Welcome 2021

Happy New Year, at least I hope it is a happier year than 2020 was. This rug is called New Years Eve but wanted to save it for the post today since I'm showing the projects hooked during 2020.  Believe it or not I hooked 15 projects during the hibernation ~ quarantine ~ shut-down ~ or whatever name you wish to give it.

The first rug hooked in the beginning of 2020 Was Winter Sled, a Cushing design which was kindly given away to me by Cathy of Acorn Hollow.

In preparation for February's Valentines Day my next project was Heart Butter Mold by Primitive Heartstrings. 

I had Lori Brechlin's Lancaster Barnyard pattern for a couple years and finally it moved to the top of my list.

Posies and Stars is an antique adaptation I hooked and offer in pattern form and still love it.  Was attracted to this antique because of the blotchy background as well as the neutral hit and miss border.  It still makes my heart skip a beat.

After a few days of harsh winds the rug on my frame next was  a pattern I saw on Cushing's web site and purchased it immediately.  It is aptly called Windy Day and will be my March display again this year.

By this time I wanted something which didn't need much concentration and decided to use up some neutral but various value wool and drew Cat's Paw.  

With spring near it was time to hook Lori Brechlin's Early bird, a pattern offered by Spruce Ridge Studios.  Confession is that I did do a little change by making the border all the way around instead of the top and bottom.

Was time for me to get back to my love of antique adaptations so chose one I named Bespectacled Lion.  Again it is the blotchy background but also the quirky naïve appearance of the lion.  Would love to know about the person who drew and hooked this many years ago.

Was comfortable to be working on antique adaptations again and what luck to find an antique patriotic themed rug, right up my alley.  The original was hooked around 1830 and I named it Pride, Honor, Freedom.

Saw Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) hooking this adorable pattern called Jack's Crow and had to have one for myself. It's a design by Terri Leamer of Winter Cottage Studio.  I couldn't wait to hook those pants with the left over wool strips from a Polly Minick pattern and think one day I'll hook it again with different colors since it was a PDF pattern.

The months are moving right along with me in the cocoon and time to finally hook Old Tom, a Lori Brechlin design.

Good heavens, my fingers are getting tired and getting vertigo from flipping from PC to flash drive, finding the pictures, yada yada.  But am almost..uh, almost done.  

Then on Facebook Lori posts a photo of a design called Merrie October 31st and a couple of us went nuts.  Kris accommodated us with a smaller version to our liking and this is what mine looks like.

Another PDF pattern I'd had for years was a Karen Kahle pattern named Woolly Santa.  Each year I'd tell myself to hook it but years flew by and decided it was time!!!!!  Again I made a change to the design to suit me and didn't hook the top sheep sticking out of Santa's sack.  Instead chose to hook Santa's mittens black to fool the eyes to see the sheep's legs.  I'm happy with my decision.

In chronological order New Years Eve would have been next but I placed it first since it is New Years Day.  But after that was Over the Moon, a pattern offered by Spruce Ridge Studio.  As you can see it still isn't' completely bound.  If I were one to make 'new years resolutions' it would be to be faster at binding my rugs; but then I DON'T make new years resolutions.

If you are interested in purchasing a pattern offered by me, you can look for them in the link below.  Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year.   My black eyed peas and salad are waiting for me as cooking them and doing this blog has taken longer than planned.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com 

BEFORE and AFTER

Bespectacled Lion is all hooked but still needs to be steamed and bound.  There were some changes and will talk you thru my reasons for them.   

#1 ~The strip of off-white always bothered me from the beginning.  But hooked it in because the original antique had it and I try to replicate antique rugs as closely as possible while using the wool I have.  But I replaced that with a Scottish wool which Barb Carroll was crazy about.  More about that later.

This is the BEFORE photo which was the last post on the lion's progress.  

#2 ~ There was too much bright gold on the sides so changed that out with khaki which appears in the background and blends nicely with the green.

#3  ~ there was a curved khaki piece just over the lions ear on the left and it looked out of place.  Yep, on the original but I removed and replaced with dark.

This is the AFTER.

As previously mentioned it still needs to be steamed and bound but at least I'm happier and the border is done.  And...I've moved on.

Okay, here's the story on the wool which replaced the off-white.....long story.  My roomie Deb and I have a friend who loved going to community sales.  Since she knows we are rug hookers she picks up every yardage of wool she finds.  Sweet Deb shares with me and this was among the bounty.

Before one Woolley Fox rug camp Barb wrote a note to 'bring our ugly wool'.  Well I had a piece of ugly wool and thought this was it.  Barb LOVED it.

Barb showed me how valuable it was ~ ugly or not ~ and suggested it be put in the rug a few select places.  If you look carefully you'll see the spark on the ground under the lion in the primitive circles in the folage and stems from the ground.

So you just never know how important that ugly wool might be some day.  I even sought it out when I was wanting to replace the off white.

Bespectacled Lion isn't on my web site yet but I will offer it as a pattern.  Mine was drawn out 15.5 x 24 but will draw yours to whatever size you desire.  When the rug is finally steamed and bound it will be on my web site which is below.

Happy Monday, enjoy your evening.

Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.com

Bespectacled Lion

Have reached a point where my beloved Bespectacled Lion should rest and I'll evaluate what to do next.  The border needs to be decided since the antique had so many colors in it.  Am thinking of making those strips 8.5 v.s #8 which I've hooked.  That would fill in the already reduced space and reduce the number of colors.

Took photos with two different cameras and two different setting to try and get the true view of the rug.  Think the true color is somewhere between the two.

Desperately need to vacuum the wool dust and maybe the break will do me good.  Where will I go next?....finish the border on this one?

OR.....start the next project already drawn?  OH...you don't know what I've drawn????  Holy Moly Batman, just wait and see.

Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com 

A Lion by Any Other Name....

This is my accomplishment on the antique adaptation of a lion so far.  Not sure about the border yet so haven't continued to expand that.  Would like to see how the inside turns out and how bright or dull to make the border.  But did want to at least hook the holding lines.

Also might pull out a section in the middle left on the rug and replace, yeah a normal tweak.   

This is a rather smallish rug and drew mine 15 ½ X 24.   Each time I'd see this lion in my file always smiled and knew I had to hook him.  So now I need help with a name.  Two names I've thought about is "Gold Lion" another is "Bespectacled Lion" since he looks like he's wearing spectacles.  

In case you forgot what the original antique looked like, here it is.  The lion rug was hooked early 20th century and the original measured 26 x 40.5.  Wish my wool was as rich looking as the original but I'm "making do with what I have".  Remember that quote?  I  hooked a rug with that quote.

Wow, can't believe it is July 1st already.  Grass needed to be cut yesterday but it was so dry and crispy and knew there would be rain today so held off.  Thankfully there were a few pour downs so the grass weeds will be more resilient, not die and the dust not so bad.  

So give me your thoughts on a name for the rug:
     ~Gold Lion
     ~Bespectacled Lion

Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com