A BIT OF GOOD LUCK

I can now see the top of my ice cream parlor table but the clean up in the wool room isn't over yet.  Yesterday my sciatic nerve hurt so badly I couldn't work too long as the pain would shoot down the leg to my ankle when lifting the leg to climb on a footstool and to scale the steps up and down the stairs.  Hmm, that's not good luck, lol.

Have mentioned this before and this post is a perfect example of my thinking a glass half full rather than half empty.   I have bad sciatic nerve  pain but at least can see some progress in my wool room....

Also, on Monday I noticed the hot water heater had leaked water into the pan below ~ yeah, bad luck.  But luckily there was a pan underneath to collect that water.  The  bit of good luck is the warranty was for 6 years and I was just under that, so that saved me over $700!!  

Yes I still had the plumber to pay; did you know here they get $100/hr?  So that cost me $240 for parts and labor.  

Still don't have a pattern drawn for 'the next one' but at least I've been forced to start binding the 1911 Horse.  Guess that isn't such a bad thing to endure when there's no rug to hook...hmm another example of glass half full me thinks.

As I'm composing this post I'm awaiting the plumber (again) because I see droplets of water coming from a pvc pipe fitting above the tank.  Nothing much but want it addressed right away.  Just hoping this isn't the beginning of more shoes to drop ~ guess I just blew the concept that I'm a glass half full gal, lol.

Happy hooking, binding or whatever.

Saundra

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Fessing Up on the Rug on My Frame

Guess it is time to cave to Kim's (Glass Half Full) wishes to show more of what I'm working on.  First is the progress or attempt at making progress.  Glad that I didn't removed that gold block because it looks okay in this photo and in person.

Oh, by the way, this is the wild nest of wool worms I've immersed myself into trying to use as many strips as possible.  This looks rather organized but sometimes the bags fall and worms fall out.  

For a moment I'd thought of posting the antique rug from which this is adapted.  But really want to hook around the corner and more border. Otherwise there won't be many surprises for you.  

IF there are newbies joining my blog and have questions ANYTHING.... please feel free to write me.  Remember that I was ALSO a newbie hooker once ~ wanted to learn but no access to hookers or classes.  So newbies are welcome here...OH, you seasoned rug hookers are also welcome here but think you know that.

Have a great evening and can't believe that Christmas is just a week away.  

Saundra

Monday Madness

Okay, it wasn't really madness but that was a catchy title. Today was hectic and busy.  First thing early this morning was the arrival of the plumber... yeah, think about what they make per hour and it isn't minimum wage either folks.  

Last weak discovered a leak in the master shower running from the shower head at the wall and running down the side and in front of the shower floor.  So for the last several days have been using the guest bath.  Of course I worried the walls would need to be ripped out, new shower installed along with a new floor etc.  WHEW, I feel blessed to have only had a bill of $145 for an hour's work.  Am definitely looking forward to using my shower again.

I know you want me to fast forward to the 'good stuff'  the hooking stuff but.... since it is to rain tomorrow decided to cut grass.  So right after breakfast and with plumber gone I cut my boy Ben's back yard with the push mower....half an hour.  Then after lunch got on the riding mower and cut the rest of the major part of the yard with the riding mower for an hour.  Mama is still hot and tired.

So now to the GOOD stuff.  Had really hoped to make the transition from grandson's sports rug to the Ned design a day or so ago but that didn't happen.  And, won't pull loops on it tonight either because I'm just too tired.

However, I did look at some wool and will sleep on where I will go tomorrow.  

Think I'll hook the butterfly first and then the flower.  As I always prefer to look in my worm bags first, came up with the two bundles you see hugging one another.  My thought was to have the lighter multicolored stripe grey as the soft center but not sure about the outline yet.

Well of course there must be purple in the rug, it is a vintage design I first saw hooked at Barb Carroll's and where I was first educated of the 'neutral color purple'.  

Now, whether or not this particular purple will be in the rug or another purple not sure yet.  Just looking for a suitable outline for the butterfly.

The wool worms above hooks up rather like a soft paisley and is a piece of wool (I think) came from Dorr.  It has gold, teal, red/orange.  Might be nice to blend with other colors BUT do I need poison?

 The wool above might be too bold and at odds with the horse color.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.  

So then I saw a piece of wool with green, blue and red.  And who knows if that soft grey dainty stripe wool will end up being the soft center of the butterfly.  You all know how I make a right hand turn without a signal at any given moment.  Kim of Glass Half Full knows me as the Queen of Tweak.

Since I'm a tired will look at these options and others with fresh eyes tomorrow over coffee and after a nice refreshing shower in the master bath.  I am the MASTER of my DOMAIN.  Hmm, or maybe it is my boy Ben who is the master of this place.  

Please be kind to one another.  I believe that kindness and a smile can be contagious.  

Saundra

A Mell of a Hess.

For a while I had a good track record for cleaning up after finishing a rug, putting all the uncut wool back on the shelf and separating out the woolie worms before starting another rug.  HA!  That record got squashed fast today. 

And look this mess.  I've pulled out some colors that will go in a dye pot with khaki or something to age it.  Don't want white in an antique adaptation when I love that yellowed dirty aged look.

And there's more mess around the corner to the left looking for the proper brown.

And Kim, you're right not to believe what I say about any next project. Seems my last comment was.....no new pattern was being drawn because it would be something from my stash of 29 patterns. Apparently I lied.

Today I did get a pattern drawn and the wool you see is the once very popular Dorr #44 green/primitive black wool.  I just might put it in a pot with some black dye along with a few other pieces of primitive dark. OR, marry some primitive darks.  Hmm, that makes more sense.  I want the green but blotches of black.  UH, this won't happen tonight kiddies but will post my results when I do.

Well tonight it is going to be my grandson's rug to work a little more.   After-all there is only 6 months until that "C" word that Lauren doesn't like to read on my blog.  Yet she does such a great job decorating for the season.

Have a great evening everyone.  Glad the grass got cut yesterday because there are gale force winds and I'd have had dry dust and grass blowing every direction.

Saundra

Preparing to Start

There's still a little more hooking to do on the cat mat but as soon as it is done would like to start on my grandson's Favorite Teams rug. You're seeing lots of lines around the perimeter of the design.  That is because I know for sure that I'll not be making changes to the border or size of rug.  

I don't do this style each and every time before starting to hook a rug, only to the ones I'm sure size and design are set in stone.  And that task is a lot easier to manipulate a rug in a sewing machine when it doesn't have the weight and bulk of it being hooked.   

So I machine stitched two rows of straight stitching 1" away from the border line and then joined them together with one row of zig zag.

So now you also see another drawn line just inside that and 1/4" from the border's edge.  That is the sewing guide line for me to attach the binding fabric.

Wanted to clarify tho, that I do always, always, prepare the edge of my foundation before binding.   Never do I leave a raw loose edge on my foundation even if it is covered with binding tape or rolled and whipped edge.  That unstitched edge is still moving with each pick up of the hands and making it vulnerable to teasing.

As I'm cleaning out and donating my fabrics thought this black and white checkered fabric would be perfect for the binding of the rug/wall hanging.  It is plenty wide enough for me to sew on a sleeve for a dowel to be inserted for it to go on the wall.  Or, no dowel if it goes on the floor.

Have a great evening.  And pay a visit to our old friend who has a new face.... that would be our Kim (previously of Millie's Mats) but now is a Glass Half Full.  Go pay a visit and be a follower.

Saundra