Old Fashioned Rug Show

Yeah, time for another one; rug show that is.  This landscape measures 22.5 x 34.5 and said to be hooked between 1910-1919.

An oval floral in a rectangle shaped rug for those who like to hook flowers.

A horse named lucky but have no other information.

I really like this farmyard scene.  Was hooked by Florence Williams from drawing by grandson Jovan Nicholson according to the documentation.

An 8 point star rug (20 x 46) with no date provided.

For the feline folks here are 2 cats by a fire given a date of 1923.  

A deer rug dated between 1920-30,measuring 19 x 33.

Mother and colt hooked early 19th century.

Wish the photo below had been taken at a better angle.  Has lots of critters, cats dog, butterflies, birds and measures 24 x 48.  No date.

One more rug for good measure.  I love this runner with diamond shapes with flowers.  Dimensions are 24 x 65 and given a date of early 1900's.

It has been raining non-stop since Thursday afternoon so have no idea how much water will be in the yard when it stops.  And, cannot imagine how high the weeds will be afterwards.  And it will probably be too soggy to cut the grass.  Oh gee, isn't that too bad, guess I'll just have to hook a bit longer.😊

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

The Eagle

I've started the eagle and think I've reverse hooked 25% of the loops hooked in.  Either the color didn't seemed right, thought it needed more color variation or something.  The arrow feathers at the bottom I tried hooking in a narrow cut with two rows of each color but didn't like that.  So decided to go for the 8.5 with one row instead.  Took the pattern off the frame for the photo before the tail feathers were completed

The binding process of the Deer Torso rug has begun while watching The Five and the drudgery of the task doesn't seem quite as bad.  Will take a few more shows before it is complete.

Spring was stalled here as this area had below freezing temps recently.  But at least there was no snow.  

It's a slim picking post but at least it's something.  Happy hooking, knitting or stitching.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Dandelion / Daffodil Dyeing Results

As stated in the previous post, the blooms needed to soak overnight in a mesh bag.  A few years ago I purchased a package of 2 mesh bags at a local Dollar Tree store, perhaps they still carry them.

Per the previous post on this topic, I needed to purchase some alum as I had none in my spice cabinet.  Really didn't want to leave the house as it was pouring buckets of rain.  But since the blooms had soaked all night decided to venture out.

As my luck would have it, neither Walmart nor the Food Lion had alum on their shelves.  So figured the local health food store surely would have it.  Pulled into the parking lot to see they have gone out of business.

What now??  I googled "substitute for alum as mordant".  Would you believe that instead of alum I could use aluminum foil??  To see what other mordant substitutes can be used in natural dyeing click HERE.

What did I have to lose for this mad scientist to put some tin foil in the pot since there was no alum?  But didn't know just how much it would require to replace the alum called for.  Oh well, oh hell....here goes.

Stirred the tinfoil around a bit while heating the water then put in the wool.  Below is the selection chosen for the experiment and was hoping for the dye to produce a chartreuse color.  

For hours it seemed the color was not being absorbed by the wool.  So turned on the heat under the pot for half an hour longer and let it sit overnight as the instructions said (further down the post).  Next morning these were my results.

Perhaps not the chartreuse I was looking for but it is better than having the stark white.  Here is the recipe as provided by Marie Sugar in her "Complete Natural Dyeing Guide".

Recipe ingredients:

   4 cups dandelions

   1 teaspoon alum

    1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

   over one-half yard of wet wool 

Directions:

• Soak 4 cups blooms in a mesh bag in water overnight.
• Add additional water to solution to fill a large pot and heat to simmer for 1 hour.  Add mordant before putting in the wet wool.
• Add wet wool and simmer for 1 hour.  Turn off heat and let wool cool in pot overnight.
• Remove wool, rinse in water w 1 tsp shampoo and rinse until water runs clear.
• Squeeze out water and hang to dry or put in dryer.

You're probably wondering if I'll ever do dandelion dying again.  Uh, don't think so.  But will do onion skin dyeing again.

Happy Hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

GOT DANDELIONS ?

If so, follow the saying "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade".  

I'm not making lemonade, instead will make a dye recipe.  I've never done this before so this is a maiden voyage for me.  To dye half yard of wool it requires 4 cups dandelions.  All I could conjure up from my big yard was 2 1/2 cups.

I put those in a mesh bag you see in the photo just above and under the dandelions, which I've used when doing onion skin dyeing.  Then went back outside to deadhead some daffodils to make up the difference.

The dandelions and daffodils are to soak overnight, will dye tomorrow and show you the results after that.  But tomorrow morning must purchase some alum which is the mordant.  Actually it requires alum and cream of tartar.  I have the latter.  

Hope this isn't a disappointment for both of us and if so I'll not waste my time snapping off dandelion blooms and instead will leave them for the bees.  However, there are still many more buds which will bloom for them.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

FRIDAY FINISH

Finally it's all hooked.  Guess I'll have to get back to my binding ritual watching The Five.  Actually it took me a couple days under a month to hook this rug which I drew 25.5 x 35.

Now my focus will be on hooking an eagle for a spot on the wall along with my step-father's military memorabilia.  Plans are, right now, to hook it in the mix of gold-like colors similar to the original antique seen below.

As usual I'll start by pulling out similar colors from my wool worms to see what works before cutting anything else.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.  It's cloudy with a chance of rain today but temps in the mid 70's.  More rain predicted for tomorrow to join what's already in my nature-made lake out back.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

 

RUG SHOW

A hen with her chicks and basket of eggs.  No date but measures 23 x 41.

This pony hooked late 19th century has an interesting background.  If you look closely you can see 4 scrolls hidden in the randomly hooked hit and miss colors.  (34 x 41)  

A soft floral antique with many hearts hooked in the border.

Hooked between 1890-1920 is this red dog rug from Jordan, Ontario.  That looks like a crochet edge.  Oh, the rug's dimensions are 34 x 40.

Rabbits and horse in excellent shape and nice colors.  As much as I love both animals this isn't a rug I'd be interested in replicating.

Another interesting background which I pondered ~ I wondered if the hooker had this background design in mind from the start.  Because IF those were the limited colors she had did she make a conscious decision to do this vs. a hit and miss background?    Rug measures 25 x 38 and advertised in an old issue of Maine digest.

Bowl of red flowers with no date or size.

I love horses but this one isn't attractive to me.  Actually it is the unappealing bold directional hooked background.  Yet, the first hooked rug of hen and chicks with directional hooking I did find appealing.  If I was to hook this one I'd definitely do a different background.

Last is a cat rug measuring 21.5 x 36 and hooked 20th century but don't know if that is early, mid or late 20th.  

That's the end of this show.  Gonna run the vacuum in the living room and kitchen, prepare lunch of steamed zucchini with pasta sauce then hook some on the deer rug.  Wanna get that dang thing done!

Saundra

www.woodlandjunction primitives.weebly.com

ISOMETRIC EXERCISE

My isometric exercises have been using my lopper.  On Friday there was nice weather, the trash container had been emptied of the previous load of Wisteria vine so was time to fill it up again.  Think this is my 6th container fill  and many more to go unfortunately.  Some twinned vine is too thick for me to cut up with the lopper and will ask a neighbor to cut those.  But first want to remove what I can manage so there's no need to ask him back again.

Was surprised at the thickness of the runners underground.  And wonder how many more runners there are which I don't see?

In the picture below I tried to pull the threadlike roots from the earth so this section of the main root could be cut out.  Didn't happen Friday so will try again.  Could have snipped the little roots off but they would have just propagated again.

These small trunks protruding from the ground are more wisteria.  

The wisteria didn't reside here before me.  It wasn't from a tree I purchased, but rather a small section I snapped off along the road somewhere because I thought the hanging blooms were beautiful.  

By the way, the photo below is not the clump of gorgeous blooms from my wisteria but one I found on line and what I saw along the road that inspired me to take a clipping.  My wisteria had a couple blooms over the years but it was the twinning vine that became more established.

That clipping would have easily fit in a 4" pot.  But look at the havoc it created for me in what seemed a short time yet it has been a very slow process trying to remove it.  Gardener Beware.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

DEER UPDATE

It has been a few days since I posted an update on the deer rug which is  slowly making it's way toward the finish line.  Keeping me motivated to complete it, instead of setting it aside, is the eagle rug waiting in the wings.

Yesterday was my dental appointment but all the Dr. did was take photos and x-ray said tooth.  He was fully booked so scheduled the crown work to begin in 2 weeks.  Since the nerve is dead there is no pain.  But if I'm not careful that old tooth with a huge filling could crack more.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

JUST A RUG SHOW

As I've mentioned, my next project is planned and drawn.  But my viewing of old rugs continues and I like to share.  Just discovered this morning is this beautiful rug and the wording tells the story.   Was hooked for Mrs. Aulenbach by Mrs. Hughes and hooked 1888.  According to the auction house some repairs had been made to preserve it and must say they did an outstanding job.  It measures 32 x 66.

Pembroke 1937 and 2 locations are hooked in the rug ~ the RR number 5, and their home on McGee Street.  If this jewel was hooked by my mother, aunt or other family member I'd still have it.  I think this is also a Canadian hooked rug and measures a whopping 58 x 64.

This primitive floral is definitely safe to copy as it is said to be hooked in the 1920's.  If the center is too boring you could always put something in the center, like your last name, Welcome, a bird or bees  just a thought.

Below is a Shaker rug.  Sadly the whole view wasn't available but I like it and could always just duplicate what is on the left to the right side.

Another Shaker rug but this has a horse and think it would be a fun 'plus one' in a couple months.  It was hooked around the 1840's according to the auction house.

Not a hooked rug but would make a very nice one, is this "Sunset" art work by Charles Pendergast made between 1914-1916.

Someone wanted a rug and drew a weathervane style horse, and with limited available colors hooked it in what she had.  Hooked 19th century and measures 28 x 42.

Weatherman said there might be frost on the windshields tomorrow morning for those who leave cars out.  But is supposed to get sunny later in the day.  Guess no tree work will be for me tomorrow as I've a dental appointment to have this cracked tooth looked at.  

AHHH, Lauren, that's what I meant about something else being cracked 😂.  Hope your binding tutorial went well today and you can cross another task off your to do list.

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

RAINY DAYS and MONDAYS

Back in the day when I had a day job it was bad enough when it was a Monday.  But when it was a rainy day and Monday that was the pits.  Now that I'm retired it is only a minor inconvenience.  Yet am sure the farmers are happy to have it right now and the flowers will too.

So this rainy morning I called my dentist and made an appointment for Thursday to take care of a cracked tooth that occurred Saturday night while crunching down on a  hard sourdough pretzel.  Which means there will be yet another crown in my mouth.  With all the crowns I have guess that makes me royalty 😄.

Also called my bank and requested they discontinue having taxes taken out of my IRA distribution.  Heck, I may as well have that money for months getting interest vs. the government using it.

And the most fun part was reconnecting with an old friend from Cape May ...Linda Woodbury, who is on the left side.  She moved to NC and I wasn't sure of her email but tried her old email which was still valid.  Linda says she has joined lots of active groups in NC and no longer hooks but does wool applique and is quite happy living there.  Linda ran a good camp at Cape May and is sorely missed.

Well that and hooking a little filled my day and the rain was a good excuse to not work in the yard.  But the Wisteria vine in my trash dumpster will be picked up Wednesday morning and that task will start all over again.

Happy hooking, knitting, stitching or, appliqueing.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

THE CRYSTAL BALL

If I was to look into my crystal ball at this very second, the center part of this antique triptych rug would be on my frame next.

In 2021 I hooked the Shield section of the rug to display during Patriotic holidays.  Hmm, me thinks that bold white definitely needs to be dirtied up a tad.

This time my sights are focused on the Eagle.  Perhaps since it is already drawn on linen it will really happen.  But then I've been known to change my mind even before wool is gathered.  However, I'm not quite halfway thru the deer rug so still days/weeks away from a finish.

In other boring personal news: 

Tuesday had my taxes done and I'm getting $700+ from the Feds and $300+ from the state.  Which means they've had that money for months when I could have had it.  So now I need to contact my bank and tell them to stop withholding taxes from my IRA distributions. 

Thursday was quite warm outside so whittled away at the Wisteria vines again.   So far I've filled the trash container 5 times and there's more vine left to dispose of.  Some vine is too thick for me to lop off so will eventually need to ask my neighbor if he can use his chain saw to cut those in sections for me.

Friday I had two new tires and front end alignment on my 2003 vehicle so all is good there after $415 spent.  But as that old saying goes ..."all dressed up and no place to go".

Sneezing anyone?  There must be a lot of pollen blowing around with these high winds as I've been sneezing constantly.  Did not realize the sinuses could create so much mucus.  Oh, is that TMI? 😑

Hope your weekend is wonderful and your rug hooking project makes you happy. 

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

TWO TORSOS UPDATE

This rug was started the first week of March and not quite halfway through.  Now that I've drawn a new pattern for my next project, I'm sorta anxious to finish this.  No, I won't be a wuss and put it away, I'll just suffer through 😞.

At least Ezra's Farm is available as a 'plus one' if I get really bored.  You're probably wondering ...'so why didn't you choose that other next rug to hook instead of this one?'  My answer ~ "because I'm fickle and at that time this one seemed appealing."  

This is a nice design; but perhaps Animals Great and Small was so much fun that this was a let-down.  So in that case, wonder if my next one will be a bummer too.  Or, maybe I've just lost my mojo.  

Hope you are happily hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

OLD RUG PARADE

Let's take a look at some old rugs and make plans for a future project.  

A primitive hooked pup with leaf corners for a quickie little mat.

Perhaps hooking a rug for a family of a WWII veteran who fought ~ this rug with V, obviously stands for Victory in 1944.  Dimensions of this old rug is 39 x 46.

A Waldoboro floral dated between 1840-50.   I won't be doing this one but there probably some fancy floral folks out there who would.

This isn't my cup of tea either, but it has everything...animals, birds, pots and flowers.  But thought I'd share this garden of chaos with you.

Am always looking for rugs that can benefit from our every growing collection of wooly worms.  Here's one that has a mellowed look to it and I find it more to my liking than the rug above.

While I have no date on this cats and floral rug you can see it is definitely an oldie.  Click on it to enlarge and enjoy it's beauty.

A lovely rug of an eagle with shield and 2 stars.  It has fringe around the perimeter.  I'm considering hooking another magnificent eagle rug but don't think this one will be it.  I've a few others in my files.

Maple sugaring in Vermont, no date or dimensions.  So glad that the white stuff falling on the ground date is behind me now.  Think spring really is close at hand. 

Sorry it is such a pitiful rug posting, and believe it or not I only save those rug photos which appeal to me slightly, lol.

Happy hooking and can't wait for Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) to get her butt home and do a post of her progress and rug show photos before she turns around and does it all over again.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com