Working in the Present, Thinking in the Future

Only the right side hit and miss on Hannah needs to be hooked, then steamed and bound.  As always I will take my time completing the binding and maybe carry it with me to work on as I wait for a doctor appointment or picking up my grandson from school.

I'm glad it is taking me a while to complete this small task because it has enabled me to ponder that Crow pattern of Betsy's waiting in the wings.  Good grief, the photo just taken of the linen looks horrid on my screen and hope you all don't feel like you have vertigo when you look at it.  When I made the Hearts and Swags piece into a pillow I used Betsy's recommended technique of buying a cheap pillow at Walmart.  But, this pillow form has been in my stash forever and the design from Betsy is accommodating.

Anyway, my plans are to make the crow pattern into a pillow.  I will put Betsy's crow on one side and I will draw out a Magdalena-style Crow for the other side.  When I hooked my last pillow (seen below).  This is a photo with a flash, sorry it is so washed out but at least you can pick out all of the Heavens to Betsy wool I used in it. 

The back was a wool patchwork.  It is only from the back side that you can see the wonderful old looking binding technique we learned from Betsy in our class.  That binding gives me a warmness of having to make do and appears that the pillow needed repair so gives a look of age.  Well I want to do that binding technique on the new pillow. 

So I'm thinking if the back is hooked as well as the front, then the binding technique will be visible from either side equally.  Which means eye candy on both sides and not hidden in the back where the thinner exterior is.

Haven't drawn out the other crow yet and haven't started gathering wool yet either.  Obviously am hoping to use up some of my worms on the Betsy side and not sure about the other side yet.  But the wheels are turning in my head and am thinking about how I'll hook the other side.  Stay tuned to see what happens and right now I've no idea myself.  Hey, it is all in the journey.

Have a fantabulous evening.

Saundra

Pillow in Progress

This is the second installment of the making of Hearts and Swags into a pillow.  It is hard to see in this picture but with right sides together I did one row of hand stitching close to the last hooked row (using heavy cotton button hole thread) followed by one row of machine stitching all the way around.  Well, except for the opening at the bottom of the pillow.  But I did go around those two corners at the bottom so that the pillow could be contained and controlled better when hand stitching it closed.  The hand stitching is closer but at least the machine stitch is the more secure back up that will prevent my pillow from teasing open.

Then at the bottom corner I turned in and stitched down the corner.  Followed by a running stitch all the way around securing down the excess linen backing.  This is done so the inside of the hooked pillow cover is smoother when inserting the pillow stuffing.

Each of the corners are turned in and mitered; again, to make a smoother inside when it comes time to insert pillow stuffing. 

Turned inside out (below) is front of the pillow, and you can see the opening at the bottom.  Also notice how the bottom corners have been stitched to contain the dimensions.

Flipped over you can see the back of the pillow. 

 

Tomorrow I have a doctor appointment so plan to take the un-stuffed pillow cover with me and do a little more work on it as I sit impatiently in the waiting room.  They are NEVER on time at this doctor's office and need something to occupy my time...which is also valuable.  I mean at my age I've less time to waste than they do.

So stay tuned for the installment 3 of the making of a pillow tomorrow afternoon.  What you are looking at below is the space between the back and hooked front of the pillow cover.  When I bring it home tomorrow it will have a primitive trim all the way around.  It is a delightfully primitive technique that Betsy taught us in her class.  Ah, I think I've got your attention.

Try to stay warm folks.  These are some very frigid temperatures and with wind chill it is even colder.  I pray that homeless people and stray animals can find shelter. 

Saundra

Let the Pillow Begin

First I want to show you the front hooked part of the pillow.  This was a FUN and FAST project which was started in Betsy Reed's class this past November.  For those just joining me the design measures 20 x 20 (I also offer a 25 x 25 version for those who like larger).  I call it Hearts and Swags and it is an antique adaptation.

This was a hand torn project and the strip widths were between 1/2" to 1" and on occasion I used a leftover in #8.5 or whatever was available if the color was right.  I LOVE how the really wide strips curl.  A photo without a flash.

And photo with a flash.

Those who have been reading my blog for a while know I'm avid about securing the raw edges of backing to prevent any chance of raveling.  So I did the normal two rows of straight stitching, one row of zig zag, trimmed and THEN did a serged edge.  Even tho this will be made into a pillow and the edge tucked inside it still needs to be properly finished, IMHO.

I wanted to have the pillow back done in the 'patchwork' style that Betsy showed us in class.  Here are two hooked Hearts she did which shows that style.

And here is Betsy demonstrating how to do a pillow.  She has turned under her hooked linen backing down and has stay stitched it in place.  She didn't have a sewing machine in class so there are raw edges.  Betsy is using a quilting product known as Warm and Natural to baste her wool patches onto, pinning them along the way.  Notice that the Warm and Natural is cut smaller than the size of the pillow, which I also did (as you will see).

 Betsy then shows how she turns under the edges of the wool and that part will be hand stitched down using a sturdy button hole thread or other sturdy thread and securing close to the last row of hooked loops.

But I wanted to take it a step further.  While I did have some Warm and Natural instead I used a piece of fabric (not wool) and cut it just inside the dimensions of the design (as did Betsy). I wanted my pillow to slide in a little easier than perhaps the Warm and Natural would have allowed.

Next I started choosing wool.  Hey, I've kept wool that ended up being too thick to hook with but is perfect for purse backs and now this pillow back.  So those were the wools I sought out.  Don't throw anything away as it will be used for something one day.  I am pinning the wool to the plaid fabric and plan to completely make the pillow back before attaching.

There were a couple different designs I had in mind.  One had a donut shape in the center of the back similar to the one on the front.  And thought of doing a wool swag on a corner but it all seemed to 'fussy' so just went simple.

Oh yuck!  This picture is a flash and the colors are NOT like the one above; notice the plaid to the top right (above)?  That is really what the plaid to the top left looks like ~ but not in this picture below with the flash.  Anyway, I stitched all the pieces of wool directly onto the plaid piece of fabric.  THEN, did the primitive stitch over that.  Oops, guess you can see that I steamed the pillow back after stitching because I can still see the impression of the iron.  Oh well, this is a pillow for me and doesn't show up except in this flash photo.

 

What I've done now is put right sides together and pinned all the way around the hooked front.  I've straight pins where I will be hand stitching and THEN machine stitching over that.  Unlike Betsy's demonstration I wanted to do the two series of stitching all the way around; one by hand and one by machine.  Not that my way is better, I'm sure her way does the very same thing and works as well.  And.... in case you are wondering, yes, guess you could call me anal? 

At the bottom you will see safety pins.  That is to remind me to NOT stitch there because that is where I will turn the pillow inside out.  And that portion will be the only part which is just hand stitched down.

Since I've not pulled a loop on Santa and Deer all day think I'll do that this evening.  But stay tuned to see how this project turns out.

Saundra

Santa and Deer Reappear

Today a few more loops were pulled on the background and do like the tan/brown texture background.  And I love the choice of wool chosen for the antlers.  It is a nubby textured wool that Barb totally loved and said she hadn't seen that wool in years.  Lucky me stumbled upon a woman's blazer at the thrift store and since it was mostly wool purchased it.  Can't remember what the other ingredient was but it was a natural fiber.  Each time I take some to Barb's camp she uses it in part of my rug so thought I'd use it for the antlers here.

But, are you getting as bored watching my updates of progress as I am?  The fun part of hooking this design is over and all that's left to hook are a couple more stick trees, background and border. 

I think I need to make my antique adaptation of Hearts and Swags into a pillow and give myself something different and interesting to do.  It will require me doing some outside the box thinking for the pillow back as I want to do it sorta different than Betsy taught us in class....BUT, using her technique.  Ah, have I piqued your interest?  Perhaps that will be my challenge for tomorrow. 

Stay tuned, stay warm and take this winter time to relax and do what makes you happy. 

Saundra

Pillow Wannabe

Back on my frame is Hearts and Swags, an antique adaptation that I started at Betsy Reed's class this past November.  It was put aside once coming home from camp so that Long Island Farm could be finished as well as my girl Shadow's profile.  So I'm back having fun doing the hand torn hooking, which is all new to me.

One thing I've noticed with the hand torn is that it tends to grow a little once you make that first snippet.  Perhaps it is the angle of the tip of the scissor's position which causes the direction of the rip, but my torn strips aren't consistent.  Maybe this adds to the primitive look, and for sure it doesn't cause any wear and tear on a cutter since I'm not using one.  Also must say that it hasn't hurt my hand by either the ripping or the pulling loops.  Yet, this is a rather smallish piece (20 x 20) plus the fact I stepped away from it for a while to hook the other rugs.

This piece is going to be a pillow, it will be my first hooked pillow and I'll not hook the backside but will use the patchwork technique Betsy taught us in class.

Have a great evening folks, Hard to believe it is just two weeks away from Christmas.  Please be kind to one another as you find a parking space at the mall, stand in line at the register, etc.  'Tis the season where patience and time are short so kindness needs to be stronger.  LUV ya'll.

Saundra (and Ben)