a couple of weeks to make a 16”x30” rug. But in that time I had to buy yarn, build a frame, order a power supply, figure out how to get an image projected from my iPhone, draw the image, tuft, glue, cut out, shave, shave some more, trim, shave again… in the end, the work required to do this rug took me about three to four hours.

A solid start. I learned what I need to do to be better. I also got a feel for the gun and the materials used. I’m hoping that my next few rugs will take about three to four hours but would have more details involved. The next rug I make is for me.

After a slow start on the rug My New Hobby turned out pretty good. I made it for my wife: Lee-Anne. She loves “L” from the anime “Death Note” and this was his symbol. Fitting since it’s the first letter of her name as well. Maybe after I make a few more rugs I will retry this one to perfect it. I know all the flaws I created and it will bother me for ages. But still, a solid first rug.

Day One of a New Hobby

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Today I finally saw some progress in My New Hobby- Tufting. After getting My Little Corner ready the other day, I have been frothing at the mouth to try making my first rug.

It started with a design. I wanted to try something elegant and easy. I chose “L“ for my wife. Besides it being the letter of her first name, it’s also from one of her favorite anime shows- “Death Note”. I took the image, reversed it, shone it from my projector onto the back of the fabric- where I traced it out with a sharpie.

Then came the fun part! Using the tufting gun. It was a neat process and once I got going, my confidence grew. I started with the outline of the letter, then filled it in.

It wasn’t necessary to keep the lines or yarn touching as it filled out pretty good. My wife gave a couple of tries as well. I think she may want to tuft in the future as it is a very satisfying sound and feeling.

The way the yarn comes out thick a full makes me happy. The rug is already feeling very soft and looking pretty. Obviously I hope to see some progress and get better at it.

After a couple of hours, I had made quite the mess and used two full things of yarn. I had to call it quits since it was getting late and I have work in the morning. There’s still a few more steps to go in the process before I can say I have made a rug. Like gluing the back to prevent the yarn from being pulled out. Or trimming the front so that everything is smooth and even looking. The final step is giving it to my wife to have.

Stay tuned for an update by the weekend on the final results.

My Little Corner

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Today my wife and I tackled organizing her studio in the basement. We had discussed doing this over winter break, but Christmas came and then we were just avoiding it. Until today. Today we made progress!

February 2015- Ningen Headwear’s first studio.

Back in 2015, we turned a portion of our previous home into my wife’s studio. It was modest to say the least, but it accommodated all that she needed to do. It moved the sewing outside from our dining room table and spare bedroom. It made our home feel like a home.

Today we arranged and made a layout for my wife getting back into making hats. This room is larger than the last one. Plus it’s far cleaner and inside our home instead of in the carport. The electrical should also be far superior; and no sawdust or spiders making a mess. Bonus- it has its own bathroom!

My wife has graciously allowed a small corner for me to work on tufting. Actually, she set up the yarn and helped with the layout. I’ll get to tuft and watch tv while she does her sewing on the opposite side. This studio is becoming more of a cooperative setup than before. We are planning on utilizing the space as a hobby area for previous projects and new ones still to come.

In the meantime, I’m trying to figure out a good name for my rug making Instagram account. Do any of you have a suggestion? It could be a pun, or straight to the point. Gimme some ideas in the comment section!

New Hobby- Tufting

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I love doing a variety of crafts and art. I enjoy sharing my art as well- not to make money or exposure, but because I am proud of what I make. I am often inspired by others and enjoy jumping in to try new stuff.

Newest obsession for art? Tufting! The art of rug making. Naturally I had to spend some money to buy things that are needed for this hobby. Here are some of the items I got.

This is a tufting gun. It is a cut pile style of gun. It will puncture through the fabric and cut the yarn as I go.

This is the razor I will use to clean up the strands of yarn on the visible side. I will also use it for some added texture to the rugs.

Sheep shears! Pretty industrial feeling. These will be used for more of the heavy labor of trimming the rugs.

Those are just the power tools I needed. The next thing I needed was a frame. So I went and bought some 2×3 boards and went to work building it earlier today.

This is what I want to call my “Starter Frame” It has a three foot square area to work inside of. I added adjustable legs depending if I am sitting or standing to do the work. I added carpet tacks along the frame so that the barlap style material used for rugs can be stretched out and held in place while I work.

My wife and I went to the store and bought a lot of yarn in many different colours. This is the foundation of the rugs. Each spool was around $3. I’m not sure how much gets used, but I will find out soon enough.

Tomorrow I will make my first rug. Sort of. I’m going to be more or less just be learning how the machines react and some basics. Stay tuned for my progress. I’m excited about this new hobby.

Jar Lids: For Every Event

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I forget that my wife is five years older than I am. Many of our interests growing up were different. Our upbringings were also different, but it also shared many similarities. Sometimes I find stuff of hers that I just didn’t know existed. Such as an old hobby of hers.

I do know all about cross stitching. My wife has made some beautiful Christmas stockings for our family years ago; as well as a couple of pieces she made for our kids. I knew she was talented in that aspect. She has immense patience when doing a task like that.

However, I did not know that it was a thing in the late 80’s to make cross stitch for jar lids. “For Every Event” no less! I suppose if you’re crafting, why not make jar lids for your canning as well?

The designs are rather simplistic. They remind me of Perler Beads or old computer video game animation. Very squared off and somewhere along the lines of being 16bit.

This makes sense to me. I miss seeing creative people at conventions making cross stitch fan art. I wonder if they started with “Jar Lids For Every Event” first? Perhaps these crafters started with something similar to understand the basics.

I have a feeling my wife will be getting back into this hobby once we move. What other reason would she have for leaving this on our table for me to discover? In fact, I may just have to take up the hobby as well.

I’m pretty sure we have a stash of jars that need decorative lids for our new home.

Want My Wood?

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My father-in-law enjoyed woodworking for many years. Once they moved out of this house, we had a lot of the pieces remaining for future use. But as most hobbies go, you end up with more than you require. And the hobbies take a spot on the back burner.

Since we are coming up on the last few months before we move, it was time to tackle the wood collection. There was large and small “cookies” cut from trees all stored in the upper part of the woodshed. I didn’t want it to get thrown in the fire, so it was time to start giving it away.

About one tenth of what we have.

My wife’s brothers came by over the last couple of days to collect a few pieces that they wanted. One of their friends also came by and he took a few big pieces. (We are getting a fresh Turkey for Easter out of the deal!) Later this afternoon, a few people locally are coming by to collect some pieces. Next week, I will be contacting a few other local craft/woodworkers and see if they could use some pieces.

Considering the wood has been here for decades, it’s all dry and in great shape. I used a few pieces a couple years ago and Painted them for decoration in our home. I’m not a wood worker, so the rest isn’t for me. I want it to all go to good use, and I’m sure my father-in-law will be happy to know it’s getting used the way it was intended.

If you are local and want to grab my wood, give me a shout.