HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Enjoy all those ghosts and goblins who drop by tonight.  I remember as a kid there was a neighbor woman who used to make pop corn balls; my brother and I used to love them more than the purchased candy people gave out.

Here is the rug I recently designed which is called Mache' Jack-O-Lanterns and guess it will be replaced with something else tomorrow.

This is the Jack I hooked last year and was a free pattern insert in a 1998 Oct/Nov issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.  The design was by Barb Carroll of Woolley Fox.

As I was a lucky winner of a free kit from Maria Barton (Star Rug Company), I also hooked this cute Duluth Pumpkin.  Love those buttons Maria sent with the kit as eyes.

This small piece was designed and hooked by Tonya Robey (Mad Hen) and I've several of her designs that I've purchased on ebay in the past.

Another item made by Tonya and it hangs in my sewing room 24-7.

When I did shows the witch below was one that was quite popular.  I may still have one in my containers from the last of my shows.  I should probably list my dolls on ebay.  Heck, it is almost Christmas perhaps I need to take pictures of some of my things and post the prices on my blog.

Have a great weekend everyone.

 

Saundra

Antique Rugs Show

Since I've been on the run the last couple days, plus still binding the Katz rug, figured it was time for some antique eye candy to provide the entertainment I can't give right now.  With all the time I spend on Pinterest you'd think I could do better with my time, eh?  lol.

I like this piece ~ it gives a whole new concept to the hit and miss but using fewer colors.  There must be a whole of browns and blacks in my worm bags so this would be easy to do.  Message to self:  put on list to hook.

Something serene about this colors and again my favorite style background in blocks of primitive dark.

 Beautiful colors and hard to believe it would have that much color if done in 1871.

 I may have posted a picture of this textile (purse) below but I like the colors and think it would make a nice rug.

This one has quite a story ~ the story goes.........  "Handsome Dan’s successor, Handsome Dan II, came to Yale in 1933. In 1934 he was kidnapped by Harvard students and photographed with the statue of John Harvard. Handsome Dan II passed away in 1937 due to complications from a broken leg. Family records tell us that this hooked rug was made by Blanche Paull, the great grandmother of owner’s partner Matthew Carter. Ms Paull was an accomplished artist whose son Tom attended Yale. The rug likely dates to Handsome Dan II’s tenure, between 1933 and 1937 "



Have a great day and hope you enjoyed the show.

Saundra

Whipped Wool Yarn Binding

Well it is that unpleasant chore each of us find ourselves in after enjoying the hooking process. Yup, time to bind the *bleeping* rug.  First thing I did was draw a line 1 1/2" away from the last row of hooking.  Then two rows of straight sewing machine stitches (1/4" apart) were done along that line all round.  Next was one row of zig zag stitch between those two rows of straight stitching.  That extra step connected all three rows together and made it more stable.  After that I trimmed away the excess.

Sorry about the next picture's flash back, but since the camera was close to the subject it is showing up all washed out.  I wanted you to see the corner up close.

Then I rolled the foundation FORWARD and did a running whip stitch using inexpensive thick crochet thread to hold the roll in place.  There is no cord inside as the 1 1/2" foundation rolled makes it quite substantial.  Although it is double work, I find it much easier to whip stitch the edge when it is confined and not fighting to control both the shape of the roll but the wool yarn.

Now to the wool yarn ~ I'm using Halcyon yarn and started whipping at the corner.  Hate hooking the corners because it requires more attention to be sure the area of the curve is covered so sometimes I whip in the same hole (toward the rug) sometimes I move the needle up toward the top to cover an area which shows foundation.  You get a feel for what it needs or if over done.  Sometimes I've even removed a spot of whipping to make it nicer.  Once that corner is turned it is smooth sailing until you get to the next 3 corners.

 

This is the front top left.  Again sorry for the flash back.

And that same corner on the back side. 

Tomorrow afternoon I have a doctor's appointment so I've got a little something to keep me entertained during the waiting room process.  This is when binding a rug becomes more enjoyable ~ when I need something constructive to do during the boring doctor wait.

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

COMFORT ZONE

Ahhhh, feels better hooking with colors and designs more in my comfort zone.  Magdalena's Folk Art Horse went back on my frame.  This is what I was working on before attending Cape May rug camp but set it aside.

FYI, the Ali Katz rug has been steamed, all the three rows of pre-sewing around the perimeter of the foundation done in preparation of the wool whipped edge.  I will enjoy the Ali Katz rug and I DO appreciate and admire bright colored rugs others hook; but for some reason it isn't  comforting for me to hook with those colors.  Perhaps I'm just an old soul who lived in a time when those OLD rugs were used. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Saundra

Taming of the Tabby

Or is it the other way around?  Yesterday, since it was time to move the rug on my frame decided to tackle the orange tabby cat again (on the far right).  If you read my previous comments about being frustrated with hooking it then you know that is why I decided to hook background for a while.

So yesterday when the unfinished tabby was staring me in the face decided to pull out orange loops and fill in the triangles with the same hot pink.  Well hey, that didn't look right either.  So I stopped hooking, gathered it up and decided I needed opinions from friends and a little liquid refreshment ~ thankfully it was Friday wine tasting time. 

I will often take hooking projects in progress to wine tasting and the locals and friends have come to expect it.  Besides, they get a kick out of saying, "hooker in the house" when arrive.  After explaining what wool I'd pulled out, the ladies and one male artist said I should put the orange back, hook a line here and fill in with the orange there.  None of the ladies are hookers but they do cross stitch, knit or quilt.  So this is what my rug is looking like now.  It seems calmer (tamed) to me now.

Just a little more border to hook, a little more needle felting to do to define some areas around or on the katz, steaming then whipping the edges.  Thankfully it WILL be done before my next camp in November.  That camp will be with Betsy Reed and will be held at The Dunes hotel in Ocean City, MD.  Then it is back to my beloved primitive hooking as I'll be hooking Magdalena Briner's Olde Ducks with Betsy.

Eventually I'll make a pattern from Ali Katz but need some time away from it first.  Also, the pattern will not include those zig zag borders, it will be more square and just the Katz.  I made mine more rectangular since there is a special place that needed that extra length.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.

Saundra

Beading Technique on Ali Katz

I'm sure you've all heard the term 'beading' as used in rug hooking.  I briefly mentioned the term when hooking Duluth Pumpkin by Maria Barton a few months ago.  I'm also doing the beading technique on the edge of the Ali Katz rug. 

For those of you who don't know, BEADING is a hooking technique using two different colors of wool BUT hooking down the same row.  You would alternate colors and if you knit you know how to alternate colors of yarn between your fingers.....same idea but using wool strips.

Here is a close up of the front top left corner where you can see there is still more to be hooked on the rug...sigh.  I decided to do a sorta hit and miss of the colors used on the katz themselves around the exterior row yet keeping the dark color constant. 

This is a picture of the back.  Notice that I kept the dark colored wool on the same side and against the outside at all times.  That is because when I whip the edge with dark wool yarn it will blend in well and not compete with colors inside.  Besides, had I not been cautious to keep the wool from twisting there would be cross overs and not a very pretty bottom.

And true, it is not advised to do the beading technique for a rug going on the floor since that area would have the most pressure and wear out sooner.  This rug is going to be in a very low traffic area where the edges will hardly ever be walked on.  Anyway, it IS going on my floor. I'll do the wool whipped edge but won't put a cotton binding on it, in the event the wool ever wears thin it will be easy enough to re-hook that exterior row ~ no problem.

Well I've a little over two weeks before I leave for my next rug camp so think this one will be all hooked by then....maybe not bound, but hooked at least.

Have a great evening.

Saundra

Doing More than Hooking

Yeah, I know we all multi-task.  In all honesty I used to be much better at that when I was younger EVEN when I had a full time job.  Somehow my clock slowed down yet TIME was going at normal rate.  Hey, go back and re-read what I just typed and see if it doesn't make total sense to you.  And if it doesn't now it will when you get older if you're a youngster.

Anyway, the Ali Katz rug could have been further along had it not been for orders recently coming in that I've worked on. A few were patterns but also Hooker Pouches.

Since some of the Hooker Pouches sold at the Cape May shop my inventory was reduced to two so had to make more.  Particularly since there was an order for one which had a Velcro detachment.  Unfortunately that style was still on my web site so needed to honor it.

Obviously I wanted to give my customer a choice so made two and she purchased both. 

Which meant I needed more inventory.  Here is one I just made today.  There is a magnet which goes on the bottom of the foundation to keep you top pouch in place.  That pouch can hold your scissors on top, hold your hook in the pouch or snippets.  Frankly I like keeping my hooks in there.

And for the record I had made ONE MORE with a Velcro detachment which isn't posted here.  So after that one I'm done with that style. But if you're interested in the Hooker Pouch let me know.

Saundra

The Katz are Back

Are you as tired of seeing my updates on this project as I am in hooking it?  I doubt it.  Yes I'm getting close to finishing but not nearly as fast as I'd like because of boredom.  Most all the Katz are hooked with exception to the 'bizi kat' to the far right.  I'll simplify it, dumb it down...in other words, make it easier for me to hook.

This is what it looks like right now. 

I'm sure that once all hooked it will require some needlefelting to define lines.  But remember this WILL eventually go on my floor so the felting will eventually lose it's lines I'm sure.

So for now I'm concentrating on finishing the rest before attending my next camp with Betsy Reed in early November. 

Have a great evening and get ready for the change in weather.

Saundra

There's Something Abojut a Lion

The King of the jungle ~ the lion, in rug form that is, has always intrigued me.  Matter of fact I've hooked 4 different lion rugs which I'll show further down in the post.  Three were someone else's designs and one is my adaptation which I offer as a pattern.  But first I'll show you some antique lion rugs which interest me.  This one is gorgeous!

A gorgeous antique lion rug hooked in 1880.

A lion with delightful background; or at least I enjoy looking at this multi-colored style and hooking it is more fun too.

The following lion has a human-looking face.

This is a new lion rug I recently found on the internet, and while the photo isn't all that great what I see is still wonderful.

Here is a wool and cotton hooked lion which has a very nice body shape.

A very primitive lion and don't think I'd have realized it was a lion had the word not been spelled out.

Below, this lion rug is bound with denim, according to the info I obtained from an antique site.

I'm sure there are many more lion rugs I've saved in various flash drives or folders on my computer but think you are almost on lion overload for now and I'm not even done.  The very first lion I hooked was a design by Bev Conway called Rufus.  I really need to take another and better picture one day.

The second lion I hooked was a whimsical design by Tonya of Mad Hen.  And somewhere in my stash I've another one of her lions under a tree.

Then my friend Evelyn gave me a design she had in her stash which is an adaptation of an antique rug.  I hooked it in a Barb Carroll class.

This is the original antique rug from which the design was drawn.

So then I wanted to hook another lion adaptation and pulled the elements I liked best from two particular antique hooked rugs ~ this is my adaptation of Lion in the Woods.

Here is one of the two rugs from which I picked the elements.  The other was a picture in a book and don't have a pic of it on my computer.

Here are other versions of the same basic design some appear more recently hooked.

 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Saundra

The Magic of Pinterest

I'm wondering how many of you have joined Pinterest.  Frankly I knew nothing about it even when a friend asked me a year or so ago if I'd heard of it.  Under protest decided to join to see what all the hullabaloo was about.

Okay, so I could check out rug hooking, and then define it to 'antique' rugs.  Oh my but what a wonderful access to rugs others have seen and not me.  There is a very friendly search engine which will connect you to 'Snowmen', jewelry, etc.  Well guess you more informed young'uns knew about this venue way before me.

What I'm alluding to is that I have had an outdated picture of particular snippet bags on my web site since like 2006.  They were sold long ago and decided to not do the Velcro detachment any longer.  This lovely lady Ann saw a picture of those on Pinterest (NOT my web site), my name was attached (thank you who ever provided my name as the source) and Ann contacted me. 

Ann inquired about a particular design, I told her I'd make one similar but not sure the exact wool was still here.  Wanting to give her a choice I made two and gave her a choice with no obligation to buy either.  She decided to purchase both.

Interesting that I pay for a web site but she saw these on Pinterest.  So I say take pictures of my things but please do give me ( and ALL OF US) credit in your pictures.  Again, thank you to the person who provided advertisement for me.

Saundra

Too Much to Resist

When I saw Sue wearing one of these at Cape May I knew one just had to be mine so inquired where she purchased it.  Well hey, it was from our own Lauren of Rugs and Pugs.  Today mine came in the mail and cannot wait to wear it.  This beauty has extra bling on it which might cost extra if you want more than necklace and pendant of choice.

I also have a silver spoon necklace from Lauren which says Hooker on it which I proudly wear to rug camps.   I'm partial to elephants vs. donkeys, btw :~)

Below is a fish for anyone who may be a Pisces   Wear it as a necklace or make a wind chime out of several of these or all her silver art work.

Lauren also sells scissor fobs with initials on them, garden markers and not sure what else her creativity has conjured up.  

And tomorrow I'll show you what I worked on today.  Yeah did pull a few loops on the Ali Katz but I received an inquiry from someone who saw something on Pinterest that I'd made.  That's a story for tomorrow.

Have a great evening everyone.  And Lauren, thanks for sending my beautiful ELLY necklace so quickly.

Saundra

Good Katz Bad Kat

Oh my but there is one nasty Kat giving me fits and I'm considering changing the design of it to make it more hooker friendly.  It worked fine when doing the silk painting but when you're painting with wool it makes it a little more dicey.  Uh, unless I were to hook it in a #3 NO thank you!  The problem Kat is the unfinished orange and pink to the far right. 

Yeah, I know there isn't a whole lot of progress.  That is because I get up and walk away and do something else to get a break from trudging on or changing things. 

With the body design and the tail triangles going on I'm afraid it will look like one HOT MESS.  I've re-drawn so many lines on the body to follow that I can no longer figure out the atlas I've drawn.  So ME is thinking that perhaps I'll leave this side of the rug and go finish the polka dot tail of that lovely dark orange kitty on the left and the cutie behind it.

Of course I love the design and can't wait for it to be finished so I can enjoy it.  But now is the first time since starting it that it hasn't been fun.  I'm sure things will change once I start working on the other side.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday. 

Saundra

Looking for a Cutter?

Are you looking for a cutter?  If you are, a hooker friend has one for sale and when I wrote her last night she still had it to offer.  This is her original post on Rughookers Bulletin Board:

"Right before Townsend closed its door, I bought one of their cutters along with a #8 cartridge. This is my second Townsend as my original one was misplaced when my wool room was packed up prior to my move into town. I discovered it one when we unpacked some of the boxes that were in my storage unit.
Obviously I don't need two, so I need to re-home one of them.  It comes with not just the cartridge but also its case, wrench and instructions.
If you are looking for one of the originals,  I am asking $550 (or obo) plus shipping.  I don't accept paypal, but personal checks or money orders are fine.
Please send me a private message and we can talk"
trisha
And  this is a picture of what a Townsend looks like, but isn't a picture of hers.  This happens to be my original Townsend but is on Townsend's stand.  Trisha's will come without a stand but it clamps nicely onto a tale or you could purchase a small stool from a craft shop in the unpainted wood section.  I LOVE my Townsend cutter!!!!!

If you have an interest, please click HERE to contact Trisha. 

And if you want to compare cutters I did a previous blog post about the differences and pictures of each.  You can check it out  here:   http://woodlandjunction.blogspot.com/search?q=cutters

Good luck,

Saundra