RUGS HOOKED DURING 2009

Woodland Deer seemed like the perfect choice to hook in a class with Barb Carroll.  That made perfect sense since I live in the woods and see plenty of deer to my enjoyment.  The photo is quite washed out and not that light in person.

At a Cape May class my teacher was Bev Conway and chose her pattern Speckled Hens.  Instead of hens each sitting on a huge egg I wanted them sitting on straw.

While at Cape May and checking out the rugs in the show I saw Evelyn Lawrence's adaptation of Domestic Zoo.  It was awesome and knew it would be next on my frame.  I drew it and hooked it at home trying to replicate the colors in the original.  It was the largest rug I'd hooked but nothing compared to the ones ladies are working on these days.

Tonya Robey's whimsical designs were always fun to hook and Fat Dog was no exception.  Matter of fact, you can't see it in this photo but he has a little 'bling' in his teeth, which were sequins.

My picking whimsey designs continued with a Red Saltbox pattern named Flying Trio.

The bee skep and attached bees was my design made to sell at a future show, just something fun and small.

Debbie's Horse is a Barb Carroll design drawn from a pattern in one of her books.  The colors are not that bright in person.

Another small mat I hooked and sold was a Cornucopia design by Maggie Bonanomi. 

Once I had a class with Gail Dufresne so I could learn how to better work with colors and she helped me design a mat I named The Great Escape.  Turns out that I'm more of a drab person.  Thought the name of the piece was better than the colors, lol.  Sold this at one of my vending events.

And last rug of that year was my first and last wool yarn hooked (not punched) rugs.  It went into time out for about 2 years before it was finally finished.  It was a Claire Murray kit purchased on eBay and immediately learned I was NOT a fan of yarn hooked rugs.  As the dang thing wouldn't sell I eventually gave this rug away just to get it out of my house.

Well that's another year of rugs and have learned many of my old rugs don't have a label nor a hooked date.  So if I was positive on the year some were hooked, I'd do a label with the dates.  But guess I could do a label anyway to provide the name of the designer.

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/woodlandjunctionhookedrugs

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

  

TIPS TEACHERS TAUGHT US

The other day I emailed follower/reader Denise and asked if there was something she'd like me to blog about.  As any of you who have a blog know, sometimes we (or at least I) struggle to come up with a topic which might interest readers.  Her question was "wondering what was the best tip learned from a class or teacher".  

A comment from Julia made a perfect and classic example of 'must do' ~  Use a good linen foundation and not cheap brittle burlap for your rug hooking.  Must admit that when I was teaching myself and practicing that is what I used because it was affordable and could be a 'throw away'.  But when I got seriously hooking that was the lesson taught me also and is what I use.

Continuing with Denise's email, she said she was struggling with a random background.  When hooking a large background we all get bored!  I'm speaking for myself here but know someone (UH, that would be my friend Lauren) who finds it a soothing task.

When I first started hooking think I just followed the outline of the main motif's (the ripple effect) until the lines eventually connected and then filled in.  But attending an early rug camp my teacher Bev Conway suggested drawing, then hooking, S's in the background, hooking the S, hooking around the S, moving onto the next and as each S is hooked around they eventually meet up.  

This Rottweiler Memorial wasn't hooked in her class but I used her technique.  You can see the S or C movement throughout the background and I used two values of the same color wool.

Another teacher Lisanne Miller suggests the puzzle piece style.  I tried it on my eagle rug but didn't do her technique justice as I didn't draw the small areas on the background, I just hooked random spots using dark and different wools.  It is a primitive after all. 

Reader Nancy commented on my last blog post that her teacher suggested adding small bits of color or different value here and there for interest.  

Robin mentioned using 'ugly wool because ya just never know when that ugly will look wonderful in a rug'.

Barb Carroll made a similar comment in class.  Barb's was more of a color contrast which she called 'poison' as a random out-of-place hooked piece of wool.  After all, they used what they had back in the day.  An example of Barb's teaching is in this Westmoreland Ponies pattern designed by her and I hooked it in a class with Barb 2012.  Click on the photo below and look closely.  You can see the odd yellow green strips, random plaids and even a lighter color in the background.  All of which provides interest and makes the eye move around the rug.  AND, makes it more fun for the hooker.

Westmoreland Ponies is a free pattern in a previous issue of RHM but can't recall which year but maybe around 2011 or 2012.

Please don't hesitate to email me a question or an idea you'd like to see on my blog.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitive.weebly.com

UPDATE on Woman on Horseback

I wanted to do a post on Saturday but the tree wasn't all hooked.  Then got thinking I should forget that and work on the horse.  But felt I couldn't post it this morning since the horse wasn't all hooked.  Now I've got no excuse and can't delay any longer as it has been 3 days since my last posting.  So here she is.

I drew this pattern measuring 18 x 18.5 and using a variety of cuts.  Have been using left over narrow cuts from my mother's profile for the lady's face, worms for the the cat in #8 and #8.5.  The lady's dress started with #8 worms but didn't have enough so cut extra wool #8.5 to fill in the skirt from another wool but it worked.

The woman's bodice buttons are a thread pulled from a white linen foundation edge ~ a little trick Bev Conway taught us in a class years ago.

The background has been the challenge and cannot believe it looks as well in the photo because in person it looks like...uh.. poop, lol.  I'm using some nice leftover worms from wool no longer in my stash, cutting wool from an extremely well worn Pendleton wool shirt (foreground) and other undesirable wool I wouldn't use in a rug for the floor.  But hey, it isn't going on the floor.  Here's a photo of some wool which is being used.

So my next hurdle, when I get there, will be choosing the leaf and ground colors.  Not only that but there is quite a good chance I'll run out of my 'make do' sky wool which will upset the applecart, so to speak.  But as the old staying goes...I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

There were other folks who said they'd join in but as hopeful as I was to have more participants in this hook-along it seems to be just a duo ~ me and Kimm and she said she'll post a photo of hers tomorrow on her blog.  So it might be a cold day when I host another and will wait to see if someone else wants to carry the torch.  Hmm, I'm laughing here because it IS COLD outside but I'm NOT hosting another.

This evening I may or may not hook more on this.  But tomorrow it will be nice to revisit the 'forever floral'.  This was a nice break tho.

OH!!!!  Has anyone watched The Traitors on Peacock?  OMG, I binge watched it while hooking this and perhaps that's why it took me so long to accomplish anything.  It  was a very intriguing reality game show which had me on the edge of my seat.  Hope there is a next season of the show.

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

MY PAST CAPE MAY RUGS

This is the second week of classes for Rugs By The Sea rug camp which I'm not attending this year.  In a previous post I showed rugs hooked with various teachers ending with the year 2011.  If you missed the post or want to revisit, you can see those rugs HERE.  

Now will continue with the rug hooked in 2012 with Bev Conway.  I'd wanted to hook this pattern for a while and was happy to finally have it on a frame with wonderful Bev Conway as the teacher.  The pattern name is Wee Folk, a design by Vermont Folk Art Rugs.

In 2013 I took a class with Diane Stoffel and hooked my departed girl Shadow.  That was a stressful 5 days because I'd dyed enough wool for my girl but her head was drawn larger than real life and ran out of wool.  So we went looking thru other teacher's wool to find something suitable.  Diane is a wonderful teacher and artist for sure.  But was a lesson to me to take fun things to class as rug camps are supposed to be fun.  I love my girl Shadow and see her every day to remind me of her wonderful spirit.  She was hooked in #8. 

My rug design named Ali Katz was hooked in 2014.  Since Ali Strebel was my teacher that seemed like a perfect name for my rug. 

The following year (2015) was fun hooking a design named Nantucket Broom Ride in a class with Kris Miller.  Every time I look at this rug I'm reminded of the wonderful class with Kris and following communications with departed friend Barb Carroll.

Guess you could call me a 'groupie' because the next year 2016 I was in a class with...uh, you guessed, it Kris Miller!  I hooked another Lori Brechlin design called Do Goode, Be Nice.  And used a skeleton key instead of hooking it.

In 2017 I had my first class with Cammie Bruce.  She had a short class on 'primitive' rugs which blew my mind.  Was so glad she had that class as it changed my attitude since there are so many variables which decide primitive. Anyway, I'm getting away from the subject of rugs hooked at Cape May..... My pattern was a design by Bev Conway called On the Loose. 

I feel the need to explain the next rug hooked 2018.  I'd been given a design by a friend designed by Nola Heidbreder called Golden in the Garden.  I wanted to change the dog to my Rottweiler Ben and didn't have an idea on color planning other than the dog.  Before camp  I hooked Ben to have that part out of the way.  It was unfair to Lucille but I knew what colors Ben was and needed help with color planning the rest of the rug.  

BTW my drawing of him was way out of proportion and look forward to having another class with Lucille in the future with a proper primitive rug.

To put my beautiful boy in better perspective here is a profile I drew and hooked him from a photo in #8 and #8.5 later at home.

OMG, 2019 class with Kris Miller was a hoot.  Even more fun and fond memories than years before.  In that class I hooked Oh Glorious Day.  If you'd like to get all the behind the scenes about that class you can find it HERE.

Rug Camp was cancelled 2020 due to Covid but I hooked 17 rugs and mats that year.  Won't bore you with those photos here but if you followed me you would have seen them.

Last year, 2021, I was in Bev Conway's class where I hooked Stacked Birds, a Margaret Shaw design.

Wherever you are hope all your loops are perfect.  Happy Hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

My CAPE MAY HOOKED RUGS

Since I'm not attending Cape May this week or next week thought I'd show you rugs hooked in classes with various teachers at that venue.  Actually my very first rug camp was April 2003 in Ocean City, MD but this blog post is about rugs hooked at Rugs By The Sea.

In 2003 and my first year at Cape May was with teacher Patsy Becker when I hooked Eat Crow, a design by Anne Hallett.  My last name was different then thus the SS initials.

While at that camp and soaking up anything rug related noticed the class being taught by Bev Conway beside me.  In 2004 she was my teacher and hooked her design Pineapples and Flowers.

I'm drawing a blank on what rug was hooked 2005 at Cape May or which teacher I had.   So will show you rugs which bring no memory of teacher, only hooking at home.  Yet I know for a fact I was there.   Fluted Basket is a design by Karen Kahle and was a free pattern insert in a RHM.

Another Karen Kahle pattern hooked that year was Stop and Smell the Roses.

Tonya Robey was the designer of this whimsical lion hooked that year also.  It was a kit and came with Tonya's overdyed wool.

Anyway..... 2006 in a class with Bev Conway I hooked her Rufus the Lion.

In a Lucille Festa class 2007 my project was 1847 Turkey from the Needl'love booklet.  Notice just the initial "S" appears as the signage.  That is because I was in limbo, going thru a divorce and hadn't received court documents to take back the last name of my deceased husband.  OH, perhaps that is why I don't recall which rug or which teacher I had in 2005 ~ that was the year with lots of turmoil, health scare due to stress and life decisions to make.  So there was no room in my brain to store happy memories.

Cape May 2008  I asked permission from Brenda Gervais to hook her Herb Angel needle punch design.  She granted it so printed her email permission and took it with me to camp.

The following year (2009) it was yet another class with Bev Conway and  hooked her pattern Speckled Hens.  The original design had the chickens sitting on one huge egg but I wanted them sitting on straw.

Although a poor copy, below is what the original design was supposed to look like.  Naturally I had to change it.

2010 was my first class with Kris Miller and I drew this antique adaptation of a Stag.  If I were to do it over again (which I won't)  there would be less background and would draw the motifs a little closer together.

The following year in another class with Kris at Cape May I hooked Barb Carroll's July Cabin.  The pattern is in one of Barb's books and I drew leaves where the original design had small flags.  Also changed the direction of the smoke so the design wouldn't be as tall.

There are still a few years' rugs from Cape May to show but will save them for next time when there is the second week of classes at Rugs By the Sea camp.

In other news......see that black slithery thing on my front porch?  It was time to ride the bike and get the mail but I wanted to watch the black snake.   Sadly the camera was on the wrong setting and didn't realize it until just now so it doesn't show up well.

Anyway it slithered down to the ground at that point then went to the garage to get the bike.  The garage door went up so far and stopped so figured a leaf had blown in from outside.  Nope, it was the snake who was slithering in.  It saw me and quickly hid under the shelving.  When I returned with mail it wasn't where I'd seen it last and who knows where it is now.

Thunderstorms came thru last night but is nice and sunny today.  Hot but not as humid.  And it's mail time again.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlanjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Get'n Ready

That's right, I'm getting ready because I don't want to cut it too close, after all there's only 21 days and a wake up before Cape May.  I'm sure my friend Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) is laughing her butt off and will hear from her as soon as she reads this.

So I've pulled some wool for the Cape May project with Bev Conway but am sure I don't have the right values or color for the many circles and values in the rug.

This is the rug pattern I fell in love with while perusing my old Cape May photos.  This beauty was hooked by Polly Reinhart and think it was more her color selection than the design which I loved.  So will need to buy more subdued colors for sure.

And.... since I don't want to go thru withdrawal again have drawn a pattern and some wool 'ready to go' when a new pattern is needed on my frame.  

Later today I just might draw a small something else  too, just to have a back-up. 😁

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com