LEAP DAY

Temperatures were in the upper 60's the last few days so it felt and looked like spring had already sprung.  Today it is back to feeling like winter.  Just a few of my daffodils which showed their pretty heads.

The Dancing Rabbits pattern has been a hot commodity lately, guess because Easter will be here soon.  I've another to draw today and yesterday received an email from two people who must want one but since they are a NO-REPLY blogger (anonymous) was unable to correspond with them.  So if they are reading this post and who replied to the "Hop on a Hop-Along" or the "I Found it" post, please reach me thru the EMAIL ME location on the right side bar. 

As my schedule has been busy with appointments and life in general, there has been little accomplished on the Star and Hearts rug.  However, here is a preview of it. 

Again, below is the antique so you can see that I try to replicate my antique adaptations as closely as possible while using what I have on hand.

I'd better get to work drawing up some rabbits and since I've the rest of the day free to be me....will use that time for happily hooking.  Happy Leap Day.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

TWO FAMILIAR SETS OF INITIALS

Those initials would be NGS (Nancy Gertrude Scott) and BEM (Barbara E. Merry).  I have posted their work here before but I've acquired a few new followers and found a few new rugs since that time.  Nancy is the daughter of Barbara who followed in her mother's footsteps into hooking rugs and painting.  Nancy's work is mostly folk-art hooking and some painting whereas Barbara's was mostly landscapes.  You can read a little more on Barbara HERE.

These are a few recent finds of Nancy's.  Was surprised by the train rug and wonder what the story is behind this memory.  Most of Nancy's work was around the farm she lived on and around.  

I found this Santa listing very interesting.  It indicated this early hooked piece was when she used an acorn to identify her work before being talked into using her initials.  The acorn is bottom right of Santa and the only piece with an acorn I've found.

The rug below measures 17 x 24 and she signed her last name instead of initials.  Perhaps this too was before she started using her initials.

A Welcome rug where Nancy signed her name at the top.  

A boy with dogs also signed N Scott.  I don't have chronological dates when these rugs were hooked.  This one measures 31 x 37 and from the estate of Laura Fisher.

Kids eating watermelon.  Her mother Barbara used to hook rainbows in some of her rugs which, according to Barbara, represented hope.  Are those rainbows hooked in this border or watermelon rinds?   

Kids with a cat on the girl's lap.

Home Sweet Home, am wondering what those images are in the border of the rug.

Dimensions  of the rug below are 33 x 53 and her initials hidden behind the auction house name.

Statue of Liberty measures 27.5 x 34.5.  

Hard to see what some of those animals are, except the chicken.

Found the rug below in January but just now posting it too.  

Even more chickens hooked in the rug below.

This row of houses/buildings was a familiar scene hooked by Barbara too so must have been a happy memory.

Quite a detailed whaling scene hooked by Nancy.

And like her mother, she was good with a paint brush.  July 4th below.

And this painted plantation scene measures 33 x 58.

In other news ... while eating my soft oatmeal this morning, all of a sudden I felt a chunk of tooth/silver filling mixed with the oatmeal.  As luck would have it I've an appointment on Wednesday for a cleaning where they can check it out.  Am sure I will need a crown as the area is large and part of the shell of enamel gone.  So $$$ plus try to find a spot in my schedule that isn't filled in with the vein procedures.

Guess I'll go hook while there's time at home and not at a doctor's office.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

A TAD MORE PROGRESS

At least the very center part of this antique adaptation is hooked but the rest will be slow going because of all the upcoming doctor appointments.  More on that below if interested.  This is a rug which was at Sauder and I named it Hearts and Star geo.  Drew this measuring 20.5 x 33.  The hooked portion with the star measures 12 x 12.5 so there's a way to go to complete the rug.

And, always try to do it, here is a photo of the original antique for comparison.  Just remember that I use 'what I have' to try and replicate the old rugs, so my colors won't be spot on.  Plus there might be a few adjustments made for simplicity on my part.

Okay, so now to the boring and personal part of what will take up my precious hooking time.  I've had a scan of the veins in both legs and they found vein blood reflux in both legs.  That's what causes my legs to swell a little, the tickling 'restless leg syndrome', AND that discoloration around the ankle and heel.  That discoloration might be a mild red, bold red or a blue/red.  That indicates vein 'disease'.  Damn I hate the word 'disease' but that is what it is categorized as.

I'm having some vein restoration done because my left leg would swell later in the day and had mild discoloration around my ankle.  First they did a scan of both legs to see where the veins were refluxing or other issues.  

Went to a doctor who used to do heart surgery and now he is doing vein reconstruction.  So I'm in GOOD hands.  In December I had my left Great Saphenous vein done ~ easy peasy procedure, awake, no pain, could drive myself there and walk fine.  Today I had my right Great Saphenous Vein repaired and will go back for a follow up scan in 5 days to make sure the vein is working properly.

Those were only the upper thigh procedures and there are more appointments for the rest of the leg and then follow-up's.  

Would I Rather:  spend my day at a doctor's office or sit at home and hook??  DUH!    That's a no brainer.  But since I hook, which requires sitting, I want to ensure there's less chance of a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) which could lead to a stroke or heart attack. So a doctor it is.

As a PSA, check your legs to see if there is discoloration, and do your legs swell, do you have restless leg syndrome?  FYI, Medicare is covering the initial cost of the procedures (after they determine what that cost should be).  Then my secondary insurance picks up the other 20% after my deductible.

Gotta keep this old body as healthy as I can so I can pull more loops.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

VINTAGE RUG REVIEW

Take a look at some of my recent finds of old rugs.  Soon there will be more birds flocking to our feeders with the anticipation of spring-like weather.  Here is a rug with 5 birds which was said to be hooked early 20th century.  

A wonderful geometric which was in a photo of a group of three for auction.  This was the best (in my opinion) and no other info was provided on any.

Red horse with thistles in the corners.  Again no dimensions or date provided.

Floral geometric.  At first glance my thought was the end motifs were stylized bee skeps, what say you?

Prancing horses hooked late 19th century and measures 40 x 51.  I think the curled design around the horses is to represent a rope... me thinks, lol.

Oh I love this stag, and if I'd seen it earlier this might have been my choice to hook instead of the last stag project.  But I would have chosen a different color for the flowers other than pink.  Hooked 19th century and measures 28.5 x 34.

Hen and chicks circa 1900; 20 x 34.5.

That's it for now, time for lunch (homemade vegetable soup) then pull some loops.  Have a great day!

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com 

THIS and THAT

Last loops were pulled on the Lone Stag today and am excited to move onto the hearts and star pattern sitting on the side line.

I decided not to do the white outline around the deer since there is quite a value difference between him and the background anyway.  And, I changed the eye and mouth to darker wool.  Below is the way it was hooked before.

And comparing mine to the beautiful original antique mine looks anemic and sickly in comparison.  Oh well, maybe if I wipe my dirty shoes on mine enough times it will have a nice patina too.

Oh well, at least it is hooked and on 2/16 one month from the first posting.  Now it needs to be bound.

In her recent post, friend Lauren mentioned how many posts she's made since the beginning of her blogging journey.    She started blogging 2009 and had reached 2001 blog posts.  As I had no idea how many posts or when I started blogging I had to go check it out and took a screen shot.  

The total number posts I circled in red at the top.  I started blogging in 2011 and that you can see on the right side bar down toward the bottom of the page.

Yesterday the weatherman said we would get 1-3" of snow beginning tonight but this morning it changed to 2-5".  No plans to go anywhere and I've lots of hooking or binding I could do.  So come what may.

Happy weekend and happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

PLUS ONE AFTERALL

Couldn't wait any longer, there it was, so innocent yet beckoning me to come play.  So on the frame it went for a little playtime.  This will be another worm buster but as we all know those strips just seem to replenish themselves as fast or faster than we use them.

Now that I've had an afternoon of fun it will go back on the sideline and wait its turn for the next play date.  There is still more hooking to be done on the Lone Stag.  The first posting of it was January 16th so it wasn't as quick a finish as Lauren thought.

Happy Valentines Day to all my cyber and rug hooking friends.  Back in school during the 50's it was so much fun to put a card on my classmates desks.  Usually they came in a box with a variety of designs and it was such fun to pick out the most appropriate one for each person.  Many of you who read/follow my blog may be too young to have had that experience but for those closer to my age wasn't that a lot of fun?

So again, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.  And Lori, maybe you'll get another heart shaped box of candy, lol.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

RUG SHOW TIME

Don't think many, if any, of the rugs posted here will float your boat but among the rugs recently found these were my pick among the lots.  First is a Shaker rug with horse dated 1840.  

A close up of the horse but still not a good picture.

A quite faded basket of flowers circa 1890 which measures 30 x 46.5.

And a view of the true colors on the back.

A more simple primitive design of the moon and stars dated 1920 with dimensions of 21.5 x 36.5.

This rug of bear cubs is kinda cute because they small baby cubs.  But they grow up to have humongous appetites.  I forget which auction site it was listed on but was only cost $295 including shipping.  But I doubt Cathy would be interested because of her encounters with the grown up species.

This geometric below reminds me of the dna structure chain.  Guess you'll never look at this design the same way again will you, lol.

An unusual coloration of a dog but another example of someone using what they had.  

An old rug with a child holding balloons said to be circa 1925.  

What I found somewhere soon after was this very interesting Charlie Brown applique piece.  I speculate it was an adaptation of the above hooked rug.

That's all folks.  Hope next time I go searching there will be more interesting rugs to show.  Or for sure before I need to draw another for me to hook.  Speaking of hooking ... guess I'd better get back to the Stag because I need something to bind while waiting to have my vehicle in the shop.  Just might need a new ignition.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

THE LONE STAG

As promised, here's the update on the stag rug.  And that 'black' wool reference in the center of the pattern won't be black, it will be dark brown.

Guess I'd better get busy and finish this stag because there's a lonely hearts rug (aka "plus one") sitting on the sidelines and calling my name.  Happy Friday and happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

CATCH'N UP

I feel the need to give you a proper blog post after being called  a 'teaser' by a couple so called and unnamed hooker friends, you know who you are, 😊.  So here's the story.

Before my mojo returned to continue on the stag rug I was torn between two antique rugs.  One was Horses with Horseshoes.

The other was this Hearts and Star rug from the collection of Penny Young.

Actually there were three vying for first spot and this was the third.  But it was the first to drop from the list.

Thankfully I drew my 'plus one' before drawing the ordered patterns the last couple days or mine may not have gotten drawn.  Think I'm all 'drawed out'.  So sitting on the sidelines awaiting its turn is the Hearts and Stars rug.

All but one ordered pattern has been shipped.  I'm awaiting her mailing address but she is sending me a check and guess she figures I'll get her address off the check.  Was happy to get the work but happy they're gone.  Sorta like having house guests over 3 days... enjoyed their company but glad to see them go, lol. 

Next post I promise to show you what has been accomplished on the Stag.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

WHERE DID MY DAY GO?

What a timely and perfect title to my blog.  And thanks to friend blogger Cathy of Acorn Hollow for providing the idea for my post since that was the title of her last post.  

This morning after breakfast I started drawing patterns.  Most were Dancing Rabbits patterns but there were three other designs ordered too.  Since I'm a one woman operation it's me cutting and serging the linen and drawing so only accomplished one pattern before lunch.  Then went back to draw more but quit just before 5 p.m. to watch The Five.  Then another order for rabbits came in so will finish drawing and ship the patterns tomorrow.

Here's what has been ordered.  What took most of my morning was drawing the Cottage and Apple Tree.  I had to really concentrate on the tree limbs and apple's as it is easy to get confused as to where the limb and the background were because of the location of the apples.

Five Dancing Rabbits patterns, some with border some without. 

One Ali Katz small (without the zig zag border ends).

And one Mache' Jacks.

Or at least that's all on the schedule so far.  In queue tomorrow will be to finish Ali Katz and draw the last order for Dancing Rabbits with border.  Wish I could be more creative in my blog post this evening but I feel brain dead and tired.  BUT!  Not too tired to pull some loops.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com