FINALLY FINISHED

Including the wool yarn whipped edge.  You may recall I was befuddled on how to hook the remaining two top blocks because blue was out of the question for background color.  All of a sudden an idea hit me, whether it be redundant or too bold, so be it.  Ezra's Farm is finally done.

Remember, I took creative liberties with the original design by Cinnamon Creek and hope she doesn't mind.

And of course, since I was on a mission to get these last two rugs finished did not pursue drawing the next rug.  Although I looked thru antique rug photos, Pinterest, and many hooking books, nothing piqued my interest.  So I'm hookless  and bindless tonight.

There is a partly designed rug intended as a Christmas gift but can't seem to be motivated to finish it.  That is the one I should do, or at least start so that it might be done by Christmas since boredom seems to find me.  Certainly I will be bored tonight with nothing to work on.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/WoodlandJunctionHookedRugs

HOW MANY LIONS?

On my previous blog post I said I'd hooked five lion rugs so thought I'd review my past lion projects and count them.  You will surely see the evolution of my rug hooking journey as my rug and color choices have changed over the years.  These previously hooked rugs will show that.

My first lion was a design by Tonya of Mad Hen hooked 2005.  Those aren't  my colors now, nor the whimsy.  Ended up selling the rug when doing shows as I was going thru a divorce and figured I could use the money if for nothing else, to help pay for rug camp.

So the following year, 2006 I hooked Rufus the Lion, a Bev Conway design and hooked it in her class.  I still have this rug but it is upstairs in my wool room as the colors don't quite fit in my living space any longer.

During 2012 I hooked two lion rugs.  Lion in the Woods is my adaptation of an antique rug which I hooked at home.

And this Lion in the Trees pattern was kindly given to me by Evelyn Lawrence and is an antique adaptation by Port Primitives.  It was color planned in a class with Barb Carroll. 

My fifth lion was hooked at home in 2016 and is an adaptation of an antique red lion rug.  I tried to get close to the antique colors.  Sure do love a blotchy background!

Now there are six lion rugs, as this one is Birthday Lion, a design by Bill Laraway.  I couldn't find a photo of the rug in my flash drive so began to question my mental state  ~ did I hook it or do I "think" I hooked it??  So did a google search on my blog and voila.  Here it is and I really did hook it, whew.  But have no clue where it is and I'm not about to turn the house upside down looking for it.

And then there were seven lion rugs I hooked.  Below is my adaptation of an antique I named Bespeckled Lion because the antique rug seemed to show the lion with googlie eyes or wearing spectacles.  Also tried to get the colors close to the original on this one.

So there ya have it.  I've hooked seven lion rugs.  So come on Lauren, you can certainly finish your one and only lion rug.

Happy hooking and/or binding.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/WoodlandJunctionHookedRugs

Surprise!

It's another rug show.  Maybe something will inspire your creativity.  This old floral (39 x 40) was given a date between 1850-1899.  It must have been stored away or placed in a low or no activity area as it maintained it's lovely vibrant colors.

A view of the back and repair of one area.

Next, a geometric circa 1920 measuring 23 x 38.

I think this landscape is endearing with it's childlike naïve charm.  Said to be hooked early 20th century with dimensions of 19.5 x 35.5.

There's something about Lions, I've hooked 5 rugs with a lion in them.  Of course they don't hold a candle to my love for horses.  Anyhow, this rug has a date of 1857 hooked in it and measures 34.5 x 43.

And a closeup of the hooked date.

A recent find and still listed for sale is this nautical 8 point star.  I'm guessing the side border designs are diver down flags.  No date was provided but size is 36 x 52.

Here is a view of the back.

I like this rug with flowers and scrolls, but not enough to hook it.  Think I'm more attracted to the color combo and scrolls than the flowers.  Dated 19th century (24 x 46.5).

Okay, gotta put a horse rug in here.  This one has squirrels (fuzzy tailed rats) in the corners.  Date of 1898 hooked in the rug and measures 26 x 39.5.

Happy hooking everyone.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/WoodlandJunctionHookedRugs

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