250th BIRTHDAY EAGLE UPDATE

Made a tad more headway on the rug.  And yes, I re-drew the olive branch and lightening bolts 3 times.  Had it not been for the ink color change am not sure I'd know which to hook.  When looking at several inanimate eagle images saw some longer and wider leg extensions.  They reminded me of frog legs and I didn't want mine that long and wide.  At least there is more of the leg shown now than was drawn before.

I chose to hook a calm linear hooked background so it wouldn't compete with the eagle and ribbon for attention.  The wool used was off the bolt Laramie Stripe wool purchased from The Wool Studio.   

Luckily I've already drawn out a pattern to throw on the frame next. It was drawn just in case I got bored with this rug and would be my plus one.  Obviously no boredom happened so it will be my next hooking project....  UNLESS someone has an idea for a hook-along which interests me. If you do, let me know.

Weather today is dreary, drizzly and chilly so am planning to make a pot of vegetable soup.  Will have that for a couple days and freeze the rest for future.

Saundra

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RUGS HOOKED DURING 2006

The first rug hooked that year was Birds and Pomegranates, a design by Edyth O'Neill which was offered in some book I have on my shelf.  Later sold it.

My next project was from a photo of my departed Rotties Shumba and Panzer.  It was hooked in a class with Jon Ciemiwicz who also drew the pattern from the photo I provided.  The dogs were hooked with #3 and background I hooked in #6 as using a #3 was out of the question at that point.

A side note...when grooming my dogs I saved their hair in separate baggies.  Then had a friend spin their hair on a small wool core and used their hair in the nape of each of their necks, so there is each of their DNA in the rug.

As soon as this was hung on the wall in my bedroom I got a piece of linen and drew a small full body picture of each of the dogs and hooked that baby in #8.  I hate hooking a whole rug in narrow cut but must admit you sure do get good detail.  And yeah, my boy Panzer sat like a girl, lol.

In a class with Bev Conway I hooked her Rufus the Lion design.  This rug is in my wool room, not my living space as those are not my colors.  Perhaps I need to offer it for sale.

For vending I always like to have something small to offer so hooked a couple cat purses.

Actually, this penny purse I have documented as being hooked in 2005, but I missed it in my previous post, so here it is now.

Designed a fish mat in hopes of selling it at the beach area, and it did.

That year I drew an adaptation of a rug from the Kopp book "Art Under Foot".  As much as I love horse rugs I sold this one too.

This folk art stars pattern is in a booklet on my shelf and was a pattern offered by Polly Minick.  Matter of fact there is a rug exactly like mine for for sale at an on-line auction house.  So someone else saw that pattern too.  

There ya have it for 2006.  Wish I'd started keeping a record visually and written on what I hooked exactly when.  But didn't start doing that until I'd been hooking for a few years.  Therefore exact year gets a little iffy once in a while.

Have a wonderful day and hope all your loops are perfect.

Saundra

MOTHER'S DAY RUG SHOW

Happy Mother's Day, here's a bouquet of flowers made with standing wool and applique for each of you.  No estimate of age was provided.

This bird rug was promoted as an antique Charlevoix, Quebec folk art rug.  Dimensions are 21 x 38 but no date hooked given.

A landscape hooked early 20th century measuring 24 x 36.  

Hooked runner with a dog cameo near the center (21.5 x 53.5).  No date was provided but certainly looks aged to me.  Love the various background colors.

Below is the primitive eagle I wrote about.  Perhaps it was a chair pad by the shape and size, it measures 13.5 x 14.  The colors may throw you off a little but remember this person used what was on hand.  You could do a rectangular shape and put flags on the sides, hook 1776, or whatever comes to you creative mind.  A small easy hook with little detail in the face.

A worn rug with stars and diamond border.  No date offered but it measures 20 x 35.  Personally I'd forego the busy diamond shaped border.

Soft to the eyes hit and miss with flowers, dated the 1930's.

Another worn rug, a geometric which has mellowed with age.

A cowgirl circa 1920's.  Oh how I would have loved this for my bedroom as a kid.

This cat doesn't appear to be old, but saw it on a Leatherwood Antiques posting.  Plus it is all I have for the feline lovers right now.

Again, Happy Mother's Day.

Saundra

EAGLE UPDATE

That would be the eagle on my frame, not the real one in my backyard.  Since taking this photo I put my big girl panties on and drew the larger spread eagle legs.  Will deal with hooking them once I tackle the ribbon banner.

When my son visited me this week he finally saw this rug.  I asked him if he was going to pry it from my hands and his reply was..."no I'll wait until it is all hooked".  We both laughed and he knows he will eventually get it.  But I've plans to enjoy it myself for a while. 

Recently I saw  another very primitive hooked eagle and if this one is done in time it just might be on my frame next instead of the pup.  And, will see if anyone else is willing to join me.  

Saundra

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HOW MANY RUGS?

In recent conversations with two blogger friends I mentioned hooking an average of 10 rugs per year.   Of course as a newbie that wasn't my average.  A few years ago I did post the beginning of my rug hooking experiences and you can see 2001-2004 projects HERE.  

Since I'm always looking for something to blog about, this topic may pop up every so often.  It was 2005 which was the first year of hooking 10 pieces. The first one of the year was Fall is Here, a Vermont Folk Art design which I sold in 2007 at a show due to pending divorce.

This next one, Fluted Basket, a design by Karen Kahle, was drawn from the pattern in an issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.  I happened to be working on it while vending and had a request to purchase once it was done.  And so it was sold later.  Always intended to hook another for myself but that hasn't happened.

Stop and Smell the Roses, another by Karen Kahle was my next project and still lives with me.

Oh but I do love bunny rabbits so purchased Sally Kallin's design named Harry.  Harry also still lives with me.

Then drew my own two designs with the intention to sell them when vending.

Since I made primitive dolls, thought it might be fun to hook two zippered bags with a black face and white face on the other side.  I kept one for myself to carry my hooks and tools in for camps and sold one.  Photo is washed out as it was taken on my back deck.

The curled cat rug is one I drew and also sold that year.

I thought Tonya Robey's whimsical Lion was cute so hooked it that year and sold it 2007 at the Lewes Historical Society show.

The last rug hooked that year was an antique adaptation of the well known two roosters.  And yes, sadly I sold this one later, due to my upcoming divorce.

Well, that's it for the year 2005.  Eventually I'll get to the year 2006 when I'm in need of something to post, as I always like to provide something for my followers to read.

Happy hooking on this very windy, cloudy and drizzly day.

Saundra

MY RECRUIT IN TRAINING

My grandson Zach is midway through his Basic Training at Great Lakes, Illinois.  This is my screen shot of a video shared on Facebook by a parent who has someone there too.  My son sent me the video so saved it, of course.

Graduation for his Division is May 28th and I'm not sure where he will go for his avionics training, but perhaps Pensacola, FL.  My son and DIL have already booked a hotel room so they can see him graduate at the Training Command.  

I'm not going as I couldn't do that much travel.  They will be gone a week first heading to PA to pick up some of Cathy's family and continue to IL.  But am sure they will have lots of videos and photos to share with me when they arrive for Graduation.

As I'm typing this I'm still waiting for a service man who said he'd  be here at 8 a.m. and it is now almost 10 a.m.

The not new any longer range hasn't worked properly since the day it was delivered.  The oven loses 20 degrees every 10 minutes.  When first attempting to bake banana nut bread the bread was flat and had to be baked much longer for the inside to not be soggy.  Thought maybe I had old baking powder and baking soda so bought new and tried again later but still flat and soggy.  And my chicken breast took much longer than normal.  

So then I had to methodically study the situation.  Now when baking chicken I set the  temp at 400 instead of 350 and go back and re-set the temp every 10 minutes.   Hopefully today's electrician can figure it out and fix it.

Saundra

JUST ANOTHER RUG SHOW

Another Barbara E. Merry rug has been put up for auction again.  This one was hooked when she was married to John Merry.  Although hard to see, MERRY is hooked above the roof of the home.  If I am recalling correctly, and again hard to see, are the words "Wedding Day" at bottom left and story was that Barbara hooked her wedding dress into the rug.  

Below is an combination applique with hooked or proddy border.  No info on date.

A bowl of flowers hooked 19th century measuring 27 x 54.

Two cats with sun shining on them.  Again, no date but dimensions are 21 x 35.

Deer hooked late 19th century (31.5 x 44.5).

An eagle flying on or with the shield.  

Man's best friend by George Wells 26.5 x 62.

When first seeing Man's best Friend I thought it might be a manufactured rug.  But then I looked at the back which was part of the listing.

Another landscape, and not a BEM,  circa 1890 measuring 33 x 59.

A sulky racer inscribed "Let Her Go".

A variety of animals with a sawtooth border circa 1900's (27 x 43).

Spring tulip and rabbit design with April hooked into the hit and miss background.  Hooked late 19th century (24.5 x 35).  It is still for sale.

And tumbling blocks circa 1900 (26 x 41) also still listed for sale.

That's it for this show.  Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Saundra

NOW TO THE OTHER EAGLE

I have made a little more progress but you can see I'm still a little timid to draw the feathered legs.  But am working on my bravery while moving closer to that decision time near the bottom.

Critically looking at the rug now, it appears I might have accidently used a #8.5 strip for the 0 because the 25 looks like the #9 I'd planned.  So will reverse hook that and be sure it is hooked in #9.

Seems I might paint myself into a corner again, which happens from time to time when doing my own color planning.  At first I thought there wouldn't be a need for an outline around the shield as I used a lighter brown in that area of the wing.  It is still too close in value.  Plus not sure there will be enough difference in the white end stripes in the bottom part of the shield.  However, I've done a row of white at the eagle's head and the value difference is okay there.  It isn't the same wool but perhaps I'll be okay.   Heck, I'm not submitting it to be juried in a contest the rug is for me until my son pleadingly yanks it out of my hands, lol.

Gonna be another cold weekend so think some sort of homemade soup will be on the menu.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

UNEXPECTED VISITOR

Looking out my bedroom window this morning I had to blink a couple times ~ is that really what I think it is?  There was a beautiful bald eagle at the wooded edge of my property.  The way it was moving told me it was stalking something.  Wanted to grab a camera but didn't want to move away for fear it would fly away and I'd miss another moment.  

Ran to get my iPad in my birthday suit as I'd just gotten out of the shower.  Thought I'd be smart and zoom in on the eagle but all I got was a closeup of the screen on the porch.

So reversed the zoom to get this next photo.  Don't know what the eagle was stalking, but was fun to watch it move toward its prey.  However, the move prevented me from getting a photo of the entire bird.  This is taken from the kitchen thru the back porch and deck.  Didn't go outside  as it would have immediately flown away.  

It may only a speck in this photo but it was a larger than life event for me to see such a magnificent creature in real time vs. some screen.  Shortly after this photo it flew into the woods and landed on a tree.  So am wondering it lives in this area because just flying over my property with the canopy overhead, don't think the eagle would spot a squirrel moving on the ground despite its 'eagle eyes'.

Saundra

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WOULD IT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

This is what my rug looks like now, with just the claws gripping the olive branch and lightening bolts.

Would it really make any difference if I drew and hooked a bit of the feathered part of the leg in the rug?  

There are some spread eagle images I've seen, including the Seal of the President of the United States.  

Well, I'll be... guess that is where the term "spread eagle" came from, with wings and legs spread far apart.  So would adding the feathers, leg and claw take the attention away from the rest of the rug? 

If you look at the top photo again you can see a little red ink on the right side where I started to draw.  But became timid and questioning my change.  

Thank goodness I made a pot of chili and some rice yesterday as it is cold again and will have some for lunch to warm me up.  Thought it was spring.

Saundra

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