HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Here are some fall and HalLanterns is my design.  Since I've always wished I had a collection of them decided to hook my own version.

The most recent hooked Halloween rug was Do Goode Be Nice a design by Lori Brechlin and sold by Kris of Spruce Ridge Studios.

Nantucket Broom Ride a design by and offered by the above talented ladies.

Jack which is a design by Barb Carroll and was a free design in an old issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.

The cat Hester was in a Primitive Quilts and Projects issue last year and a design by Lori Brechlin.

This cute Duluth Pumpkin was a very generous kit, complete with pattern on linen, all the wool and buttons by Maria Barton of Star Rug Company.

Hobo Joe was hooked using the same green background as Hester (above).  Hobo Joe is a design by Lucille Festa of American Country Rugs.  Instead of making it a cut out I made it into a mat.

A photo dated 2012 of a mat I hooked using Lori's design which was in her booklet "October Folk".

Well darn, I hooked another of Lori's mats from her Wytch's Stitches with a witch pulling a large pumpking but can't find a photo of that mat. I know I've seen the photo, so must be on another flash drive somewhere.

Happy Haunting everyone.  Yup, I made this cute quilt piece a number of years ago.

Saundra

Preparing for Rug Camp

This morning after breakfast decided to start pulling wool for my next camp project, Which is Out in the Garden, a design by Maggie Bonanomi and offered by Blackberry Primitives.  I didn't see a picture of the pattern on the web site so maybe you need to contact her for a restock.

This is the wool I'm taking as options for some of the motifs in the pattern.  NOTE: the wool colors you see on the screen are not at all what it looks like in person.  Those lemon yellow pieces are not yellow. Crazy what a flash does to wool.

Lynne, hope you will drop by my table to look at this wool and notice the difference in color between this picture and the eye.  

So, when I was trying to put back the wool from September's class and pull wool wanted for this class it required that I re-stack the wool. OMG, If I ever buy another piece of wool I hope someone shoots me.  Hmm, well  not really shoot me but slap me up beside the head for sure.

As you can see there is a lot more work needed to get the wool room orderly.  I've certainly started a mell of a hess in that room for sure. And now with only 6 days and a wake-up to go before camp.

Am totally looking forward to the last of my camps for the year.  I only attend 3 camps per year and enjoy each one.  

Good Sunday and good evening to all.

Saundra

Time Management Crunch

OMG, where has the time gone??  Here it is only 7 days before my next rug camp and I'm not done with the Red Lion rug.  Well, the lion is all hooked....or is he?  

Hooking up close under the OTT light over my right shoulder the colors seem okay.  For sure wanted the dark blocks hooked in, wanted the purple in the mane and toes as well as light in the mane.  But comparing the two is making me wonder what changes to make.   

Most of me is saying... hey, this is an adaptation and once on the floor or wall it will look just fine. That would make life easier for me for sure.

Haunting me is that in 7 days I've another rug camp.  Which means I've got to clean this house, gather items for the new camp project, make soup for the Ben/house sitter (yeah, my ex for those of you who know me).  

At this time it appears I'll be working on this in the hotel the night before rug camp.  So, no way I'm reverse hooking or making changes ~ at least for now.  Plans are to just keep hooking and deal with it later.

Oh, in case you're wondering the size of this rug is 17 x 24.  Not a biggie but was hoping it would be done before rug camp.  Meanwhile, tomorrow is a day to spend in the wool room and begin the gathering.

Happy Saturday.

Saundra

Let the Show Continue.....

....but this time lets make it antique rugs.  

Below is a framed E.S. Frost rug pattern which is printed on burlap.  It was hard for me to tell from the original but think it is the foundation and not hooked.  But still an awesome and delightful item to proudly display if you are a hooker.

A horse in profile with scrolls early 1900's from Ephrata, PA.  A very well kept rug for that age.

Seems I've a red theme going with rugs.  Perhaps my Christmas spirit is about to be unleashed.  This one is an American hooked rug late 19th century.

A very primitive single flower in the center surrounded by hit and miss circles.  Would be something simple to recreate with our worms and make a cute primitive mat as a gift to those who love naive primitive pieces.  

Wow, look at this piece of folk art.  The cat is drawn naive and there are polka dogs in the body.  Wish I knew more information about it but that is all I could find on the auction site.

Again with the my red theme brain, here is a red and white bird with hit and miss border.  Wonder if those are holly berries and leaves?  

You guessed it, I'm biding more time to work more on the Red Lion. You'd think I'd be done by now since it is a small mat but not so.

Ben and I hope you have a good evening.

Saundra  

How about a Rug Show

I've been like a slug this morning sitting at the computer looking thru old rug pictures saved on CD's and moving them to a flash drive as a back up.  After my computer crashed and lost all the photos saved in my 'pictures' thought it might be wise to have backups to save photos I like to refer to.

Some were from Cape May 2008 and some I just saved were antique rugs.  So maybe I'll show you the Cape May rugs first and another day will do the antique rugs.  This first one is a Lib Callaway design.  

Can't read the label on the lion rug but I think it may be a Bev Conway design.

The dog and cat primitive is by Lucille Festa.

In the spirit of Halloween is Merrie Halloween in progress at the 'throw down' at Cape May 2008.  Love the colors

This is a picture of me in 2008 holding the pattern Eat Crow which I started with Patsy Becker.  

Below is a Bev Conway pattern  of chickens on eggs.  That is the way the rug as designed.

I hooked that design too but wanted to do my own thing and have the chickens sitting on straw nests instead.

Here is a design by Lucille Festa named Moon Over Vermont which also happens to be one of the patterns in my stash yet to hook.  Love the way she hooked the sky giving energy to the home.

 Below is a rug which was being worked on by my friend Evelyn Lawrence.

Home on a hill with heart shaped outlined scrolls.  

An antique adaptation of a dog and pup by Evelyn Lawrence

 Aother hooked by Evelyn of a chickens runner.

 Cute bird mats.

 Horse rug by Lucille Festa.

There are many more photos I haven't gone thru so will have a diversion for you away from the bordom of my rug updates.

Well kids, I'm growing mold under my butt so I'd better get off the computer and be more productive in some way.  Should work on cleaning up some leaves and want to pull some loops.  Which will win????  Even I don't know yet .

Saundra

Red Lion Update

Figured it was time to take the rug off the frame and look at it critically. It is difficult for me to really see if the rug pleases me when it is right under my nose while hooking.  The original antique has blocks of hooked areas in the lion which I'm embracing.  

Wasn't sure which wool to use in the areas so have tried a  certain wool in the forward rib area just above the light rows ~ that section was a light block.  Then later used a darker wool in the hind section and part of the tail.  Not sure what wool will be pulled yet; think I'll just keep hooking and checking it from time to time to see what makes me happy.

To refresh your memory, here is what the original antique rug looked like.

My background won't have the dramatic color changes the original has but will definitely have light and dark areas to give the flavor of faded areas.

Going to have the first frost tonight, according to the weather man.  The temp inside the house now is 64 and am hoping to go to bed without heat and sleep under a cozy comforter.  Then in the morning just might need to turn the thermostat from 'off' to 'heat' in the morning.

Saundra

A Goode Witch

Finally the Be Goode Be Nice witch is all finished and bound.  Was too excited to post a picture so it hasn't had it's final steam and might not even get done after all.  

What remains is the final steaming (maybe) and stitching the label to the back.  BUT, since I screwed the label by forgeting to delete the date 2015 next to my county and state will re-do the label.   Let me explain... I have a document which is re-used each time a group of 6 or 8 labels are printed out.  Sadly I forgot to delete the 2015 date.

The label shows the original artwork of Lori which inspired the pattern offered by Spruce Ridge Studios.  I even tacked on a skeleton key instead of hooking the one drawn on the linen.  Thankfully Kris draws those little elements into Lori's patterns so the hooker can choose what to do.

Today I haven't pulled a loop on the lion as I was determined to finish this one and have it ready for Halloween.

Enjoy your Sunday evening.

Saundra

Update on Red Lion

Doesn't seem I'm making much progress on anything.  I worked this morning sewing the binding tape on the Goode witch and then pulling a few loops on Red Lion.  

Here is what Red Lion looks like now.  It is smallish at 17 x 24 so am disappointed in myself.  

Tomorrow morning over coffee will do more binding on the good witch as I really want it on my harvest table SOON.

Quite a change in the weather...from short sleeves and shorts, to long sleeves and sweat pants.

Happy Saturday evening to you all.

Saundra

Red Lion Antique Adaptation

Sure wish I was a faster hooker so there was more of an impact when showing my updates on hooking projects.  

This is my adaptation of the antique which is considered a dog shaped lion.  To save you time here is a picture of the original Red Lion antique.

Most times I do try to replicate the original antique but couldn't seem to accept...as a friend described it....a tomato soup colored lion. Plus rugs need to fit and be loved in my home.

Must admit I'm having a problem using purple in the paws/claws of the lion as well as the mane.  There could still be more reverse hooked pieces in both.  Yet purple IS in the original antique rug.  Tap it to enlarge and check it out.

HEY.. it feels so good to have something to hook. Just hate those days when nothing is on the frame and recently had those days.


Enjoy the last of the warm summer weather here in Delaware.  BUT... I STILL have water in my back woods and misquitos were still chasing me and Ben down today.

Saundra

Old Rugs for Show

As I have NOT (unfortunately) pulled one loop yet today have nothing new to show you on the lion.  So will pull some antique rug pictures out of my hat to keep you entertained.

This one looks old but have my doubts.  Me thinks someone is a good hooker who can make them look old.

Okay, perhaps no loops got pulled today but did get my bedroom windows washed inside and out as well as washing and ironing the curtains of 4 windows.  

Too tired to clean the rest of the room so will sit and hook this evening. Thought I'd better take advantage of the warm weather before it changes. Uh, not sure when the rest of the windows will get done.

Enjoy the last of the summer weather in October.

Saundra