Caught Up!

Whoop de doo!!!!!  I'm all caught up with binding my rugs...so far. But the Daffodil and Sheep Challenge rug isn't done yet so that would be next. 

This is what I've been working on the last couple days.   Finally the last Out of Hand Rug Hooking challenge rug has been bound and steamed. Hey, since I'm working on a new Out of Hand Challenge it is about time, don't ya think?  

Not only did the rug above get bound but these did too. This was an antique adaptation which started with just the horse from an antique rug.  But while hooking him (Brownie) thought he needed a friend.  So I have called this design Brownie and Bunny.

AND, I also stitched a label to the back of the rug of the original antique rug from which my horse shape was done. 

This horse mat replication was also finally bound over the last couple days.

and the label attached to it is a copy of the original.

Oh but it feels SO GOOD to be caught up.  But soon the newest challenge rug will be done and needed to be bound.  Plus I'm getting anxious to start on a rug for my dear grandson for Christmas.  

Uh... and then in May I'm going to a Barb Carrol rug camp in Ligonier.  Oh my, so much fun happinging here.

Stupid Is as Stupid Does

Sigh..... would you like to see what stupid looks like?  Here it is. Yup it is ME.  I cannot believe how stupid I was today.  Uh, am sure this isn't the only day I've had a stupid moment.

Okay... here's the story.  I had two patterns to draw for a very important and well known hooker and wanted to send them off as soon as possible via priority mail.  However getting the prescribed sizes, etc. they weren't drawn on linen until lunch time.

My plans were to eat lunch and take a bike ride to my mail box at the end of the road for pick up by my mail carrier. I did the click and ship and since my usual delivery time is around 3 pm. thought I was safe.   

OOPS.  My mail was already there for today. So this package you see below dated for today wouldn't be picked up here until tomorrow.

Came back from the mailbox, grabbed my purse, car keys and drove to the Post Office a few miles from my house.  Parked my car, grabbed my purse and looked for the package.  WTF (whiskey, tango, foxtrot) where was the package of patterns?   

You guessed it.  Back at the house.  There was NO WAY I was driving back home and going back to the post office to ship the package.  So I'll leave tomorrow morning early and stick it in the 'out box' in hopes that they will think it was delivered inside just after they closed the doors but still in today's date.  

OMG, how stupid can a woman be?  

For a while I took leave of my thought process but can't explain where it was.

Hope you have a great evening.

Saundra

Never Ending Binding Syndrome

I've just named a syndrome known as the 'never ending binding'. Hey, sounds silly but makes sense.  The more you hook, the faster you hook, the more binding is required.    Yet, I hate the binding part.  Just wish I had the money to afford someone to do it for me.  But the only way it will be done is if I do it.  So it is a self-inflicted "never ending binding syndrome".  

While there is only a tad of sky to hook on the Sheep and Daffodil Challenge rug thought I should set that aside and finish binding the other two mats.  Happily one of those two mats just got bound today. That would be Rainbow Cabin.

Still in the wings is binding of one of the two horse mats hooked.  And VERY SOON will be the challenge rug.

And as soon as those are done I'll start something special for my grandson.  

Have a great evening everyone, since I'm really running late will cut this short.

Saundra

Getting Close But Not Done Yet

On the surface it appears that I'm close to finishing the hooking part of the challenge rug.  BUT, when putting the rug on the floor for a photo I'm not happy with the border.  The border doesn't flow nicely but rather harsh in some areas.

And not sure about the sky colors ~ whether to do lighter in areas for cloud like formations or do a more lavender dark.  But then in real life there are all those colors in the sky which we can see from our yard at any given moment.  

Here it is.  The sides and bottom wavy border I can live with.  But the top is not smooth enough for me from the red house to the right of those daffodils ~ that's too jagged.

So who knows what this will look like next time you see it.  But at least it is close to the finish.  Hope everyone had a great Easter Sunday.

Saundra

Happy Easter

As kids Easter was all about the Easter baskets and candy.  As we matured we realized what celebrating the religious holiday was really about.

Since this is a hooking blog I will show you rabbit items I've hooked.

A rug designed by Sally Kallin named "Harry".

A painted cloth bunny holding a hooked egg and basket with hooked egg.

Mr. Cottontail, a design by Brenda Gervais.

Both the rabbit and crow purses sold years ago at a show.

The velveteen rabbit on a tuffet may have sold......or maybe it is still in one of my totes.  Perhaps I should check that out.

 The rug above is a design by Karen Kahle named "Stop and Smell the Roses".

Above is the first and last wool yarn hooked rug.  It is a cute design by Claire Murray and named Strawberry Patch.  I hate hooking with yarn. No it wasn't done with an Oxford needle, but rather a Hartman hook. Don't think I'd have liked using the Oxford needle either.  To me, the rugs hooked with yarn look rather machine made or like they came from China.  Just my humble opinion and personal preference.

Hope all of you have a great Easter Sunday.

Saundra

Looking For Wool

   Update:  Thanks to Karin a transaction is underway for Polly to purchase the wool.  Gotta love the power of the internet connections and hooker friends.

A friend of mine is looking for this wool.  She sent me a picture asking if I knew who had some.  She calls it 'crazy green wool' and uses it a lot in flower stems and other things as well, I'm sure.

If you know who carries it please let me know.  Am not sure how much she needs or wants as I'm awaiting the answer to that.  I'll bet she'd be happy with whatever she could get.

Thanks much and happy Saturday.

Saundra

Rugs Hooked by a Friend

Yesterday afternoon I attempted to do a blog post but was still down in the dumps about Ellie so aborted the blog.  I hate going days without a blog post as I'm afraid my readers or followers will leave.   

Since there's not much more hooked on the challenge rug am taking the easy way out by giving you another rug show.  This one has loads of rugs my friend Evelyn Lawrence has hooked.  Many of them you will recognize as Magdalena designs.  

This rug below is an adaptation of an antique that Evelyn designed.

The geometric below is an adaptation of a sculpture; the pattern was designed for Evelyn by Bev Conway. 

Single dog design attributed to Magdalena Briner Eby.

The pot of flowers is a design offered by Lucille Festa. 

The rug below is named Lucky Racer and is a design by the late Patsy Becker.

Rooster with Dogs and Cats .

This Two Cats and Dog rug were in an antique booth in Maine Antique Digest and not sure that it is a Magdalena rug.

There is something interesting about this abstract which Evelyn designed from an antique.  Perhaps it was hooked originally to use up whatever leftover wool, nylons or whatever.

Ship at Sea.

Another Magdalena rug.

Another antique adaptation drawn and hooked by Evelyn.

This Large Flower Box is a design by Karen Kahle.  I recall when Evelyn was hooking this at Cape May and was surprised at her bright comors since she hooks mostly dark primitive rugs like me.

A few more Magdalena rugs follow.

Unfortunately the photo below with the two roosters is really really small....dang it.

Below is a design called Big and Little which is a design by Barbara Brown of Port Primitives.

Ahhhhh, a side view of hooking on the Chalfonte porch, a pattern offered by Bev Conway.

Below is Whatnots and is a design offered by Woolley Fox.

An antique adaptation.

Farmyard is another antique adaptation.

As you can see, Evelyn is quite a prolific hooker.  And believe it or not I've loads more of Evelyn's hooked rug photos but my arm is getting tired.  But sadly there have been camps at Cape May where Evelyn and I were attending different weeks so there are many more which I don't have photos of.

If you tap on the photos they will enlarge so you can see who the designer is.  All of the Magdalena style rugs were researched and drawn by Evelyn Lawrence.  

Evelyn started hooking about 1989 and started researching Magdalena Briner Eby over 12 years ago.  That information she had learned of Magdalena's life and rugs was in this publication below.

Hope you have a pleasant evening.

Saundra

Sheep & Daffodil Challenge Update

Guess it is about time to show you the progress on my challenge rug. For those who have followed my blog for a while know what I'm talking about.  For others, here is the skinny.... there is a Facebook group known as Out of Hand Rug Hookers which was started by Lori Brechlin of NotForgotten Farm.  So Lori posed the idea of having a rug challenge. 

There has been one challenge so far that provided antique motifs which could be used to design our own rug using those vintage templates.


If you would like to participate in this challenge you would need to request to be part of the CLOSED group where only the participants are privy to the design and prizes.  This new challenge ends May 1st so there is still plenty of time for someone to join.  All you need to do is ask to be part of the challenge by clicking the link above.

Even tho this challenge isn't finished, NOR are my other horse mats and whatever I hooked last are bound, am already thinking about the next one.  Good grief, since no one else is going to bind my rugs I'd better start thinking about really finishing those other projects.  Ya think?

I appreciate all of my blogger friends and have come to think of you as close, like family, even tho we may not have met in person.  My heart goes out to my dear friend Lauren who lost her Ellie this morning.  

Hug your pets and tell your family you love them tonight; life is so short and unexpected.   

Saundra

That Time Again

Time for another rug show since I'd like to get a little more accomplished on the Sheep & Daffodil Challenge piece before showing it again.  Have also been planning what my next rug project will be and working it in my  head.  As  my grandson Zach was so impressed and excited about the Man Cave rug I hooked for his dad last Christmas would like to hook something for my grandson.

So on with the show.  Cute cat rug with brick center and checkered border.

 Below is a vintage sewn rug.  Am hoping if you click on the picture you will see the rows of stitching which makes the rug.  This design is yet another in my stash to be hooked at some time.

The piece below I've been trying to decipher.  At first I thought the guy on the left was a doctor but then decided they are drinking a toast to something ~ or maybe it is 5 o'clock there,  lol.

A soft floral below; nice soft colors with the primitive dark.  But must admit I'd probably get very bored with all that blue background.

A hexagon rug with hearts.

I've always loved this deer rug and am sure you've seen it numerous times on the internet.  There's just something about the dirty muddy neutrals that speak to me.

Cute dog rug with clouds, fence and flowers.

Time for a horse rug since we've had a cat, dog, deer and chickens

There are a few other antique rug photos I could show you but need to save something for the next time.  

So I'll try to pull as many loops as I can on the challenge piece and maybe have something more to show tomorrow.  Happy Monday everyone and hope Ellie is doing better this afternoon after her bad night last night.

Saundra