BOUND and LABELED

As you have probably noticed, I don't have a permanent style of binding my rugs.  Each seems to be different and show me what it wants.  Actually, the purpose of binding a rug was intended to protect the edge of the foundation from fraying.  Animals Great and Small appeared to need a whipped edge.  The wool yarn chosen was one by Ali Strebel which had all similar colors that appeared in the rug.  Ali will special dye wool for you if you send a photo of your rug or colors to be in your rug.

It is nice to display the rug in my living room where I can see it every day.  It will be on the floor as there is no more room on my walls in there right now unless something else comes down.  But it is nice to see it completed and visible every day.

As you can see I cannot get a straight photo, ever, and it is always the right side that droops.  Guess it drops when using the right hand to push the button.

Below is a photo of the label, which has a photo of the original antique rug.  You can also see the colors of the wool better in this photo.  Notice too, the back of the rug and spacing between rows.  In a previous post I mentioned hooking 4 holes away from the previous row.  Depending on other variables it could be 3 spaces.

Although the purpose of binding a rug is to protect the edge from fraying, some folks choose to add a cotton binding just above the whipped edge too.  Why?  Heck, I hate binding to begin with so why would I overkill the protection and the task?  Anyway, just my thoughts on that topic.

Happy hooking and back to the Deer rug I'm working on.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

MISC. CHIT CHAT

For a couple seconds I thought about making the title "All work and no play" but I did get to play in the wool later in the afternoon.  For almost two hours my time was spent whittling away at the Wisteria vines since the weather was mild.  This is the first photo I took after the wind storm.  Lots of Wisteria vines.

Below is how it looked after my whittling.

I know, no noticeable difference.  But look at what was put in my dumpster which will go out tomorrow morning.  It is almost full but wanted to leave enough room to put real trash in it to camouflage the garden waste.

It will take many more hours to cut and remove those potentially invasive vines as I will only be able to remove those seen above ground.  So am sure the Wisteria will live to see another day due to what is underground.

It has been so cold these last few weeks that I went through $768 worth of propane delivered January 8th.  Yesterday (2/24) was the new delivery and the price per gallon had increased by 30 cents.  Yet at the gas pump gasoline has dropped below $3 per gallon here.  Guess the increase in propane usage is that 'supply and demand' theory.

In the afternoon it was time to play with wool.  Well, guess cleaning up the wool around the hooking area isn't really what I call fun.  But is fun to see a finished rug that was a pleasure to hook.  And took a photo with a hank of Ali Strebel yarn which is what will be used to whip the edges.

Notice this hank has all the colors which appear in the rug.  I've had this hank for a while as it was purchased along with a couple others when in Ali's class.  So it is finally making its debut and will be perfect.  The rug has since been steamed and ready for whipping.

Am still looking for a major project to hook.  After area is cleaned up where I hook, if I haven't found a 1st string antique, I'll start the 'plus one'.  Meanwhile, at 5 p.m. while watching The Five you know I'll be binding this rug.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

THIS and THAT

Now that enough rugs have been hooked to fill up a full page of labels I've printed them out and have begun sewing them onto the rugs.  Those last two rugs needed to fill the page were Magdalena's Animal Parade, presently being bound, and Animals Great and Small presently on my frame.

Today I sewed on 4 of the 6 labels to the proper rugs (below) and the other 2 labels await their turn.  FYI, for those antique adaptations I hook, the photo on the label would be the original antique rug from which my rug was hooked.  You can see how I do my labels by reading about it on a previous blog post HERE.

As I used my last printer page from the 10-pack will need to order more once I've gotten close to another 6 rugs hooked to fill a page.

Also patched that too short binding tape on Animal Parade and even tho it's on the backside it was still frustrating that it came up just a smidgen short.  Yet, a quarter inch or a foot short, would have prompted the same frustration.  I'll be sure to steam my rugs before measuring out binding tape next time. 

Won't have that problem when binding Animals Great and Small as that one will be whipped with yarn from Ali Strebel.  I do various binding styles depending on the rug, the border style and colors.  You can see some different styles in the first photo.

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com