Making Rug Labels

Jackie, a loyal follower of mine suggested I do a tutorial on making rug labels.  But before I get to that wanted to let Jackie know that I tried to respond to your message but you ARE one of those unfortunate people who has that dreaded "no-reply" blogger.  To learn how to correct it so you don't miss any giveaways or personal help when asking for it, do a google search or scroll thru my old posts to see how to correct it.  It is easy to do.

Anyway, there are a couple ways to make rug labels and I've done it two ways now.  The first way was to cut freezer paper 8 1/2 x 11 to and a piece of muslin ripped on the straight of grain across and down to fit that sheet of paper. 

If you want the muslin a little tea stained I'd do that to a larger piece to allow for shrinkage and then rip/cut to fit the freezer paper.  Then you iron the slippery side of the freezer paper to the fabric using a hot dry iron. 

The label for the the McCue Eagle was done using the technique described above.  Since I was planning to hook several of Magdalena Briner's designs wanted to provide adequate information on the back so did a form and hand wrote the information in after each was hooked.  As you can see below it isn't as nice since the ink pen ran and the writing isn't as structured as the print.

If you look at the label above closely you will see that I also indicated the original size of Magdalena's Eagle and the size of mine.  Wanted to show the year the original is to have been hooked as well as the year I hooked mine.  Since all that information was available to me, thanks to the long and tedius research of my friend Evelyn Lawrence, I felt it should be on my label.

So now the more current rug labels I've done; you saw one on the back of The Cat's Meow in a recent post.  Here is a label I just attached to the back of a previously hooked Henny Penny design by Woolley Fox. Notice that mild green in the background ?  The name of it is Irish Eyes and was purchased from Betsy.  I LOVE that wool and am using it in the Pot of Flowers that I'm presently working on (flower buds, leaf, thin row around flowers) and it was used in the duck on Magdalena's Farm rug.  It is a 'must have' wool in my estimation.  Not sure if she has any left but if not and it is ever re-milled, make sure you get some.  Now she'll shiver if she doesn't have any in stock and she gets e-mails. 

This is the product I used to make these last labels.

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I purchased this at Hancock Fabrics but am sure other fabric or craft stores would have a similar product.  This is NOT a shiny or rubbery product but a muslin and just what you want.

So this is what I do to design the information on my piece of paper:

~OPEN a new document in Windows Word
~ make MARGINS the narrowest so there's more room for the labels.
~INSERT "Table" and I used two across and 4 down per sheet of paper.
~TYPE your information using the font you desire and info you desire
~COPY and PASTE a picture of your choosing.

I will fill out one square with information and then copy and paste the info into the other 7 blocks.  If the 8 labels runs over onto a second page then I know that I've to reduce the font size or reduce the size of the picture (if there is one).  And, sadly am normally behind in labeling my rugs so that I know the name and information for all 8 rugs.  That way I use up the whole sheet and don't waste the product.

Oh, and I save that into a document so that when I'm ready to label the next 8 rugs all I have to do is change the name and the information.  Also be sure to leave adequate space above and below each label for cutting and stitching.

What you will need to do is test to see which side the fabric enters the printer.  You will notice that I made a note and wrote it on the package so next time I know to place the fabric side down so the printing is on the proper side and doesn't gunk up my printer.  It was much better using this product than ironing on the freezer paper to cotton.  But that was a cheaper way to go.

After printing out the fabric I waited for it to dry and just for safety sake I took a plain sheet of paper and placed it against the printed side of the fabric and ironed it with a hot dry iron.  Since I wanted to stain the fabric I wanted to be sure the ink wouldn't run.  Thankfully something worked because it didn't run when I dipped the labels in coffee.  Now, I DID cut my labels while they were attached to the paper to make it easier and make for a straighter cut. 

Hopefully I've explained everything well enough for you.  And feel free to write me with questions but just remember, if you are a NO-REPLY blogger you'll never receive my e-mail.

Have a great evening everyone.  And please be kind to one another; as the old saying goes.... "you can catch more flies with sugar...."  Besides, it makes me happier to be nice.

Saundra

 

Making Rug Labels again

There is a lull between rug label making as several pieces need to be hooked before a label is made to fill a page.  This is what I printed out today then realized I'd missed a rug.  Will save that for next time.  

These still need to be attached to the rugs but placed the labels on top of black felt to show up better.

It had been so long between label making I'd forgotten to print it in 'normal' instead of 'draft' format.  So the color on the labels isn't really crisp.  

If you are checking out the rug names you may wonder why there is a light background on that 2nd left side Flower Power label since I hooked mine with a black background.  That is the pattern shown on Nola's web site. 

I've attached the printed labels differently ~ in the beginning I just attached the cotton printed label directly onto the back of the rug like below.

Then decided to sew the label on black felt first and then attach like below.

Since the second choice takes two steps, albeit neater and more sturdy, am considering forgetting the second step.  Out of curiosity, which would you do?

Also, I've previously posted a tutorial on how I make labels.  If you would like to visit please click HERE.   Well crap!!!!  While copying and pasting that link was reminded that I have put EIGHT (8) labels on one sheet.  No wonder there was so much excess waste cut away today.  Oh well......

Another rainy day today and another tomorrow.  My pond is back and will be lake before the rain ends.

Saundra

Binding Barb Style

There are several different styles of binding techniques which have been posted about here in the past.  Since I'm binding Magdalena's Farm rug thought it was about time to do another tutorial of sorts. 

I've been very fortunate to have had many camps with Barb at Woolley Fox and when we were treated to a home tour took the opportunity to check out the bottom of her rugs to see how they were bound.  Oh yes I did girlfriend (as I swirl my head around like a teenager)!  Bold of me, right?  Well a girl just needs to see first hand how the master does it.

Barb has a booklet which gives all the information about hooking, cutting wool, hooks, etc., a very good beginner book.  It also shows how she binds her rugs.  Hopefully it is still in print since I'm posting about it here.  By the way, there is a free pattern insert inside too.

In the book Barb demonstrates how she uses wool yarn to whip on the underside of the rug by catching the foundation and the cotton binding. Must admit that Mz. Barb is more liberal with her wool yarn than me but mine does the job ~ hers is more lush.  Neither her way nor my way is seen from above and does not detract from the wool rug above.  That is the beauty of this style.

My yarn has variegated colors which are also in the rug itself.  But again, it isn't seen from the top of the rug but makes a nice statement when you flip it over.

Now, the hidden secret I learned while snooping under Barb's rug is that extra step.  One which I've known about since looking at her binding but haven't tried until now.  If you look closely at the picture above as well as the one above that, you will see a gentle running stitch down the middle of the cotton binding.  Now why didn't I ever think about doing that? 

If you think about it, that would make the cotton binding more stable when doing the inside stitching step.  It would also prevent the cotton binding from wrinking and fraying more easily.  Yes, it is yet another step for a task none of us like (binding a rug), but it does have its good points.  This is the first time I've gone that "extra step" yet wanted to let you all know about it.

For sure this last binding project will be done in time for Cape May.  Today I even made rug labels for several of the last rugs I've hooked this year.  While they may not all be attached to the back in time for Cape May show I do have something special to show you about making rug labels.

Hey, you ain't seen nutten yet.  Wait til I post about my rug labels tomorrow.  Okay, okay, some of you gals are far more computer and label savvy than me so you may know more, but today I got better than I was yesterday. 

Have a great evening everyone and be ready for the cool down tomorrow.  Personaly, I can't wait.

Saundra

Making Rug Labels

It was just time to print out rug labels since I had one page of information.  Of course that means that it will take another few rugs to be hooked before another sheet of 8 labels can be produced.  Well, that is since I'm cheap (thrifty).

I tried to attach a photo of the Microsoft Word document but that didn't seem to work.  Therefore I printed out my labels, trimmed them and took a photo after.  Some of the rugs for which I made a label are older rugs hooked but didn't have a date hooked in it nor another form of documentation and felt they needed one.   Some are fairly newly hooked rugs you would recognize.  If you touch the photo it will enlarge for you to see my info.

Below is the product I used.  It was purchased from Hancock Fabrics near me.  It is sold in both white and cream fabric sheets; I purchased the cream.  As you can see I wrote on the front of the package how my printer accepts this product.  To find out that info I made a mark on a sheet of paper and ran it through my printer to find out which side would be printed on.

It is not a rubbery product but a muslin.  Here is what I did to design my sheet of information.

~ Open a new document in WORD
~ Make margins the most narrow so more room for label information
~ INSERT "table" and use 2 across and start with 4 down per sheet
~ TYPE your information using your favorite font
~ COPY and PASTE a photo of the rug you choose.

Depending on the amount of information you want to give will determine how many labels you will get per page.  

After a whole page is set up and printed I save the document so the hard work and basic information is there.  All that is needed for the next round of labels is to change the information and change out the photo. That is IF you choose to put a photo on your label.  If you don't put a photo you will have more room for information.  

Sometimes I've wanted to put a picture of the original antique from which I've adapted the rug.  And then it got to be kinda nice to have a photo on the back in case sometime the rug gets damaged the person can see how it was originally.

Making Rug Labels

In a previous post a little over a year ago I gave a tutorial of sorts for different ways to make rug labels and even showed a few different styles I've done; you can check out that post HERE.  This time I did something a little different...actually a couple somethings.  This is the back side of Cherries and Candy Stripe with the new label attached.

The first thing I did differently was to put a mini photo of the original antique rug from which my table runner was adapted.  Thought that would be good historical information, problem is I forgot to include the huge dimensions of the original on my label.  The original measured 30 x 75 and my hooked runner measures 13.5 x 33.5.  Oh well this label can be reprinted on another sheet of 8 labels in future date....but need to buy another package of the printer fabric first. 

Here is a close up of the label.  Can you tell that I'm not a professional quilter as my stitches aren't consistent.

Another thing I did differently than the last sheet of labels, unfortunately,  was to use straight cut scissors instead of pinking shears to cut them out.  That I'll never do again.  That silly mistake meant that the edges of the fabric required a bead of Dritz Fray Check along all four sides of all the labels.

Here are the other labels I printed for other rugs.  Actually there are several more rugs which need a label but no more fabric printing sheets so need to purchase more.

Then the other thing done differently is not having lines printed between the two rows of 4 labels.  This time I had the forethought to remove the border lines for printing that was initially put in when setting up the Windows Table. 

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

 

MISC. Rug Hooking Chit Chat

A few posts ago I told you of my losing a few rug labels I'd printed out.  I know they were printed and cut out but have no idea what happened to them.  And, nope, they never surfaced.  So with enough labels to fill a page I printed out more.

The three labels on the left are for rugs already hooked or in the progress.  Oh Glorious Day design will be hooked at Cape May, the bottom design Friendship Bells will be hooked November.  Because I needed another planned piece for a label I chose the small Tonya Robey pattern I've had for eons.  I figure that could easily be finished in 2019 too.

When hooking an antique adaptation I like to put the original picture on the label as with the hearts and Great Granddaughter's rug.  Otherwise  usually print a picture of the design by the maker of the pattern to show another version other than what I've hooked.

A tutorial of making rug labels can be seen on my blog by clicking HERE.  If you wanted to know my thoughts on cutters, rug frames, etc. all you need to do is type those key words in the space at the top left side of my blog.

On my grocery list today is Glad Press and Seal.  For what you ask?  I've heard that if you press that on the bottom of the rug you're working on, when pulling the rug off the frame it helps prevent loops from being pulled out.  Also, I'm such a slob at meal time there's always salad dressing which doesn't make it to my mouth but makes it to my top.  Now I'll be prepared by pressing some of that on the front of my linen top.

Happy Saturday everyone.

Saundra

Making a Rug Label

Yesterday on my blog mentioned making labels for the last few of my rugs ~ a girl has to start somewhere, right?  Well I did it for the Magdalena rugs but nothing else. 

This time I just used Microsoft Word program instead of Photo Shop which was used to make the Magdalena rug labels.  Now I wish I'd downloaded the Photo Shop program on this computer and used that instead (had the program downloaded on my old computer).  It came out okay but a tad small and with Photo Shop I could add a fancy border.  Here's what I made.

And here they are trimmed.  A little small and not much to turn over the edges and stitch so I used pinking shears to cut to retard raveling. 

Here is what the Magdalena labels looked like using the Photo Shop Program and you can see it has a border and more room for trimming; that plus the fact I only did 4 labels per sheet.  Initially I thought it would be a smart idea to make a template and just fill in the information which would be different for each of the Magdalena rugs.....like size, name, date, etc. 

 In retrospect I should have just saved the printing of the labels until all four had been hooked and the appropriate information typed on the label document before printing out.  It would have given a nicer aesthetic to the label than you can see here.  Perhaps one day I'll have a do-over and replace them with better labels.

Now, you're wondering....'so tell me how you made them?"   There are many ways to make labels I'm sure.  I do know you can purchase sheets at fabric stores and they may even be better than what I do because I'm always afraid of jamming up my printer. 

I used muslin which had been soaked in Bubble Jet purchased at Dharma Trading but may be sold elsewhere.  Then let the fabric dry and iron out the wrinkles in the fabric.  Next I cut a piece of waxed freezer paper the same as regular paper 8 1/2" x 11" and trimmed the treated muslin on the straight of grain then ironed the fabric onto the waxed side of the freezer paper with a DRY iron.

Then it is breath holding time as you press the PRINT button on your printer and hope it doesn't jam.  Of course you will need to learn which side up it requires for the fabric to go on your particular printer.  On mine the fabric side was down.

So, I know there are people out there who have made labels which look much more professional than mine.  If there is anyone out there who would like to share or blog about it, please let me know so I can do a better job on the next go around.  Or, heck, if you have a blog put the info there and give me your link.

Thanks for dropping by and reading my dribble.  Stay cool and remember for you working folks (I'm retired ya know), enjoy hump day.

Saundra

Sunday Finishes

Actually the sheep rug was finally finished being bound yesterday evening but I'd already made a blog post.  The pattern is called Flag Day Sheep however I had other plans for my prize sheep and took liberties. It is a Woolley Fox design.  

Since I hate binding and whipping, or any other type of finishing a rug the task drags on and on for days prolonging my misery, lol.

The rug below you may have been shown since it was finished.  It was finally whipped with that special wool yarn spun and dyed by my departed friend Lesley Coveney.  There was enough and some left over. A Day in the Country is a design by Mad Hen Prims.  

Maybe someone can tell me why the top and bottom of my whipped edges are rippled and sides aren't?  At first I thought the ripple was due to the scalloped hooking and maybe it still is.  Perhaps I packed the curved sections too full on top and bottom.  Strange.  And yes, I steamed the back again after whipping.

Now I need to do labels for both of these rugs, plus a few others which haven't been labeled.  But I don't print labels until the sheet is full of rug labels.  Then it will be to sew each on the appropriate rug.

Today also drew a Domestic Zoo pattern to have one ready to go. As two will soon be going to rug camps there may be another request for one when folks see the progress the hooker is making. Since the pattern is rather large and lots of motifs I don't have a stack already drawn but do like one ready and another foundation serged waiting.

How are my horses doing?  Have started hooking the top section of the one horse pattern so will make some progress on that tonight I hope. Am fighting the urge to cut some dark strips for the stripes at the top but want to use my worms.  So while the colors or width may not be like the original antique I'll use what I have.

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

My Hooking Projects and Penny Rug

The other day I commented about keeping records of rugs we hook by  hooking date and initials in the rug, making labels, taking photos, etc.  One of my followers (thank you Kat) said she also kept a paper trail of her rugs and was surprised to learn she had hooked 70.  Oh boy did that give me the incentive to find out just how many I'd hooked. 

Unfortunately there were rugs I hooked which were never photographed.  And then there were some pictures put of a diskette which I can no longer use on my computer.  Some older hooked pieces were on a CD which I was able to transfer to a flash drive today.  Sadly it still remains there are no pictures of some.

So, did the next best think and looked thru my house, the ones I have for sale, as well as the ones I display.  But then went thru my records of what I sold and struggled to remember those which I'd given as gifts. 

Now, what constitutes a RUG?  Does a mat classify as a rug?  If so, those were included in my numbers.  Much to my surprise I came up with a total of 84 rugs and mats that I've hooked since 2001.  In addition I've hooked 35 purses and most of those have sold.  I still have a few left but still think that is a remarkable amount of hooking.
 While searching thru photos it was also fun to see the rugs I'd forgotten that I'd hooked or penny rugs made since they sold.  And while looking thru the Cd's found this Penny Rug I made and sold.  It was a design by Fredericksburg Rugs and think it was called Circles and Stars.

And also hooked a Penny Rug Purse which sold; wow, this was early in my beginning hooking years too so surprised I found the photo and had forgotten I'd hooked it.  It was fun thumbing thru photo history of my hooking and will continue logging the information forward.   I'd expect there are still projects made but the visual info lost. 

Perhaps this will inspire each of you to keep a paper or photo trail of your pieces.  Thanks for dropping by.

Saundra

WHIPPING and LABELING

Thankfully there is only one rug to bind on the pile as Woman on Horseback was just whipped and label attached.  There is a downside to my label making madness as I don't do individual labels.  I wait until there are 6 rugs to label so they can be printed on normal paper size fabric covered sheets.  

When I do an antique adaptation I always put a photo of the original antique on the label.  For the Woman on Horseback I copied an image of Lucinda Ward's quilt block on the label.  Here is a photo of the labels made for the last 6 rugs hooked.  You can read about how to do that HERE.

This evening I'll try to make up hooking time on the "Stars" rug.  Stupidly I hooked a big star with the wrong color and ripped the sucker out only to hook it again in the right color.  This reverse hooking seems to happen a lot to me.  But forward or reverse rug hooking is still my comfortable place.

Weatherman says this area of Delaware just might, beat the average high for this time of year tomorrow.  Could be high 70's almost 80.  BUT then will plummet to low temperatures.  So plans are to do laundry for whites and hang them out tomorrow morning the make some soup for the colder temps.  Like I've said before.... "weather in Delaware is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get".

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

FIRST is MAIN COURSE then comes DESSERT, right?

Well not in this case.  I'm taking care of the main course and leaving the Canton until last, definitely not what I'd call a sweet dessert or piece of cake (referring to HOOKING that is).  Yet the stripes needed to be hooked too and gives me something to do while I decide what to hook next.

Since there was nothing new to put on my frame thought I'd get as many loops pulled on the flag as possible and straight hooking goes faster than stars and filling in random space.  Until I decide what to hook next I can finish this rug, bind the now finished Jewel Basket (which I'll post about next time), and print out/sew on rug labels (am way behind doing that).

Today the temperature was 93 degrees and the pond dismantling has begun.  The fish have been removed and in a new home with two fish-loving owners.  So two guys came today to get the fish, will come back another day to get the rocks.  Someone else wants the sandbags and the big framing.  

After 10 years of taking care of the pond by myself ~ cleaning the filtering system daily, making sure water level was okay, skimming leaves and limbs from the top it had become too much for me.  I was concerned what it would cost to have a company come in to demolish the pond or another option was to fill it in with dirt and grow something????

WTH, I don't want more stuff to take care of.  I wanted the pond gone.  

Thankfully my son has an American Legion 'good ol boy' network who are the great guys helping.  

It used to be a pretty pond and one day soon after the pond was built and I was still married, I saw a Blue Heron having a fresh fish lunch  on the side of the pond.  I sobbed and my ex built that framing you see with sections which could be removed for skimming off leaves, etc.  But somehow that destroyed the beauty of the pond and it was never the same after.  Well that and mostly the divorce of over 10 years ago 😑.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com