NAMING and LABELING RUGS

When to use these words:  antique adaptation, inspired by or my design?  I'll give you a few examples.  The first photo of a small mat was inspired by the style of Magdalena Briner Eby and named it Crow Magdalena Style.

The following rug named "Gossip" was designed by Bill Laraway and my friend hooked the feathered friends as Bill designed it.

I wasn't so enthusiastic about hooking the feathered non-bird motifs (turkey, rooster, swan, owl) so I took creative license to draw my own birds.

I cannot claim this to be my design just because I changed and redrew a few things.  This is how my label reads; yeah hard to read but I included a photo of the original design by Bill Laraway.

Another good example is the design by Nola Heidbreder named Golden in the Garden and here is a photo of the original linen.

Again I didn't want to hook the Golden I wanted to hook a Rottweiler to represent my boy Ben.  Tho my drawn perspective and hooking of the head isn't a very good representation of my handsome boy, I know who it is.  

Okay, so you're thinking that because these patterns were drawn by someone else that's why I give credit to them?  So what if I draw a pattern on my own linen?  Dear departed Barb Carroll authored a book with several free to draw patterns.

In that book is a design named July Cabin and here is the original photo from the book.  You can see there are flags on the trees instead of leaves.

I drew my version with leaves, added more stars, lowered the smoke at a different angle to reduce the height of the rug and eliminated the cat on the roof.  Yet I still cannot call this my design ~ it is still Barb Carroll's July Cabin and labeled as such.

Ah, you're thinking because these are modern day designers that's why I can't take credit, right?  So what about antique rugs whether a purchased pattern or you draw it yourself?  When I draw an antique design I usually name it how the auction house described it.  Or if the designer is known, such as a Magdalena design, I give her credit on my label and on my blog.  My last two Magdalena rugs were Magdalena's Rooster, Duck and Horse....

..and Magdalena's Bird Dog.  Both of which I've given Magdalena credit for the design and say it is 'an antique adaptation'.  I'd show you the labels but the rugs are on the wall.

However I do have a photo of other labels I'd made so you can see what they say.  Notice on the Mighty Whale and Posies and Stars I indicate they are antique adaptations but designer unknown.

When I hook antique designs I am not trying to pass them off as antiques but rather an adaptation of an antique and indicate that on the label.  With Deer and Blue House rug if I were to remove the antlers of the buck I still cannot in good conscience say it was my design.  It was a design by someone else even if I don't know that person's name and even tho it was originally hooked 1920.  Therefore a label for this rug will indicate it is an antique adaptation and NOT designed by me.  I may have drawn it and offer as a pattern, but is not my design.

See how I snuck in an updated photo of my present project?  I almost changed the color of the antlers but decided to keep how it started.  Before moving to another motif I'd like to get one row of dark around the buck and the thin light outline completed.  Am going to change the blades of grass colors below him too.

Happily hooking inside today as it is another hot as hades day outside.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Antique Rug Show Time

I've made a little headway on whipping the edge of Cottage and Apple Tree and pulled more loops on Deer and Blue house but figure you'd rather see some old rugs instead an update of the same ol' same ol'.   

Don't have a date on the Brown Dog rug but do have measurements of 23 x 45.    

A view of the back where you can see how the hole in the bottom of the rug was camouflaged, not repaired.  Also you can see the original colors which had faded.

It may be a simple rug with 31 Primitive Stars but I'm really liking it!!  Could be a 'plus one' to have on the side lines ~ oh, that's right I've the Comstock rug.  It was said to be circa 1900 by Pook and Pook.

Next is Doves with flower basket hooked 19th century and located in Pennsylvania.  It measures 27 x 41.  

The rug looks in very good shape and you'd never know it had been repaired unless you flip it over.

Look at this gorgeous E.S. Frost Eagle circa 1870.  This beauty measures 35 x 63.5.

This free style rug is so endearing and wonder if it was a story rug made by Ruth Schumm late 19th century.  Or if a sailor made it for his love Ruth Schumm while at sea?  It measures 23.5 x 33.  But couldn't be made by a sailor for his woman Ruth, otherwise why the hell a skunk would be in the middle of the design??  Antique rugs sure do give me thought.

Happy Friday to you worker bees who are now probably enjoying your choice of libation.  And happy hooking to you folks who, like me, can't stand the heat and humidity of the outside so staying inside to hook.  

Oh wait, not all of us are happy hookers, right Lauren?  You poor gal is one of those worker bees still on the clock.  Hope you are freed soon of that ball and chain and your reward is lots of moola to bring home from Sauder. 

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

TIME TO SHOW WHAT'S ON MY FRAME

It's really anti-climatic at this point because not much has been hooked.  Yet isn't that always the complaint from me and Lauren (Rugs and Pugs)?  Seems we never accomplish as much as we'd hoped.  And sadly that is even more true for Lauren now because I don't think she has pulled a loop in weeks/month since she is preparing for vending at Sauder.

On my frame is Deer and Blue House, an antique adaptation which I drew measuring 21 x 30.  I'm hooking with mostly #9 with some #8.5 and a few #8.

The overdyed wool being used for the buck was an older natural wool purchase from Dorr and it is rough to pull thru the linen, even the #8 cut.  It must have been a coat weight wool, but have my Hartman hooks with the big shank to forge thru the linen to make it work.

In case you're wondering, I do the dashes and dots on the pattern where there's a change in value in the background.  I do it for me as well as customers in case they want to show the gradation in background color.  I usually ask the customer and sometimes the person wants to hook an all solid background and 'do their own thing' which is absolutely understandable.  Just want to give the option.

Horribly hot and humid here so time outside is limited.  My local wonderful weatherman said we will lose one hour this month as now we lose 2 minutes per day in daylight.  And it isn't even 'fall back' time change yet.

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

LET ME INTRODUCE.....

...Louisa Creed of York, United Kingdom.  Sadly I'd never heard of her before stumbling upon one of her rugs on Pinterest.  So as I investigated further decided to make a file on her rugs.  She is such a prolific modern day rug hooker that I'd need volumes to hold all her rug photos, I've only saved a few.   

Believe it or not Louisa uses thrift shop finds and favors stretchy knits.  Hard to believe she is able to achieve such detail and color variations with clothing.  You can read  more about her HERE.    

The first few photos will especially please Robin and Kelley.   The first rug is titled Rosie in the Airing Cupboard and was Louisa's first design after teaching  herself to hook.  Rosie in the Airing Cupboard measures 34 x 44.

Rosie and her cousins, uncles, etc. have been exhibited in countless venues.  This one is Rosie's Aunts and measures 34  x  34.

 Titled In Search of Shrimp measuring 34 x 39.

This is  Ambrose, another relative of Rosie measuring  35 x 40.

Horace measures 36 x 48.

From cats to Grazing Sheep,  36 x 48.

Trees in Winter hooked 2002 measuring 32 x 34.

Lavender Fields of Provence, 28 x 38 hooked 2008.

Stonehenge, 36 x 40.

And last for this showing is Two Greek Widows, 31 x 36 hooked 2007.

You can see her extraordinary talent, detail and designing ability.  Not sure when, but I plan to hook something one day using stretch fabrics.  You can be sure my work won't have the detail and perspective of distance she has achieved in her work.  I've so many more of her rugs saved but will show you at another time.

Happy hooking and cannot believe it is already August 1st.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com