WHAT WOULD SHE THINK NOW?

Over a century after her death, what would Harriet Powers think of her quilt block images appearing on US postage stamps?  By now you may have already read Lauren's (Rugs and Pugs) post to see the stamps.  I plan to purchase some next time I'm out and about.

In 2014 hooker friend Evelyn Lawrence was scheduled to teach a class at Sauder and the subject was to hook an adaptation of one of Harriet Powers quilt blocks or Granny Donaldson's cow Blankets.  I didn't attend Sauder but decided to challenge myself and hooked a small mat from one of Harriet Powers quilts at home.  Below is the finished piece.

So you  don't have revert back to Lauren's blog post to see the stamps, here it is for your convenience.

There are a few booklets out about both Harriet Powers and Granny Donaldson.  If you would like to read a brief synopsis about Harriet and follow along on my hooking journey click HERE.  

The hooked piece was given to Evelyn and she took it to Sauder for her class as someone's modern adaptation of a Harriet Powers quilt block.  It was fun to hook and understand the Betts 500 mile travel is true.  

Happy hooking everyone.

Saundra

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Am Bored ~ So back to my Hooked Pieces

Still no new project on my frame but at least I've started whipping the edge of Flower Power.  Also started tracing out the sketch of the pattern planned but got bored doing that.  To prove just how bored I was ~  pulled out the vacuum and cleaned up my wool room and organized my master paper patterns.  So you know just how un-motivated I am on what to hook next.

The first rug camp each year was usually in May with wonderful teacher and perfect colorist Barb Carroll.  The 2014 class project was Magdalena's Farm and it has the signature bits of purple.  

Rugs by the Sea rug camp is September and hooked a memorial of my departed Shadow.  That class was with Diane Stoffel and I hooked Shadow in #8.  OOPS, I see that the date on the photo for Shadow was 2013.

Which means the rug hooked at Cape May 2014 was Ali Katz, a design I drew and hooked for a class with Ali Strebel.

November class with Betsy Reed in Ocean City, MD was Olde Ducks, another Magdalena design.

The rest of the rugs hooked that year were on my own at home.  One was another Woolley Fox design hooked was the small version of Folk Art Horse.

The Chicken Challenge offered by Woolrights Guild seemed like fun and this was my version with the blotchy background.  Should probably have kept the hit and miss upper corners but I love the faded background of antique rugs.

Just before Halloween I designed and hooked a piece named Mache' Jacks.  Unfortunately I don't own an antique mache'Jack so made the one on the table and hooked the likeness in this mat.  OMG, I love that mat if I must say so myself.

That year I finally finished hooking an antique adaptation started well over 5 years prior.  The original 1890 antique rug in the style below was sometimes referred to as "Waved and Stepped" pattern, according to the Joel and Kate Kopp book.  I named it Granny Geometric since it reminded me of the crochet afghan squares.  But more recently has come to be known as a Zig Zag rug.  Perhaps that is the name given by the woman who most recently drew and hooked it.  

An adaptation of Pot of Flowers antique was a smallish, easy and fast mat to hook.

Was in the mood for another antique adaptation so drew and hooked what I named The Cat's Meow.  This is the rug hanging on the wall of a log cabin over a bed.  It was difficult to get a good view of the rug even tho the owner sent me personal photos.

An antique design haunting me for some time was this adaptation which I call Hearts and Swags and made into pillow form.

For years on my 'to do' list and finally hooked was the antique Santa and Deer adaptation.  I've seen various border designs and did mine plain so as to not take away from the main focus.

I hooked small pieces like a hit and miss circle mat (not shown) and welcomed people to join me.  And designed an adaptation from the Harriet Powers Bible Quilt piece which I named "500 Mile Betts".  After the Cape May rug camp I gave it to my friend Evelyn.

Hopefully something will SOON motivate me to make a choice of design to hook.  But for now will slowly whip Flower Power.

Saundra

How Color can be Deceiving

It is very interesting to see how textures look so vastly different in yardage vs. hooked.  And, color can change appearance depending on what color it is hooked against.  Hmm, when I'm at a loss of what to write about that might be a good topic on how grey can change the colors of wool hooked around it.  

Happily my second antique adaptation The Old Brown Horse and Bunny is done.  Below is a picture next to the wool used for the ground.

In yesterday's blog post one of my readers thought the ground color below was pink.  I can understand as below is the picture she saw.  In this confusing photo the lighting was different I guess...., whether it be natural light, flash, different room....whatever.  But when taping on the photo to enlarge you would have noticed it was orange in color.  But an easy assumption nevertheless.

Wish I had the perfect set-up for taking photos and more times than not the picture on the monitor is not what the rug or wool looks like in person.  All of us hookers at one time or another have excused the color of our photos.  These two vastly different pictures, taken with the same camera by the same person can testify that color isn't always what it seems to show on the computer screen.

That very same orange and grey wool was used to hook 500 Mile Betts, my adaptation of a Harriet Powers Bible Quilt block.  And must say it does look pink when compared to the background.

Something else I noticed too, is that the newest picture at the top doesn't show the garish bright blue sky either.  Which means the jury (me) is still out about whether or not to use black walnut dye solution to soften/dirty up the sky.    Just might still brush or dab some in spots just to give it a little old worn mottled dirty look in places.  

Meanwhile, the pattern has been chosen for the next project.  It is too late in the day for me to start cleaning up and putting back the mess I'd made and choose wool for the next project.  The two mats have been steamed, edges prepared for binding and think tonight will be spent binding.  

Yes, hate binding but am okay with doing that tonight ~ matter of fact it even seems like a calming event.  Particularly since I did 3 loads of wash, changed sheets, picked up limbs and pine cones from the yard, cleaned out the fish pond filters and basket, walked Ben 3 times, steamed and did preliminary binding work on the mats.   Whew, I just made myself very tired, lol.

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

Rug Hooking Smorgasbord

First message I read this morning on my iPad was a sweet comment from Julie of Primitive Heartstrings.  She has just started hooking her very first mat and is doing a terrific job.  Pay her a visit, and do like I've done and add her to your side bar so you can follow her journey into rug hooking.  Great job Julie.

So after yesterday's blog post some of you are feeling a little unsatisfied and state that one rug does not a mini rug show make....right Lauren?  I'm sitting here chuckling as I write this.  Okay, so let me make that up to you right now.  I'm going to post some pictures of rugs my gal pal and camp roomie Deb has hooked.

First up is New England Berry Tree, a Woolley Fox design.

Below is Peace and Plenty, a design by Spruce Ridge Studios.

The Tree of Life is an easily recognizable design. 

Berk's County Bouquet is one she either did with Barb Carroll at the Lancaster ATHA class or purchased the pattern and hooked it at home, not sure which.

The pattern below is a design by Bev Conway and sorta think it is called Three Amigos.

Below is another design by Spruce Ridge Studios and is named....you guessed it....Glad Tidings.

Got Wool is a design by Woolley Fox.

Magdalena Briner's design Birds and Dog below.

 A Karen Kahle design known as Monticello Deb hooked with Barb Carroll at Woolley Fox camp. 

Crips, this next photo must have had the camera sideways and even tho the photo was up righted using the paint program it goes back to it's original position....sorry.  Anyway, this is a Gustav Klimt design Tree of Life that Deb drew and hooked at Cape May camp last year.  Deb used every hooking technique that Ali Strebel taught us in class.  Deb had so much fun that she is again in a class with Ali this week and can't wait to see what she hooks.



Next is called Hildefern and is a design of Woolley Fox.  Deb used pieces of her antique paisley for each of the fern leaves. 

This cute rubber ducky mat is something Deb hooked as a gift to Barb Carroll one year.  She and I decided to each hook a rubber ducky and present it to her one year when we attended camp there.

 Think this one is called Nurturing Friendship and totally forget who the designer is.

This is a face purse that was gifted to me and hooked by Deb.  She has hooked and sold several of them.  I use to wear it but got so many people stopping me asking where I got it that now I hang it on the wall as a piece of art....which it is.

These were some purses Deb had hooked but not finished when I dropped by to visit her.  Under the purses you can see the sketch of what was to be Gustav Klimt's design she later hooked.

She has hooked many other rugs and sadly don't have a picture of all of them.

And, don't forget to drop by to check out Minick and Simpson's Day 2 of sales and silent auctions.  Have a great day and good luck.

Saundra

Rugs in Review 2014

My but how time flies and will soon have to remember to write 2015 on checks instead of 2014.  Another year older and hard to believe almost 8 years has passed since the divorce.

Something that I like to do now is look back at the rugs I've hooked over the last year.  A few years ago I started keeping a list of the rugs completed during the year as it is fun to reflect back on them and memories associated with the time hooking. 

The first one finished in 2014 was an adaptation of a Harriet Powers quilt block which I named 500 Mile Betts.  I gifted it to my dear friend Evelyn Lawrence since she admired it so much and knew it would have a good home with her.

Next was Magdalena's Lollipop Bouquet and must say this one was on top of the list as one of the most fun.  It was fun trying to replicate Magdalena's colors while using up a lot of my left overs and with some cut wool for consistency in the neutral background and base.

Then was the project which wins 'greatest accomplishment' of several years of hooking..... that would be the completion of the damn Granny Geometric which had been started about 10 years earlier.  I'd pull it out, hook one block and back in the tote it would go for another year or 5.  Happy to say it is done and bound ~ again using up a lot of left over strips.

The Chicken Challenge was offered by Woolwrights Hooking Guild  and I jumped on the chance to get a free antique adaptation pattern.  This too was fun to make mine different from the original and have blotchy background.

When perusing Pinterest I found a wonderful rug hanging on the wall in a cabin.  I knew it appeared to have the age of a copywrite free rug but didn't know who owned it.  And some of the images were hard to decipher so guessed they were birds on the sides.  Once I learned who  owned the rug I wrote for permission to hook it, sell the patterns and received permission.  I named the pattern The Cat's Meow because as I had over dyed wool to give an aged look and as the rug came to be it was THE Cat's meow.

Next was Magdalena's Farm; building up quite number of Magdalena's rugs.  Soon I'll have as many as Evelyn Lawrence who did all the research and who has hooked all her rugs.

Then I wanted to have another antique adaptation pattern to offer for sale so hooked Pot of Flowers.  A picture with a flash and one without.  Makes a huge difference in the way they appear on the monitor.

After that I had two commission pieces to do which were rather large.  I listed them as something I hooked but they weren't mine to keep and received payment for my work.  The names of the patterns and client will remain anonomoyous.

Lucky to win a Duluth Pumpkin kit from generous Maria Barton of Star Rug company I hooked this next; thank you very much Maria.  Love those button eyes that came with.

Okay, so then wishing I owned some of those antique Jack-O-Lanterns I knew growing up, decided I needed to design my own Fall/Halloween pattern and came up with "Mache' Jack-O-Lanterns"

Always needing something else to have on my frame chose to hook Magdalena's Folk Art horse next.  Yup, those Magdalena rugs are mounting up here Evelyn.

OOPS, while going thru my photos realized I hadn't put Ali Katz on my 2014 list (it's there now tho).  Guess that is because still some defining lines need to put in around parts of some of the cats.  But it was hooked and bound in this year.  I have already sold one pattern and can't wait to see she chose to hook it and hope to get a picture.  I understand it won't be worked on until next spring/summer but am still looking forward to it.

Last year just before Christmas I saw what Maria was working on and that little Jolly drove me crazy.  Just had to have him so purchased it from Star Rug Company.  Yeah, did a change or two to make him my boy Jolly.  I love him Maria and he is sitting on my sofa table right now.

And recently last loops were pulled on Magdalena's Olde Ducks.  Even tho it hasn't been bound yet still consider it hooked in 2014.  Perhaps during the start up of 2015 and during the slow time of this remaining holiday the binding will get done.

EEK, I forgot to mention my 'detour' project of hooking arm chair covers for my computer chair.  It wasn't a big project but was hooking nonetheless.

Now all that remains of my hooking in 2014 is Cherries and Candy Stripe which I will show you tomorrow with a bit more of an update.

Have a great evening everyone and may all your loops be perfect.

Saundra

One Hooked and Another One Bound

Who'da thunk I really would have finished hooking this Granny Geometric?  Not me; as I was sure it would go to the thrift store unfinished.  All the hooking is done, the pre-binding stitching and trimming done all around and will wait its turn to be bound since the Chicken Challenge rug will be next.  That is when I'm in the mood or while waiting to pick up my grandson at school it will be started.

Also finished binding the 500 Mile Betts rug I adapted from a Harriet Powers quilt block.  The binding was done a few minutes at a time while waiting to get my grandson from school. But today decided to finish it.

And thanks to Lauren of Rugs and Pugs for showing me how she did her last rug label.  She wrote the date, name, etc. with a silver Sharpie and wrote it on a piece of cotton binding.  She then attached it to the rug.  I thought that was a great idea so purchased a bronze Sharpie and put the information on my binding but hers was much neater.  Sure wish I'd been more careful to have the letters all the same and spacing between words applied better.  Guess it is obvious I'm not a teacher ~ I've never seen a teacher who didn't have the most perfect printing and cursive ever.  Unless it was a draftsman.

Now I'm pulling a couple loops on the penny circle mat and tomorrow will start out fresh on my new project.  Have a fabulous evening and hope you all have a great week.

Saundra