A VISIT FROM TROY DUGAS

You may remember Troy, to whom I introduced you on a previous blog post.  If not, perhaps you'd like to read about that visit HERE.  He's been busy again making huge rug art incorporating his modern vision and antique adaptations.  Here is one of his latest works he named "Farm Scene".  

Those horse profiles may look familiar as I've posted the antique rug on this blog before.  

Dimensions of Troy's rug is 67 x 67 and to give a visual here he is standing beside the frame at the beginning.

He will have 9 rugs in his August 2nd exhibit at the Arthur Roger Gallery.  So if you live near New Orleans or plan to be there August 2nd, perhaps you like to drop by to see the show and say "hello".  You can read more about Troy, see a few of his other works and the promo for the upcoming exhibit HERE.

Troy said he'd love to have a smaller hooked version of this design and asked if I knew anyone who would do a commission of it for him.  He suggested perhaps in the range of 27 x 27.   Since I don't do commission work I'm putting that offer out there for anyone who may be interested.  

Troy provided me with a perfectly square line drawing but I prefer not to put it on the web.  So if anyone is interested please email me with your contact phone number or email address and I'll forward it to Troy so the two of you can work out details.  

Happy Hooking everyone, and happy sales at the Gallery to you Troy.

Saundra

ALMOST

Otherwise known as...'close but no cigar'.  Am still trying to use as many wooly worms as possible which means there's both #8 and #8.5 cuts.  Mixing cuts doesn't bother me in the least.

In case you're wondering, no I haven't drawn or found out what I'll work on next.  And do realize I'll be frantic when Ezra is done, but perhaps that energy will work in my favor to hurry and clean up the rat's nest created in the wool room and living room where I hook.

Looking at what's left to hook on this one, obviously blue is out for background behind the bird and the house.  Hope I can pull something creative out of the magic hat .

It feels like I live in the Louisiana swamp.  Am sick of the heat, humidity and rain.  Here's the forecast thru Sunday and while it shows mostly sunny on Friday and no rain, that could easily change.

Was hoping to have the lower right block done before posting a photo but that didn't happen.  Now will go pull a few more loops and rectify that situation.   Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

THIS and THAT

A post with a little miscellaneous chit chat.  The previous antique rug show blog post I showed an antique rug of a horse.  After that I received a wonderful note from Jeanne who saw that rug.  She shared her story of how she learned to hook in 1993 and was given lessons by now departed teacher named Irene Jones.  This is the rug Jeanne hooked and she thanked me for the trip down memory lane.  You did a fantastic job on the horse, and thanks so much for reaching out to me.

Below is an antique rug I didn't post previously but drew a pattern for someone over a week ago.  Am sure Susan will do a wonderful job hooking it when she gets to it.  Susan said it was The Rebecca immigration ship that brought her ancestors to America.  

The scrappy Shaker Horse has been hung.  I didn't plan to steam it because that might eliminate that scrappy look I tried to achieve.  As you can probably see, because of the directional hooking and lack of steaming it hangs a little tilted.  That's okay, I'm the only hooking critic in this house 😉. 

OMG, while cropping the photo with the Shaker Horse I noticed a sizeable orb just above Magdalena's Goat.  Okay, here's where you're gonna want to call the men with the white straight jacket for me ....  When standing there with the blue chair to my left I was thinking about my departed boy Ben.  

He wasn't allowed on furniture or the bed.  But one day while on the computer he ambled into a chair beside me and I looked at him in shock and he stopped midway.  I chuckled and told him he could at least have these chairs.  Miss my boy!!!!  If I could have Ben back I'd let him sleep anywhere.

Okay, short and maybe sweet but at least something to read on a hooking blog.  Guess I'll head back to Ezra's Farm and pull a few loops.  I totally forgot to mention it is a design by Cinnamon Creek with a few liberties taken by me.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Where Do I Go From Here?

It's time to choose another block to hook, but which one?  The bird at the top left, the stars in the center or at the bottom?  Made my decision but perhaps too quickly.

Intentions were to hook white stars and blue sky but using a different value blue.  But I'm not too pleased with the way that is turning out.  

I could put that blue in a mild dye to tone it down but more than likely would be quite similar to the sky hooked in the flower area.  And I don't want that.  Guess it doesn't have to be a sky color up there.

Have no clue where to go next on this rug, but right or wrong I'll decide on something as there's nothing else to hook.  And I'm not about to draw something else out amid the wool explosion which has taken over my living room and wool room.

Better put on my thinking cap, maybe I'll do that over a glass of cab.  Happy Saturday.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

ANTIQUE RUG SHOW

A few new antique rug finds plus one with an interesting story at the bottom.  A beautiful horse in oval with leaf border, it measures 22 x 36 but no date was provided.

A faded rug of house with barren trees dated 1900's measures 27 x 54.

The simplicity of a floral geometric hooked between 1920-30.  It measures 17 x 35.

A close up of a section of the rug just above and you can tell it was hooked on burlap.

Date hooked of the rug below is said to be in the 1880's and measures 36 x 36.  I wonder if the hooker ran out of brown color for the inner border row or if that was intended to provide interest to the piece?

Ghost Ship, a Grenfell Mission rug, hooked with silk and nylon stockings.  It was hooked in the 1920's.

Barnyard animals, no date provided but dimensions are 19 x 35.  When I hooked Animals Great and Small as well as Magdalena's Animal Parade my interest didn't wane at all.  The various critters kept my interest.  Wonder if this one would do the same?

A primitive landscape, late 19th century (28 x 39) and sold for $2,185.  Gee, wish I could get half that for any of my rugs, lol.

Many of us have wondered about the origin and inspiration behind a rug design.  So here's a little history on the next one ~ there was a church in Maine which needed repairs and the church was bankrupt.  So in 1923 Alice (Ma) Peasley of The Sea Coast Mission was sent to South Gouldsboro to help.  

She gathered a few women from that area who could hook and make rugs to sell for profit so the church could afford those repairs.  She designed landscapes, hooked rugs of the Sunbeam ship and did a sketch of a bison.  The following year Ms. Peasley suggested they do something new with the bison design like put a baby in there too.  Another bison rug had a fence but this one someone hooked Ms. Peasley felt was inappropriate.  As luck would have it, this was the first one sold.  And it sold for $15 which was typical of the time.

It has rained on and off all week.  Thankfully there isn't a lake in the back but it still feels like I'm living in the Louisiana swamp it is so humid.  Rain predicted again this evening and tomorrow sometime.  Then, supposedly the sun will come out on Saturday so the weekend will be nice.

Feeling guilty for the paragraph above with my weather when those in Texas have endured so much devastation.  My heart and prayers continue to go out to them.

Saundra

Back to Ezras Farm

This is it, Ezra's Farm again.  Nothing new on the frame, and right now I'm content as I want this one finished before moving onto something else.  You may recall I drew and hooked a flag instead of the blocks.  Also drew stars instead of the circles next to the house.

When putting Ezra's Farm back on the frame the first place I looked for wool was in the appropriate color wool worm baggies.  I'd rather use up precut wool before cutting more.  So the complete house was hooked using wool from the brown  and white bags.  And the wool used at the very bottom was from the brown wool bag.  Not that you'd notice anything missing.

Now to the flower stem, it was also from the green wool worm bag, uh, and the white flower from the same white wool baggie.  The blue background, however, will be a combination of the piece you see placed to the left plus similar wool strips from the light blue wool worm bag.  

Just hope I've enough to fill in that space.  And if not I'll just grab some worms and use those to fill in toward the bottom of the flower.  I'll worry about the other blocks when I get to them.

There has been rain every day since Monday and storm caused a 5 hour power outage last night.  Thunderstorm will come thru again this evening and rain predicted thru Saturday.  The only reason there isn't a lake out back is because it was so dry.  Seems it's either feast or famine.  My heart still aches for those families in Texas. 

Saundra

One Down, One to Go

Thankfully the scrappy Shaker horse is all hooked.  At least I attempted to make it look scrappy.  Must admit when first starting the piece, it was quite fun to leave tails up, not worry about how close or far away the loops were pulled or how high.  It was the background which did me in.  

Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) finished hers early and I drew mine the same size as hers.  And Sue (Vernon Junction) is really close to finishing hers.  So after folding the foundation over and binding this one, it will just be me vs. Ezra's Farm left to settle up.  

Plans are to throw Ezra back on the frame to finish next.  For maybe a day and half had something new in mind to hook as my next project.  But haven't done the sketch yet and interest is becoming less and less.  I will still do the drawing just in case I change my mind and interest charged up once again.

My heart and prayers go to those who died or still missing in the Texas floods.  And for those children who were swept away from camp and who didn't have their parents to console them even for a second as the flood washed them away.  And to the parents of those children enduring unimageable thoughts.  God bless them all.

Saundra

PATRIOTIC RUG SHOW

To celebrate Independence Day thought it fitting to post many of the patriotic antique rugs I've saved.  First is an antique rug which has been on my list to hook for years.  These words I think and post often "God Bless America"  And this weekend we all wish it a happy birthday.

Other than the American flag, nothing expresses the beauty, strength and freedom more than the Eagle.  This 13 star Eagle rug dated 1800's (36 x 69).

Given a date of 1800 is another Eagle with 13 stars.

An 11 star old wavy flag measuring 21 x 35.  

Also save a photo of the back.  Hope whoever purchased it was able to do repairs so it lives longer into the future.

This is yet another gorgeous hooked eagle rug and thought I had it dated but couldn't find the right photo ~ I've so many flash drives with old rugs.

Patriotic Chickens, tho the 6 point stars and chickens have been given more space than the American flag.

Another antique 11 star flag in geometric style.

A triptych patriotic hooked rug with dimensions of 30 x 88.  I have hooked two individual sections of this and my son wants me to do the heart with two crossed flags next. 

Stars and stripes dated 1900.  Notice Uncle Sam at the bottom.

Another triptych patriotic shirred rug circa 1830 measuring 32.5 x 71.5 and sold for....are you ready?  Sold for $3,690.  I tried replicating this one too.

This Eagle on flag might still be for sale as I found it two days ago on an auction site.

A 46 Star flag hooked in 1902 by Laura Etta Clarke of Barrington, NH (29 x 37)

 An Eagle holding a Union Shield 28 x 40.

 An ornate rug with crossed flags and Oak Leaf border 34 x 61.

A Centennial rug hooked late 19th century measuring 24 x 37.

Next year, July 4, 2026, the celebratory event could be called a  Semiquincentennial, Bisequencentennial or Sestercentennial.    Or we could just call it "The Big 250".

Hope you have an enjoyable and safe July 4th celebration.  The humidity is supposed to be at comfortable levels this weekend, so I hear.

God Bless America!!!

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Remember When...

...I was excited to join Lauren and Sue on their 'scrappy hooking' adventure long distance?  Well that adventure has waned now turned into a task to finish.  Certainly got that personal challenge of scrappy out of my system.  Here is what my version of scrappy Shaker horse looks like at the moment.

I only wanted random half pennies around the edge and not sure how I'll finish the edge around even now.  If you want to see the original antique and my first posting you can see it HERE.

Although I really wanted to finish the horse first, was afraid I'd weasel my way out and toss the piece in a drawer if only the background was left.  So rather than giving in to that temptation decided to work on more background and work myself around the linen.

Looking at the pattern I drew (16.5 x 22.5) for a second thought a solid dark row around the perimeter would look good.  However, doing that would destroy the scrappy look where strips started lower or ended higher.  Since 'scrappy' was the purpose I'm planning on just folding under the linen and hand stitching ~ not even cotton binding, just au natural. 

Rugs in queue are still this horse and Ezra's Farm with no idea what the next new shiny bauble will be.  But hooking on this is far better than being outside in this heat and humidity.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

RUG SHOW

Just another post showing rugs recently found listed for sale.  Will have to keep this one in mind before next Valentine's Day rolls around.  No date or dimensions were listed.

Found "My Home" interesting to look at because there's more to it than the eyes can see at a quick glance.  Notice the stars and moon/sun above the house.  It is quite soiled so they may be difficult to see at first.  The rug measures 46 x 54 and dated 1920.

A colorful geometric which hasn't lost its color.

This next rug with brown chickens and red scrolls is certainly different than the norm.  No date provided. 

Thought these doves were pretty and would make a great wedding rug.  It measures 25 x 46 but no date was provided.

Advertised as a rag rug dated between 1920-29.  

When looking for rugs I often see a lot of Scotty dogs.  But this is the only one which I find interesting and guess it is because of the background.  I love it and no date but said to measure 20 x 31.

And finally for you cat lovers, from the collection of Martha Hamilton, this rug measures 39 x 46 and hooked sometime in 20th century.  So don't know if it is early or late 20th.

Happy weekend and happy hooking.  Time for me to work on my scrappy project.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

ON THE FLOOR

Finally hooked, bound and on the kitchen floor.  Feels good to have this one finished since it was started in early May.  Still in progress are two pieces which were, at one time, a plus one ~ Ezra's Farm and Scrappy Shaker Horse.  So no new rug will be put on my frame until one of those are finished also.

As The Five wasn't quite over after completing the hand stitching the binding, decided to replace the elastic in a pair of summer pj's.  The elastic had lost it's stretch and rather than toss them and buy new decided to repair them.  Besides, these pj bottoms were purchased in memory of my departed mother who loved those gaudy pink flamingo lawn ornaments ~ sorry to those who also have them.

  

My previous post showed you a thermostat reading but take a look at today's reading which is even higher.  

The meteorologist said we'd have downpours and severe thunderstorms today which would bring cooler temperatures tomorrow.  No storm or rain yet today in this part of Sussex county, but perhaps during O'dark:30 it will arrive.  Am happy my A/C is working and hoping you are keeping cool as well.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com