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

Glazer Antique Hearts Antique Adaptation Update

Here's an update on my rug progress.  Haven't used any of the newly onion skin dyed wool for this yet but will start soon ~~ I hope.

Reason for the  hesitation is that Cape May rug camp is in just 9 days and a wake-up (military jargon).  But in those 9 days I've my grandson's 16th birthday, an estimate on getting new gutters with shield protection plus another regular dental appointment.  Thankfully not surgery.

Also my grass will need cutting, cleaning up my present hooking clutter and vacuum before making room for what seems like a mother-lode of stuff for camp.   Hey, that includes snacks and wine for the room, wool, frames, cutter & blades, iPad, digital camera, chargers, rugs for the show, items to sell in the camp store, etc.

Oh, plus packing the suitcase.  But I wait until the last minute to pack that since fall is in the forecast, weather is fluctuating and now the hurricane season has amped up.  A couple days before leaving I'll check the Cape May forecast and decide.

Hunker down and hold fast Florida.

Saundra

It's Been A While.... Antique Rug Show

It has been a while since posting antique rugs and thought you might enjoy seeing some of those vs an update of the Glazer Antique Hearts.  

First up is a 1900s Barnyard with Turkey, Hen and Rooster.  Measurements are 19 x 36.

I like the rug and it reminds me so much of another which I've shown before and is on my long list to hook.  Couldn't quickly find the photo so will update the post if and when I find it.

Antique 5 point star center with diamond border 33 x 70.

A primitive Ram with hit and &  miss background , red and blue bird with blue anchored corners. 

Bowl of Flowers measures 18 x 36, straighted hooking but no date or provenance.

Below is a Dapple Grey Horse with neutral colors and straighted hooking style again.  Hooked 19th century and measures 22 x 39.

Sweet Goose and Goslings hooked rug from 19th century mesures 24 x 32.

A rug using no wool, only clothing.  A good use of value and only a guess the center motif is a flower and perhaps a bird on the bottom left.  Nevertheless, the woman made herself a nice rug using what they had.

Another Horse with a Man from 1920 measures 18 x 34.  The background is amazingly clean.

Not an antique but definitely worthy of posting is this Whaler rug by Edyth O'Neill.  Story is Edyth drew and starting hooking it but with the size ended having problems with her hands.  So friend beside her finished up some sections for her.

 Floral with Birds from Cape Cod home 1879.

The back of the Floral.

There ya have it.  Tried to find an antique hooked rug with a paisley design but was unsuccessful.  Did see many newer designs being offered by folks; one name I remember seeing was from Encompassing Designs.

Saundra

Onion Skin Dyeing

Yesterday, in addition to laundry and cutting grass I did some onion skin dying for a vintage rug I'm working on.  The auction house named it Glazer Antique Hearts, thus the name I've given it.

I've already hooked the top two hearts and used what I had but the colors just aren't the same.  I'll use the newly dyed wool to hook the heart on bottom right first and probably replace some wool on the ones already hooked...will see.

Anyway, I used about 3 cups of both yellow and red squished skins then placed them in a mesh bag.  Three mesh bags for $1 at the Dollar store.

Last onion skin dying was unimpressive as I used 2 cups skins with 1 yard total of fabric.  This time there were 3 cups onion skins with a tad over half yard of varying shades of white... can ya say '50 shades of white'?  Uh, a play on the book and movie "50 Shades of Grey". 

Dear friend Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) always keeps me in check.  Today she asked me how long I simmered the onions and if I kept the bag 
in the pot of wool when doing so.  This was my reply.....

"I simmered about half an hour or so and with 2 cups of onion skins.  When the color was absorbed didn’t think it was dark enough so turned off the stove, removed the wool and went to the grocery store.  Noticed some of the color was concentrated where the bag of onion skins sat.

When I came back I added the 3^rd cup of onions to the bag and turned on the water without wool but with the onion skins to leech out more color.  When the color darkened to  my satisfaction removed the bag of onion skins and put the wool back in the pot to absorb more color.  Not sure how long it simmered by then but was happy with the color and color almost gone so glugged with white vinegar."

This rug won't be done in time for Cape May, which is fine with me as it  gives me something to work on until Kris gets to me with my class project.  Two weeks from today I'll be scurrying around anxious to drive to the Cape May Lewes Ferry toward New Jersey shore.

Saundra

Rug Hooking Detour Back on Track

Was determined to update my boy Ben because there's only two weeks before rug camp.  It was difficult to determine if I was making fair, good or great progress until the entire area was hooked, including background.  So here goes the new tweaked version.

And the results just after rug camp last September.

You will  noticed I flattened the top of his head and shortened the muzzle.  Also pulled two loops from the collar.   Now I'm happy to show the rug at Cape May.  I'd have been too embarrassed to present that as my hooking and quite frankly would have been embarrassed for Ben.  Am happier with the changes made to the snail as well.

The rug was designed by Nola Heidbreder and I changed it to a Rottweiler.  Here is a photo of the original pattern as shown on Nola's web site.

Now I can get back to the hearts.

Saundra

Plans Deterred

Had planned to work on Ben right after the snail...but didn't happen; not yet anyway.  Will be done before Cape May for sure as I want to make the rug better to represent my boy albeit a primitive wide cut.  Instead I hooked a little more on Glazer Antique Hearts.

The pink fabric you see on the ends were sewn on to make use of a short piece of linen.  Did have another larger piece available but couldn't see cutting off and tossing several inches of linen.  So like to 'make do' by sewing on fabric where it is needed.  The height was okay, was just the width which didn't have quite 3".  Fabric made the difference so it would fit on my frame.  

I've been collecting avocado pits and freezing them until ready to use them in a dye pot.  I've never done avocado dyeing before.  Thoughts of having that accomplished before Cape May is unrealistic but am looking forward to trying it.  

Have been missing my walking to and fro to the mailbox (one mile total) but it has been so oppressively hot and humid didn't think it wise.  If I were even 50 again I'd do it but not now.

Saundra

Rug Hooking Detour (Edited Edition)

...edited edition will begin with the iPad Pencil further down.

Am taking a brief break away from Glazer Antique Hearts and make changes to a rug I hooked last year at Rugs by the Sea in Cape May.  Seems like that rug camp has taken complete control over my mind lately.  

That rug getting my attention again is a pattern named Golden in the Garden which you can read about by clicking on that link.  This is how it looked after finishing it October 2018.  I wasn't completely pleased with how my boy Ben turned out (I changed it from a Golden Retriever to a Rottweiler).  He was supposed to be a wide cut primitive but wasn't pleased with the head.  But before that challenge decided to work on the snail and make it a little more prominent.  Below is the before.

Above was the snail before and below is how the snail looks now.  Hmm the new photo looks a little washed out.  Next to tackle my boy Ben.

Rather than just ripping out any wool on Ben thought I'd use my Apple Pencil for the first time since purchasing the new iPad last year.  Am hoping this exercise will give me better direction on how to proceed.  Remember, I'm a novice at this and is my first try.

Unfortunately there isn't an exact color choice for the background.  Since Ben's head is too big for the body it is the dark wool which needs to be removed and replaced with background wool.  Thankfully I've more of that wool.  Will also have to tweak what black wool is there.

Here is the edited version.....  Here is my first experience with the Apple Pencil to see how to make changes to my boy Ben.  At first thought using the black line might help me decide what colors to pull to make the head/muzzle better.  BTW, this was before changing the snail.  This first try I felt his muzzle would be too short, too boxy and didn't represent my boy.

Second attempt at using a black line drawing on the photo thought I'd shave off a little under the muzzle.  But with the black lines on black hooking couldn't see what the results would be.

That is when I decided to use a close color to the background, alleviate the black on black to see what the face would look like with those sections removed.  

Guess if you don't have or know about the Apple iPad pencil then you don't can't grasp what I've tried to demonstrate.  There is no lead or ink in the pencil, it is a program in the newer iPads and the pencil is purchased separately.

Dear Zekes Mom and rx2Massey, thank you for your comments but because you are a NO-REPLY Blogger I was unable to respond to you personally.  There is an easy way for you to fix this, all you have to do is a search for "fix no-reply blogger".

Today I still didn't get to work on Ben and tomorrow the stitches are removed from my gum.  Sure hope I'm healed enough for those to be removed just 6 days after surgery.  

Saundra

Glazer Antique Hearts Adaptation & Post-Op

Have been busy lately getting prepared for the dreaded dental surgery (making soup, grocery shopping so people don't see the me 'after', etc).  So not a lot of loops have been pulled on my latest project Glazer Antique Hearts.  Here is my progress so far; I've taken two photos with different settings.

If you click on the photos one will show a more up close picture.

Am trying to use as many worms as possible but some blues and caramel colors aren't quite what the original looks like.  But as my last project said:

As for post-OP, the first night was quite painful and don't think I slept at all.  Yes, was given a prescription for pain meds which I did NOT take.  I'm of the belief that pain is the body's warning system that something isn't right and has been infected.  

If I'd masked the pain I wouldn't know if there was a real problem other than my body being invaded by scalpel, drills, etc.  Personally I want to know if my body is healing naturally.  If the pain does not subside naturally then something went wrong.  

I'm still swollen and look as though I had a nose and lip job that was botched big time.  Am taking antibiotics for the infection, using ice packs for swelling and rinsing with warm salt water for healing.  It wasn't a cyst after all but a sample of the infection was sent to the lab so should know next week when the stitches are removed.

Jennie said she thought implants would last forever.  This was a crown and former Apico which was done about 50 years ago.  So it did last a long time.  The crown is still there so perhaps the old dental amalgam or whatever was put inside deteriorated and caused the infection.  

Sadly, the Endodontist said the tooth next door will soon need attention and that I should NOT eat corn on the cob unless it is cut off the cob.  Oh CRAP, corn on the cob and garden tomatoes are one of my summer staples.  Guess not this year.

Happy Saturday folks.

Saundra

Throwback Thursday

In anticipation of the upcoming Rugs By The Sea rug camp thought today's 'throwback' photos should be from 2013.  We Three Amiga's (Deb, Char and I) have a special place we sit in the afternoons to sip wine, chat and/or hook.  We call it "Our Veranda".  Here is a photo of my roomie Deb checking her  emails

Then sweet Char, who HATES having her photo taken is making a snarky look at me as I take the forbidden shot.  The look silently says..."there will be payback".  She is fine lady but you don't want to get her Irish up 😉.  

Then a photo of me saying "cheese".  

When attending any rug camp I take a project to work on before the teacher gets to me.  That project was Lollipop Bouquet, an antique adaptation designed by Magdalena Briner Eby.  For some reason the shirt I'm wearing immediately triggers memory of this rug.

I totally enjoyed hooking that even tho it had 66 circles.  That is why I didn't hesitate hooking the Great Granddaughter's Rug with two lollipop bouquets in the design.

Am doing this blog post just before leaving for dental surgery to ensure you'd get a post today.

Saundra

Wool Pulled

Rugs By the Sea in Cape May will start in a few weeks.  My class is the first week with two other camp sessions the following weeks with different teachers.  Thought I'd better pull wool for the project now that I had a suitable container.  

A picture of the first (bottom) layer.  Couldn't make up my mind on the greens for the trees, leaves and ground so pulled several different.  Also couldn't make up my mind on the color(s) for the sun.  Will probably end up buying something else (as if I need any  more wool 😑) since Kris probably has the perfect piece.  Oops, I don't see any purple, hope I remember to put some in.

This is the top layer with the pattern placed in the middle.  Not sure if I want red shutters with brown house or red house with dark shutters.  Or maybe an old mustard  house with red shutters.   Can you see the variety of choices I'm taking for the chicken?  So glad I've got Kris to help me think thru things. 

Another reason I've pulled wool so early is I'm not sure how I'll feel as I'm having dental surgery on a front tooth tomorrow at 3.  It is a repeat of a dental surgery I had done about 50 years ago called an APICO.  I had a cyst which needed to be cut out.  Don't worry, that link above isn't realistically graphic but explains what is involved.  

I'll  have stitches along the gum line in the front close to where the root end would be.  Last time I was instructed by the dentist to not sneeze as the cyst removal was near my sinus.  This new endodontis said he thought the area of question was a cyst.  Hmm, came back.  The stitches are to be removed in about two weeks ~ that won't be fun either.   But thankfully will be done before Cape May.

Having gone thru this same procedure in my 20's I'm aware of what is going to happen but medical science has evolved since then.  Bad thing is...uh, I know what's going to happen.

Am making chicken rice soup with small amount of chicken because I'll not feel like chewing and will need some sort of sustenance.  Probably NOT be able to sleep worth a darn tonight.

Saundra

Next Rug Planned

With the Great Granddaughter rug finished and bound was ready to sew on my label.  If you recall I'd filled up the whole sheet of printable labels to include these rugs:

Cat Nap (label sewn on and rug given to Jon already)
Early Farm Scene (label sewn on)
Great Granddaughter's Rug
Oh Glorious Day (to be hooked at Cape May)
Friendship Bells (to be hooked at November camp)
#6 ? Can't remember but maybe was Patriotic Pumpkins

Anyway, went in search of the printed labels to sew on the GGD rug and the ones coming up....can't find them.  Gone, vanished.  I've looked everywhere upstairs and down.  Thankfully there is a new package of printable fabric sheets here so will print them out again.

Decision made for the next pattern on my frame.  Interesting how I came to the conclusion.  For sweetner in coffee I use Truvia, a stevia product.   When adding some to my coffee I read the encouraging message on the back which said, "Can't Decide?  Pick the Fun One". With that subliminal message this the antique rug I've decided to hook.  

The antique auction house called it Glazer Antique Hearts.  Since I've several antique heart patterns on my flash drive that is how it is named.  I like hearts, love the blotchy background which looked like fun.  So what's not to like?

Happy Tuesday.

Saundra

Problem Solved

A few days ago I mentioned needing a better way to transport my wool to rug camps as the under the bed tote seemed awkward to manipulate.  Was thinking about purchasing another sewing machine carrier on wheels until remembering what my daughter in law gave me as one of the gifts last Christmas.

Next step was to find containers which would fit inside and could be removed.  None I had seemed to work so went to Walmart and found these small flexible containers.  They came in a set of two so purchased 2 sets and plans are to layer these two on top of the others.

Here is the start of choosing my wool; not sure if I want a sky colored background or  neutral so taking both.

The tote has handles which will be convenient and it is light weight to carry.  Having two layers of small containers will allow me to color plan certain sections or motifs in one container.  Those colors can be removed and put back in the tote with ease without disrupting all the other wool.

My teacher is Kris Miller and this is the rug pattern I'm taking, a design by Lori Brechlin named, as you see it....Oh Glorious Day.  This first photo was lifted from Kris' site.

My friend and roomie Deb has hooked the same rug and this is her version.  Appears Deb used that extra margin outside the design to make a border.  Great idea.

I've started my new project and will show you eventually when more is hooked.  Happy Saturday, and either today or tomorrow I MUST cut my grass 😒.

Saundra

Throw Back Thursday

Was cleaning out those old photos which tend to mount up over time, and pre-digital photo technology.  Many of those negatives and photos tossed were pictures of dolls .  Also came across several envelopes with memories fun to look at again.  One of those photo envelops had the following in them.

What a difference 25 years makes.  Here are a few pictures of the surprise 50th Birthday celebration my boss orchestrated for me at work.  He happened to be the corporate lawyer at PaineWebber Mortgage Finance.  I worked in the circle of the CEO, CFO, and Corp. Real Estate Officer; none of whom were at work that day as they were away doing due diligence for a potential acquisition.

And boy was I surprised.  Uh, me thinks the permed hair was one of my mid-life statements and one which  my ex hated.  But remember this was 25 years ago.

I feel quite sure this was my boss's expense because being a lawyer no way would he have charged it as a company expense.  He went all out!  He hired a stripper, yup 😉.  That would be him in the photo below on my lap before the festivities got underway.  There were lots of photos a few girls were taking and gave to me, all of course, must have been prearranged with my boss.  So as to not harm the psyche of my readers won't show you those 'other' photos here.  Just say everyone, even the onlookers had a great show.

There was wine, a cake, tee shirts, garter belt and great memories.

Can you imagine this event happening in today's workplace environment?  Hell no. Was I offended?  NO.  Were any the gals or guys who popped in to sneak a peek at the fun offended?  NO.  We had a great fun time and a 50th birthday I'll never forget.

That was back in a different society 25 years ago.  Cannot imagine having to work in the tense and politically correct environment of today.

Next month on the 8th I'll be at Rugs by the Sea rug camp.  Any of my readers going to be there?

Happy Thursday,

Saundra

Use It Up

Pulled the last loops today and now needs steaming and the binding to make it complete.   Just couldn't wait to show it to you; the finished size is 15 x 21 1/2.  The photo below is without a flash as the background color most resembles my background color in person.  

And this photo is with a flash. Which means somewhere between the two pictures is what you'd see in person.  When the lighting is better I plan to post a photo on Facebook.

In a previous post when starting the rug I mentioned the origin of the phrase.  I'd always thought it was started by farmers and plains people, then adopted by quilters and rug hookers.

After doing a search learned it was the War advertising council in the year 1944.  That is when scraps of metal, clothing and anything else useful for the war effort could be used, saved, obtained, etc.

Admittedly the rug I designed was inspired by the gals who posted their photos of a "Friendship" rug on Facebook.  So thanks gals.

Happy Monday.

Saundra

Taking Wool to Rug Camp

In 39 days I'll be headed to Cape May rug camp so will need to get my wool chosen for my design soon.  Yeah, there sure is plenty to be offered by the various teachers but like to have an idea of my color choices before going.  A lot of times the teacher has an idea of a color which just makes the rug pop, and a wool I don't have.

But for now I'm trying to figure out a better way to carry my wool to class.  This is the staging area the night before heading to camp (photo taken before a previous event).

The container in the leather chair is how I carried my wool.  It is an 'under the bed' container and can roll a fat quarter or half yard and display many colors without having to layer them.  That way you can see how the colors play off one another.  But, it seems so awkward and big to disrupt my table mate to retrieve it from under the table.  Here is a close up of a container.

That black and white 'sewing machine' tote on wheels is how I carry my cutter and all the cartridges. 

My friend Deb has carried her wool in various ways so guess she was looking for the perfect way also.  Deb has rolled her wool and stood it on the end in these baskets...

She has used an IKEA bag and other containers I do not remember.

I have seen people carry their wool in a suitcase which could then be put under the table on its end and retrieved via the handle.  But then I wonder if all the wool would be in a jumble eventually.

If anyone has the perfect solution or ideas not mentioned here, I'd love to hear from you. 

Saundra