Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda....

Haven't we all been there before where we second guessed ourselves? UH, yeah!!  Well that is what I'm feeling on my rug right now.  Don't get me wrong, I'm happy, but wondering how I could make it better and what I should have done.  This is what the rug looks like now. 

In looking at the photo above I wonder why I didn't put a mouse under the belly of the blue cat... or a yellow dot?   Or maybe I'll end up pulling loops and hooking a circle of a color in a few extra places.

So now it is time to figure out a border treatment.  The area this rug is meant for needed a width larger than the silk painting I did in 1998 so now have to figure out the border for the ends.  OY!

I thought of blocks of color and the beading all around the border.  But am afraid those blocks of color will take away from the beautiful cats inside since they would be so structured.   

So, I've other thoughts rambling inside my grey matter and will practice here and see what I come up with. 

In all honesty it is hard to believe that I'm still hooking a rug so far out of my box.  I believe a lot of that has to do with the inspiration from my teacher at Cape May (first week) Ali Strebel.  Ali, if you're reading this I had a blast and would take a class with you again.  OH!! And I'd want to do the Sampler again the first day too!

Check back to see what damage or progress I've made in my next post.  AND, PLEASE be kind to one another.  Kindness really does go a long way and multiplies. 

Saundra

My Cape May Rug

I so much thought of waiting to post an updated picture of my rug which is still in progress.  I've given it several names; before Cape May it was called "Ali Katz" since my teacher was going to be Ali Strebel.  Then it was called a couple different names and not sure what the final name will be when I make it into a pattern....... 

But, since it is so much fun hooking thought I'd show an update now.  In all honesty, as this is way out of my normal hooking style I'm surprised it is still so much fun.  The border has been figured out in my mind but not executed yet.

Ben is needing to visit the meadow and sniff who has been there before him so will see ya later gator.

Saundra

I Know You've Been Waiting For It.....

.....for a picture of my Cape May rug project.  Well here it is.  Yes, this is a far cry different than the primitive and antique adaptations usually on my frame.  Frankly, I'm enjoying working on it and can't wait for it to be finished and be the companion piece to the silk painting I did in Mexico in 1998.   

Ali and I discussed a border with it being wider on the ends.  The place this rug is going to reside could only be 24" tall but I wanted it wider from left to right.  There are a couple things we discussed for that treatment and just need to decide which one suits me for those ends. 

BUT the border suggestion that I love, and a suggestion by Ali, is to do beading all the way around the entire rug using a hit and miss of all the colors in the rug with the one constant be the navy colored wool.  I LOVE that concept!!!!!  You can see at the bottom I just had to pull a few loops to see it in progress.

Here is a picture of sweet Ali and me.  Surely you can see me whispering "cheese" to myself.  I never figured out how actresses on the red carpet look so elegant 'in the moment and natural' when being photographed.  I'm like a fish out of water when the camera is in front of me.

That being said, remember me mentioning those Ohio gals and their antics?  I figure you were looking forward to seeing pictures of them too.  Well talk about random natural photos, ....let me set the scene (those girls were so bad!)  

It was Thursday, just had lunch and for SURE I wanted pictures of us who had so much fun for so many days since we were leaving the next day.  So just before my pal took the photo I mentioned I'd put a lot of red onions on my salad.  OMG, then the gals decided to squeeze their noses like I smelled like rotten onions.

Then someone said, "Let's stare at her".



 And it went downhill after that.  From left to right it is Deb (my roomie's name happens to also be Deb but not this one), then me, Katie, and Sue.  Oh what a trio of gals it is from Ohio.  

 

This is an evening shot when I visited the gals on the cottage porch where they were enjoying the music (as my roomie and I were).  I got a picture of Deb and Katie and asked where Sue was.  They said she was in bed, that I could take a picture of her as she slept but that it wasn't a pretty sight.  Oh but I WISH I'd taken a picture to blackmail her for all the trouble she stirred up.  Okay, it would just be fun to hang that picture over her head and tease her.

Katie, Deb and Sue, if you read this blog I sure hope our paths cross some day as you were a hoot to meet and get to know. 

Have a great evening everyone, and thanks for allowing me to re-live the Cape May experience through posting these photos on my blog.

Saundra

My Cape May Project ~ Shadow's Portrait

There really are more rugs from the Cape May show to post on my blog but thought I'd give you a reprieve from that to present the project I started at camp.  That would be my sweet, departed Shadow.  After hooking my two Rotties in #3 in 2006 told my teacher Diane Stoffel that Shadow was going to be hooked in #8.  Well I know now that any kind of realistic hooking isn't fun, even if it is my sweet girl and even if she is being hooked with 1/4" strips.

There was a time at camp that I wasn't sure I'd even continue hooking the rug once I got home as I found it stressful.  It was a self-induced stress as there were certain expectations I'd placed on myself to get the realism and capture the spirit of my girl.  Part of me had wished that I'd taken a primitive rug to hook as it would have been 5 days of pure fun.    I would work on Shadow in class and at night I'd pull out my comforting and forgiving Magdalena Lollipop rug and hook on that for relaxation.

This is what I'd accomplished at rug camp on my girl Shadow, it measures 20 x 24.

And returning home this past Friday I finally put Shadow back on the frame Monday.  I looked at my hooking calmly and critically and replaced a few strips.  The left eye looked okay but on the right it appeared too dark just under the eye so removed that dark wool and used something a tad softer.  Also the right side of the forehead appeared too dark and harsh so replaced that wool.  A few other places here and there I reverse hooked and feel a little better about it.  This is what she looks like now.

I might very well make a few more changes along the way as I hook and will be very glad when it is done and hanging on my wall.

Thanks for dropping by and visiting.

Saundra