MY FAVORITE WAY TO BIND A RUG

Actually I don't have a favorite way. 

I liken it to when I used to make dolls ~ after the cloth doll was sewn and stuffed the shape inspired me to either hand stitch facial features or paint them.  Likewise once the doll had a personality she inspired the clothing I'd make.  Below is one with a stitched primitive face.

Another with a Victorian look.

Don't want to bore you so will do just one more picture, but you get my drift I'm sure.

So depending on the rug is how and when I choose the style binding I'll do; and think I've done them all.  The rug below is a Bev Conway design named Rufus hooked in 2006 when I was in my brighter side of the crayon box.

I bound the rug with a bias wool covered cord.

BTW Blogger is NOT playing nice at all today.  It will not allow me to enlarge the photos.  Hopefully if you tap on the photos they will appear larger for you to get a better look.

Magdalena's Goat (and other rugs) have wool yarn whipped edges here is a corner of the front and back views.  I used to do wool whipped edge with cording but no longer do the cording.

Cherries and Candy Stripe was bound using the doubled cotton fabric technique which I have done on a few occasions.

This chicken rug was done in a completely different style as I wanted it to look primitive.  Betsy Reed demonstrated the technique in a class and you can see how I did it HERE.

And the last way I've bound rugs is using the traditional cotton binding which can be purchased in various colors.

I would like to suggest you not place your wool covered cord rugs in a highly walked area.  One of my rugs wore thin and you can see those white holes on the left side and bottom of the photo below.  Those are not moth holes, the wool has worn thin.

Okay, I know what you're thinking and saying to yourself, "but the cord edge protects the hooked edge".  Yes, that may be true but I've rugs in well used areas with cotton binding and the wool on those at the edge has not worn thin.

Well, I've an Ox Farm pattern to draw and hope to clean the pollen covered back porch.  Have a great weekend.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

  

Flashback Thursday

Cannot believe it has been 7 years since this class with Betsy Reed November 2013.  As this is the flash drive with BIG issues I will not be able to crop photos or I will lose them as I did a rug hooked by Janet Reid recently.  So forget about all the empty wall space and enjoy the activity in the photo.

This is a rug in progress by Betsy which I titled as American Cats Adaptation.

Betsy showed us her patchwork backing for animals and hearts.  I was particularly attached to this gold heart not only for the wide cut but also the brassy old gold color.  

This is an example of the patchwork back which she does with animals, hearts and pillows.  Think of those small or odd shaped pieces of wool used for applique, quilting, etc.  Now you can use them for backing.

Here are a few of her other adorable items which for which she sells patterns.  OOOOH, love that cat and bunny Too.

I also thought Betsy's cat and mouse was cute.  I have a template of each of them but still haven't hooked it yet.  Betsy's was finished with a braided edge.

In this class is where I first saw the very primitive binding which I've done on a pillow and small mat, it was love at first sight.  This was by Betsy but I also purchased her pattern.

And a closer view.

Betsy's class busy on the far side of the room.

And our table with Phyllis (in red) sitting beside me and pal Deb across from me.  Aww, and there's dearly departed Janice Russell chatting with Deb..

It is always a delightful class with Betsy as the teacher also in class was Norma Batastini.  Perhaps Norma came to check out the camp as a future teacher and play with wool like the rest of us.  

At class I asked Norma if I could post a photo of the rug she was hooking.  She said, "no because it is a gift to my son and don't want him to see it on he internet before he receives it".  I honored her request then, but it is now 7 years later and am sure he has received it.

This rug was huge and really attractive with the colorful hand torn wool by Sarah Guiliani.  This has inspired me to hook a circles purse one day.

Sadly I missed the April camp at The Dunes this year due to the Corona-virus but am hoping the November class will go as scheduled.  This would be the view outside the hotel.  All rooms face the ocean, mmmm, I can smell the salt air now...can you Deb?

Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Seeing Stars Again

This week I sewed a few more pieces together on my star blocks as I'd really like to get this project finished this winter.  

There are many block shapes left to stitch together and when all the random pieces are used will see how much more needs to be cut and sewn to  make a king size bedspread.  Don't want a quilt as I already have one but rather want something that can be used as a spread which can easily be washed without the bulk.

On the left above is a pile of just the blocks.  To the right is what has already been stitched together around the central big star center.

However, I've got to put this project aside for now, knuckle down and finish pulling wool for rug camp.  I'll leave Sunday for camp with talented Betsy Reed as my teacher again.  Looking forward to it!!!!

Happy Thursday.

Saundra

Double Dipping

That would be double-dipping in the walnut dye pot.  As there was much liquid left thought I'd do another round of dying before it went bad.  This time I used only 3/4 yard of fabric thinking the most potent dye had been used in the previous job.  Here is today's achievement.

The top wool is before and bottom is after.  Was a little disappointed in the middle wool results.  It isn't quite as white as the before but not as dark as I'd hoped ~ must be the fiber content of the wool.

The rest of the dye has been poured out, think I'm over the black walnut dyeing this fall.  Besides must clean house and get closer to ready for rug camp in 9 days.....can't wait to see Betsy Reed again.

For those just now visiting my blog I will reiterate my black walnut dye process.  You can see the first of these dye jobs if you scroll down a few posts.

I put 30 whole green/brown nuts in a huge pot (a canning pot actually) with water enough to cover all the nuts.  Brought it to a boil then simmered for maybe half hour.  I let the pot cool on the stove as I wanted all the dye to be released.  Placed the pot in my laundry room sink until the next morning with the nuts still in the liquid.


In the morning took the pot outside as it would be messy.  With a slotted spoon pulled out all the nuts and tossed in the woods for the squirrels.  

Meanwhile my 1½ yards of wool had been soaking, I rung the water out and placed in the dye pot on the stove.  Simmered the wool until wool got to be as dark as I’d liked.  Of course wet wool always shows up darker than when dry.

There is NO NEED to add a mordant to black walnut dye as it will dye EVERYTHING!  Wear gloves if you insist on working with black walnuts.  

Again, the pot and wool went into the laundry room sink to cool and continue to absorb dye.  You can see I'm in no hurry here and don't want to handle hot wool.

I rinsed the wool several times in the sink until rinse water was clear.  Next put the wool in a pot with more clear water and that went in the washer for spin only.  Then into the dryer with a fluffy towel used only for my dye jobs.

Take advantage of the remaining life of the black walnuts as weather is getting colder and they will be gone.

Saundra

Bind Two Rugs..... ✔

Yup, finally completed the binding of the two rugs and just two weeks before Ocean City rug camp.  So there are other priorities now... like house cleaning and pulling wool for the next rug.

Above is my grandson's favorite soccer team and he is a great soccer player himself.   I put in a sleeve on the back for hanging it but he can choose to use it however he wishes.  

Soon there will be two labels on the back of this Christmas gift and will bore you again when that part is accomplished.

The other finally bound rug was On the Loose which was started at Cape May camp last month.  It is a design by Bev Conway and I hooked it in a class with Cammie Bruce.

Now to clean a bit (I hope), organize my wool room and get ready for the next camp.  Unfortunately this is only my second camp this year as I missed camp with Barb Carroll in May.  So am definitely ready to have a good time with like minded folks and see Betsy Reed once again.

Saundra

More Old Patina

There was more dye solution left in my small jar (6 tablespoons) so decided to use it up in a pot of water with a tad over 1 yard of wool.  

Above, bottom right are two pieces which had previously been dyed with Old Patina but they weren't to my liking so thought another round of dye might do the trick.

While the above wool was already soaking I decided to add a little more which were parts of a woman's pleated skirt (below).

 The results are below.

For a better comparison below you can see the original plaid and the newly dyed plaid.  Maybe I'll use this wool now.  Seems to me this was part of the many various yards of wool purchased one year at Barb Carroll's when selling wool for $5 per yard.

And below for comparison is the small dyed piece which came from a pastel plaid purchased from Betsy Reed a couple years ago.  Since I don't use much pastel think more of it might make its way into a dye pot as well.

HOWEVER.......look at how it hooks up in the rug below hooked by Bonnie at camp with Barb Carroll in 2010.  The flowers at the top were hooked randomly and think sections of the wool was also used for the leaves on the sides and bottom.  Barb even brought us to her table to show us how it can be used.

So see..... every piece of wool has a happy ending.  Happy Monday everyone.

Saundra

My Rugs Continued

In 2014 I hooked several rugs and mats.  As some were small mats the list of hooked pieces was more extensive.  Yesterday's post included a couple of those done that year also.  Among others were the small size Folk Art Horse (Woolley Fox pattern).

Magdalena's Olde Ducks is what I hooked in a class with Betsy Reed and is presently on my harvest table.

I miss my girl Shadow and after having hooked my Rottweiler Memorial in #3 told Shadow 'she was a wide cut sorta girl'.  So hooked Shadow in #8 in a class with Diane Stoffel.  Shadow's Memorial is hanging on the wall to the left of me.

This was the year that Deb Burcin hosted a "chicken challenge" on the Woolrights Guild Blog.  Visit the site and you can view all the entries.  I bound the rug using Betsy Reed's primitive binding technique and think it adds to the old look.

For several years the Granny Geometric was a UFO....I mean SEVERAL years.  Finally found the determination to finish this.  You can even see how my hooking evolved and my finally learning how to make sharp corners.  You can see the difference in some of the blocks.  Another great way for me to use up those excess wool strips.

Magdalena's Farm was a rug hooked with Barb Carroll, another Magdalena design.

Even tho there are always numerous rug patterns in my stash I continually end up drawing an antique adaptation to hook.  Such was the case for this Antique Pot of Flowers.

In order to use up more of those pesky multiplying wool strips I challenged people to join me in a circle Mat.  Since circles was the theme thought I'd round the corners of the mat to compliment the look.

In 2014 my friend Evelyn told me she was teaching a class at Sauder on Harriet Powers Bible Quilts and Granny Donaldson's cow blanket applique.  So took that as a challenge for myself and told Evelyn my plan to design a small piece from a Harriet Powers' Bible quilt block.  If you would like to read the article I wrote about it on my blog in 2014, click HERE.

That wasn't the end of that story....... Evelyn asked if she could take it to Sauder with her to show the class as an example of adapting a quilt piece to a hooked piece.  Evelyn razzed me about people coming into her class to see the mat and how it was tilted on the wall, how with all the muss and fuss of having to deal with visitors the rug should go to her as payment.  

That is Evelyn's humor but at Cape May when she returned the mat to me for the show there, and upon picking up our rugs after that show, I presented Evelyn with the rug as a token of our friendship.

Lucky me, I was the winner of a give-away for the Duluth Pumpkin kit offered by Maria Barton of Star Rug Company.

Afterward decided to design my own pumpkins mat.  I've always wanted a collection of vintage paper mache' Jack-O-lanterns....well I'd be happy with just one frankly.  So decided to design a rug pattern called Mache' Jacks.  It measures 15 x 25 and costs $30.

That year I finally decided to hook an adaptation of the old Santa and Deer pattern.

Same year I fell in love with a small Snowman mat design by Maria Barton so had to order it.  That hooked up really quickly and is cute to display during the Christmas holiday.  Oops, sorry Lauren, I said that "C" word again.

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

Recently Retired Lauren

Lauren lives in Ohio and worked for the city.  When it snowed she had to get to work ~ even thru the drifts and hip high snow ~ to handle calls from city folk wanting to know when their street would be plowed.  Oh there's more but it's her story so will leave you with that.

Needless to say I'm sure that gal is doing the 'happy dance' every time she sees a snow flake now.  Anyhoo, onto her rug hooking journey......

Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) likes to say she is a self-taught hooker but that’s not entirely true.  She said about 30 years she took a hooking class ~ and HATED every loop.  She recalls it as a 4 or 6 cut using a push-pin frame.  She finished an area perhaps 4” x 4”.  When the class was over she put all the supplies in a closet, never to pull another loop on it.

Fast forward to 2004 she stumbled upon primitive hooking.  In the meantime, she downsized and probably threw out all the supplies because she tore the attic apart looking for them but never did.   Lauren found a class to take from a wonderful primitive hooker.  Sadly, the class was cancelled; think she was the only one signed up.  

Then Lauren turned to eBay for supplies.  She purchased 8 cut worms since she had no cutter.  As most of us just starting out she had no idea what bad wool was.  And Lauren says, "but let me tell you, I spent a fortune buying bad wool.  I wasn’t hooking, just buying wool."

Lauren continues:  "When I finally got brave enough to start a little mat, I drew up a diamond mat and I chose THE UGLIEST colors, flat red, black and yellow.  I knew they were ugly, not sure why I chose them, but that didn’t stop me."

Above is Lauren's first effort which was hooked 2005 and measures 6 x 9 1/2.  She still has it displayed in her hooking room as reminder to how far she's come.  

Lauren  wrote, "Initially everything I hooked was small.  I mean really small.  In 2006 first time I hooked a mat which was about 12” x 12”, you’d think I’d hooked a room sized rug I was so proud."

This would be that 'room size rug Lauren spoke of.  It is definitely an accomplishment over her first.  Yet her first still looks better than my first.

Lauren said, "The first three years I hooked alone.  The only other hooker I knew was the teacher and you’d think the next time she had a class she would have contacted me but she did not.  I knew of one group that met but I hate to enter a room full of people I don’t know, so it took me a long time to finally put on my big girl panties and go.  Too bad it took me so long to be brave.  I was made to feel so welcome and they are friends to this day.

Lauren has come a long way since then and the hooking never stops; well, maybe a pause on occasion.

Above is a collage of hooked items she has hooked, bottom left is a chicken on a spring from a class with Annette Shaffer.  The chicken design above that is offered by Maria Barton.  Top right chicken pattern is named Henny Penny and is a design by Woolley Fox (I also hooked that pattern, it was fun and quick). Below that is Cat and Mouse, a design by Betsy Reed.  I have that pattern too and still haven't hooked it ~ one day when something is needed between rugs I'll do mine.

Now we're talking ROOM SIZE rug here for Lauren now.  This is a bit bigger than her 12 x 12 she once thought was huge.  It is called 1885 Horses, it is an antique adaptation and copyright free and is also offered by Woolley Fox.  It comes in two sizes and bet money that Lauren hooked the small one which measures 16 x 47.

Would like to thank Lauren and all others who have kindly volunteered to share their journey of hooking rugs.

Happy Saturday even tho the temperatures are frigid.

Saundra