BINDING the SNOWMAN

It's been a few weeks since picking up the snowman rug to continue binding it, and longer since hooking it.  Looking at it more critically decided I should re-hook the bottom letters with the sky wool.  So moseyed upstairs to relocate what was leftover from the wool skirt rescued years ago to see if there was enough to do the job.

Do you see that one lone strip of wool just under the wording at the bottom of the rug?  That is the only strip left from hooking the sky.  Just under that one strip are 5 wider strips of the same length.   

The sky was a mix of the darker stripe and the lighter stripes.  What I'd need to hook the letters is only that darker inside section of those 5 wider strips.  Not knowing if there was enough to re-hook the letters months ago and frankly not really caring at the time, decided not to bother replacing the wool letters and keep the green.  Also brought down another piece of wool which could be substituted if I rug out of the dark center for the letters.

But now, since this is a Christmas gift, guilt is building up and feel it would be a shoddy job if the wool in the bottom letters didn't  match the sky.  Or, lol... sorta like if the curtains don't match the carpet ~ sorry, just couldn't resist that comparison.

So this time decided to measure the one strip of wool against the dark section of the other 5 to see if there would be enough.  And think it will, or at least it will be really close.  But if it isn't I'll fudge it somehow, as I think it needs to be sky color and not the dark green.

Today that will be my task, rehooking the letters and finish the binding.  Or at least hope the binding gets completed today.  I've got a friend who  will bind with me long distance today while we both watch The Five.  Hope to show you the finished job real soon.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

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ANTIQUE HOOKED RUGS

There are a few Hutchinson and folk art rugs listed for sale this week.  Will start with the Hutchinson designs ~ Home from the Picnic measures 24 x 48. 

The Circus, Oh Good is 32 x 32.

Not my ship, but a Hutchinson design named California or Bust 35 x 58.

The next one may not be a Hutchinson design but was among the group in the auction.  Nero was probably the name of the horse and dimensions are 34 x 47.

I scoured the following folk art rugs to see if they were hooked by Nancy Gertrude Scott but they don't appear to be.   A black cat chasing kids measures 19 x 38 and from the estate of Larry and Jean Dubord.

Another rug from the estate of the Dubord's is the horse and buggy.  It was hooked early 20th century and measures 32 x 39.

This pot of flowers and bird rug was found in June but just now posting it. Was hoping to locate it again and learn more about it but didn't so showing it now.  Wish they had posted a photo of the back to see what the true colors were.

Sadly I know nothing about this rooster and floral rug either.  It looks a little too new, me thinks, to be considered an antique.

There's something endearing about the landscape rug below.   Again there's no information provided, not even size.

Well that's it for today on this rainy day.  Yesterday it got so hot the A/C kicked in.  Today is 180 degree different and will probably have to put on sweats.  But, will be a good day for me to hook more on The Ark.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

www.facebook.com/WoodlandJunctionHookedRugs 

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Jaime emailed me inquiring about this rug she purchased and wondered what the value would be.  I explained that sometimes antique rugs hooked on delicate/brittle burlap brings more money than wool hooked rugs on sturdy linen.

She said it had a date of 2003, which indicated it was not an antique.  I then tried to give her a monetary value based on time spent, amount of wool, and price I'd be lucky to get for an 18 x 36 hooked rug.

Tho it really wasn't any of my business, I asked how much she paid for it.  Would you believe she paid $2??  Yes, just two dollars.  Wow, what a lucky lady!  Couldn't believe no one had an inkling as to it's value.  Jaime did say she purchased it at the Humane Society Thrift Shop, so they are clueless as to the value of hooked rugs, particularly this well hooked and well kept beauty.  

She said it was purchased in central PA, Lebanon County.  She also wanted find out who hooked it and why it was donated to the thrift store.  So if anyone knows who hooked the rug and why it was disposed of she'd like for me to inform her.

The back is as nice as the front and even came equipped with hanging tabs.

While I'm quite lucky to own a 1909 Horse rug also, I had to hook mine.  And, it cost a lot more than $2 to make it, lol.  Congratulations Jaime, you found the bargain of the year.  Guess you'll be visiting that shop more often now.  Good luck with future great deals.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

SHIPBUILDING

Yup, now that the border is hooked it's time to build a ship and make the sails.

It will get real dicey when hooking the flags at the top as they look like colored floss is the only thing that would work.  Believe it or not I've not gotten bored with this rug yet.  Perhaps because it has historical meaning with ancestors taking this ship from England to America.  In fact, to Baltimore, MD.

As I progress will bore you with the ancestral tree which begins with those sea bearing English immigrants.  Will also refresh your memory on the original antique rug which inspired my work.

The Snowman rug isn't completely bound and still don't have my next hooking project chosen yet as there are a couple in the running. Plus, as you all know, and have proclaimed, I'm a very fickle hooker and can change my mind in a heartbeat.

Happy Hooking.

Saundra
www:woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com/

LABOR DAY HOLIDAYS PAST

Everything has a season (Ecclesiastes 3:1) and I'm in the calm season.  But back a few decades ago my husband Gary, son Greg and I would trek from our home in Bowie, MD to Assateague Island every weekend and holiday beginning in April.  We lived in a very nice home in Bowie but purchased a used house trailer which we kept in a seasonal trailer park on Route 611 just a few minutes drive to Assateague Island.

We would make that couple hour drive in the International Scout with 4-wheel drive so we could drive on and fish from the beach on an isolated part of Assateague.  As you can see there are fishing poles located at the front of the Scout.

During the day we'd fish on the beach with friends or just by ourselves.  Hopefully we'd have a good fishing day and feast on our catch.  And boy what a joy it was to feel that tug on the fishing line.  In case you're wondering, yes, I baited my own hook and was great at casting my own line.  So guess I was a 'hooker' even back then tho I didn't own a Hartman.

We had friends who camped and lived all summer in a tent on Assateague Campground.  One such person was someone we met our first year in the area who was known even by locals as "Assateague Charlie".   Believe it or not Charlie was a Special Education teacher in the Baltimore area, but to look at him in the photo below he does look somewhat like a homeless person.

The Assateague ponies were always around.  They are used to seeing humans and as much as I love horses knew they are 'wild' and would never advance to pet.  After all, they are still not domesticated.

Labor Day holiday there was usually a canoe race in the ocean on Assateague, sign done by Gary.  You can see Charlie's canoe in a photo posted above.

In the evening everyone usually congregated at Trader Lee's, listening to the band "Picnic", having a few drinks and meeting up with friends.  That is Charlie behind my husband Gary, and Charlie's girlfriend.

The picture below was off season in November when son Greg and I went to say 'goodbye' to Assateague, for we were going to move to California the following month.

Lots of fond memories of that season but couldn't handle that now in this season of my life.  

So what have I been doing this holiday weekend?  Picking up over 200 pinecones just from the very front of the property.  There's more so will need to go out and pick those up today.  Oh, and I'll be hooking of course.

If you are in a different season of your life, enjoy it as you will gradually enter into other seasons in time.  Once I loved the big gatherings, noise, marathon shopping, travelling, all excitement and activity.  Now the calm is what I find most pleasant.  Happy Labor Day.

Saundra

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