WHAT WOULD SHE THINK NOW?

Over a century after her death, what would Harriet Powers think of her quilt block images appearing on US postage stamps?  By now you may have already read Lauren's (Rugs and Pugs) post to see the stamps.  I plan to purchase some next time I'm out and about.

In 2014 hooker friend Evelyn Lawrence was scheduled to teach a class at Sauder and the subject was to hook an adaptation of one of Harriet Powers quilt blocks or Granny Donaldson's cow Blankets.  I didn't attend Sauder but decided to challenge myself and hooked a small mat from one of Harriet Powers quilts at home.  Below is the finished piece.

So you  don't have revert back to Lauren's blog post to see the stamps, here it is for your convenience.

There are a few booklets out about both Harriet Powers and Granny Donaldson.  If you would like to read a brief synopsis about Harriet and follow along on my hooking journey click HERE.  

The hooked piece was given to Evelyn and she took it to Sauder for her class as someone's modern adaptation of a Harriet Powers quilt block.  It was fun to hook and understand the Betts 500 mile travel is true.  

Happy hooking everyone.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/woodlandjunctionhookedrugs 

Rugs in Review 2014

My but how time flies and will soon have to remember to write 2015 on checks instead of 2014.  Another year older and hard to believe almost 8 years has passed since the divorce.

Something that I like to do now is look back at the rugs I've hooked over the last year.  A few years ago I started keeping a list of the rugs completed during the year as it is fun to reflect back on them and memories associated with the time hooking. 

The first one finished in 2014 was an adaptation of a Harriet Powers quilt block which I named 500 Mile Betts.  I gifted it to my dear friend Evelyn Lawrence since she admired it so much and knew it would have a good home with her.

Next was Magdalena's Lollipop Bouquet and must say this one was on top of the list as one of the most fun.  It was fun trying to replicate Magdalena's colors while using up a lot of my left overs and with some cut wool for consistency in the neutral background and base.

Then was the project which wins 'greatest accomplishment' of several years of hooking..... that would be the completion of the damn Granny Geometric which had been started about 10 years earlier.  I'd pull it out, hook one block and back in the tote it would go for another year or 5.  Happy to say it is done and bound ~ again using up a lot of left over strips.

The Chicken Challenge was offered by Woolwrights Hooking Guild  and I jumped on the chance to get a free antique adaptation pattern.  This too was fun to make mine different from the original and have blotchy background.

When perusing Pinterest I found a wonderful rug hanging on the wall in a cabin.  I knew it appeared to have the age of a copywrite free rug but didn't know who owned it.  And some of the images were hard to decipher so guessed they were birds on the sides.  Once I learned who  owned the rug I wrote for permission to hook it, sell the patterns and received permission.  I named the pattern The Cat's Meow because as I had over dyed wool to give an aged look and as the rug came to be it was THE Cat's meow.

Next was Magdalena's Farm; building up quite number of Magdalena's rugs.  Soon I'll have as many as Evelyn Lawrence who did all the research and who has hooked all her rugs.

Then I wanted to have another antique adaptation pattern to offer for sale so hooked Pot of Flowers.  A picture with a flash and one without.  Makes a huge difference in the way they appear on the monitor.

After that I had two commission pieces to do which were rather large.  I listed them as something I hooked but they weren't mine to keep and received payment for my work.  The names of the patterns and client will remain anonomoyous.

Lucky to win a Duluth Pumpkin kit from generous Maria Barton of Star Rug company I hooked this next; thank you very much Maria.  Love those button eyes that came with.

Okay, so then wishing I owned some of those antique Jack-O-Lanterns I knew growing up, decided I needed to design my own Fall/Halloween pattern and came up with "Mache' Jack-O-Lanterns"

Always needing something else to have on my frame chose to hook Magdalena's Folk Art horse next.  Yup, those Magdalena rugs are mounting up here Evelyn.

OOPS, while going thru my photos realized I hadn't put Ali Katz on my 2014 list (it's there now tho).  Guess that is because still some defining lines need to put in around parts of some of the cats.  But it was hooked and bound in this year.  I have already sold one pattern and can't wait to see she chose to hook it and hope to get a picture.  I understand it won't be worked on until next spring/summer but am still looking forward to it.

Last year just before Christmas I saw what Maria was working on and that little Jolly drove me crazy.  Just had to have him so purchased it from Star Rug Company.  Yeah, did a change or two to make him my boy Jolly.  I love him Maria and he is sitting on my sofa table right now.

And recently last loops were pulled on Magdalena's Olde Ducks.  Even tho it hasn't been bound yet still consider it hooked in 2014.  Perhaps during the start up of 2015 and during the slow time of this remaining holiday the binding will get done.

EEK, I forgot to mention my 'detour' project of hooking arm chair covers for my computer chair.  It wasn't a big project but was hooking nonetheless.

Now all that remains of my hooking in 2014 is Cherries and Candy Stripe which I will show you tomorrow with a bit more of an update.

Have a great evening everyone and may all your loops be perfect.

Saundra

500 Mile Betts Update

Happily I've been busy drawing patterns or there would have been more hooked on the Betts piece.  My plans were to hook the ducks before showing a photo but didn't happen.

So far I'm pleased but must admit being anxious about the values since throwing caution to the wind and hooking my motifs first.  Usually I know sorta what I want in my rug and pick the background color first.  Normally it is primitive black, my favorite background.   But since Harriet Powers (the woman who made this quilt in the 1800's) was black and that is how I wanted my people to be, primitive black background would not have worked. 

Oh my, and I also had a vision of what the man and woman of the house would have worn back then..... he in his farm clothes and she in what she made.  So now I've got both dark and light in my motifs...DUH, so what is the background going to be????  Your guess was/is as good as mine. 

My plans were to make it primitive and have embraced the idea that my color choices would indicate that motifs and Betts the pig would have faded out over the years.

Oh, scroll back up.  There is a story about the clock.  In the original quilt piece it was a pendulum clock which I changed.  Where the log cabin is was where pendulum clock was.   So........ if you want to see what happened before, then visit my previous posts so you can catch up.

Have a great evening everyone; and Lauren I hope you are relaxed, had fun and ready to tackle work tomorrow.  Hopefully there's no more snow so the transition is easy.

Saundra

Meanings of Symbols in Harriet's Quilt Piece

In a previous post I introduced you to Harriet and gave a little history of her.  Also mentioned that Betts the hog walked 500 miles from Georgia to Virginia.  There is more to the story behind this quilt piece from which I chose a few motifs.  If you look carefully in the middle just below the star bursts, you will see a pendulum clock. 

According to information provided by Harriet this is the meaning: 

• Rich people who were taught nothing of God. Bob Johnson and Kate Bell of Virginia. They told their parents to stop the clock at one and tomorrow it would strike one and so it did. This was the signal that they had entered everlasting punishment. The independent hog which ran 500 miles from Georgia to Virginia, her name was Betts." (this information was gathered on the web site of Museum of Fine Art, Boston).  If you wish to read more about Harriet Powers and her quilts check it out.

For my adaptation I chose to draw a modern day clock closing in on the 1 o'clock hour and put a home in the center instead.  I also picked a chicken and 2 duck motifs from her other quilt to add to the farm homestead scene.

And I have indeed painted myself into a corner.  Actually, it looks better in this picture on the monitor instead of up close and personal.  At first I thought it was going to be 500 Mile Betts as my only source of color value frustration.  But nope, the light colors of the people's shirts and the woman's grey hair is also a problem to me.  Since I was considering pulling out the blue/tan texture from around Betts thought that I'd try a very light wool (like the man's shirt) on top of Betts' snout.  It is the same color as the natural linen foundation so is probably hard to notice. 

Can you imagine a pit walking 500 miles?  I wonder how long it took and .... also wonder if she was sold and then walked back to her old home.  I sure wish Harriet was still alive so I could ask those questions. 

Perhaps it is time to put 500 Mile Betts aside, take a breather from the piece and will pull loops on the background of my Santa and Deer tonight.  At least I know what I'm doing with that one and bet it will be a more speedy result for my efforts.  I was going to pull some loops on a heart but think the Santa and Deer idea is a better one for tonight.

Have a great evening everyone.  It was a rather mild day today which made the snow disappear but this nice mild temperature is short lived.  I'll take it whenever and no matter how short it happens.

Saundra

More of Harriet Powers Hooked Adaptation

This is as far as I've gotten with my adaptation of a quilt section made by Harriet Powers.  For the border I've chosen a dark row and was considering having no border but rather all background.....then changed my mind and decided to frame it .

In this piece my main focus has been on Betts, the hog who travelled 500 miles from Georgia to Virginia (according to Powers' recorded descriptions).  And I've chosen to shorten the nose on Betts from the original quilt block.

This is the original quilt block and you can see I tried to shorten the hogs nose a little but still wanted to keep it naive and primitive.

Normally I choose my background color first, which makes it easier to find suitable wool colors for the motifs.  Sadly this time I decided to hook the motifs the way I envisioned them and to heck with background.  Well now it seems I've painted myself into a corner.

 

My intentions are to put a row or two of different values around the motifs and ease a neutral background.  Well, to do a background sorta like the one I did in Big Dog Hollow (shown below).  You might remember that  Kathy (Briarwood Folk Art) and I traded patterns; I chose this one of hers and she picked my Frost Sheep w/Birds and Flowers rug which she is presently hooking.  Hmmmm, she called it something else.  Anyway, she is doing a magnificent job hooking it and I like her rendition better than mine.

Hope you are staying inside and warm.  It is frigid here in Delaware and it is very uncomfortable walking a dog in these temperatures.  Sure wish I could litter box train my Rottweiler Ben.

 

Happy Saturday.

 

Saundra

Wee More than A Peek

Finally I was able to pull a few loops on my new project to give you a little something to view, so this is more than the peek you saw before.  As previously mentioned this is an adaptation taken from one of Harriet Powers' quilts.

I've chosen to pick and choose elements from Harriet's Pictorial Quilt which most endear me into one smallish pattern.  Should I have chosen a block and hooked it exactly as she quilted it?  Some might but not me, sorry, as I wanted to capture those elements which most endeared me.

Here is the particular quilt square I chose and you can see the difference.  So tomorrow I'll give you an update on my hooking and what things means.

In looking at my hooking and Harriet's quilt piece think I should have made the curve at the belly much different than I did.  AND, you know me as someone who will pull out loops in a heartbeat..... I might just do that.

Try and keep warm guys and gals, it's mighty frigid out there.  Right now at 7 p.m. in Seaford, DE it is 7 degrees and dropping.  But thank goodness I've heat.  Have a great evening and try to stay warm.

Saundra

New Project, a Harriet Powers Adaptation

First, let me introduce you to Harriet Powers.  She was born into slavery near Athens, Georgia on October 29, 1837.  This picture of her was taken in 1901.  Notice her fancy apron with applique symbols.

(Harriet Powers 1837 - 1910) 

 

One of her first quilts (Bible Quilt shown below) was recorded as being at a Cotton Fair in 1886. 

The only other picture of a quilt I've been able to find is this one from which I'll do my adaptation.  It has been referred to as Pictorial Quilt and was reportedly commissioned and made between 1895-98.  This quilt measures 68 7/8" x 105".  According to what I've read she did make more quilts but they may be in private collections.

 Okay kiddies.  Here is a teaser as I've not been able to hook much on it and want to keep the design a secret just a little longer until I've more to show.  Since I finally got my shipment out just after noon today when the snow started wasn't able to start my project until recently.  Then walk Ben, then get on the computer. 

 

 Who knows when I'll be able to post another update as I truly believe I will lose power sometime tonight or tomorrow with this blizzard.  Right now it is just snowing without the white out drifts.  Last I heard around noon was that we will get 6" - 10".  When I'm done here will listen to the weather and get the latest.  I've got my candles, batteries, water in the tub to fill up toilets ready.  So what will be will be.  Meanwhile I plan to hook til the power goes out.

Hunker down you guys, stay warm and stay safe.

Saundra

Something Old Something New

Actually I'll start with what will be the something new project just as soon as this commission piece is hooked and shipped (hopefully Monday).   I've already designed my rug but will debut it when I get a little more hooked on it after Monday as responsibilities come first.  However, my piece is adapted from an antique rug made by Harriet Powers.  So Far I've only been able to locate 2 quilts made by her.  This one is known as the Bible Quilt and was said to be made by her in 1886.  I'll provide more information on this talented woman when I post a picture of my rug.

Another quilt made by Harriet Powers is this one below.  Hope I've piqued your interest but bear with me while I finish the commission.

Now onto the something old.  Nope, haven't accomplished much on this one either and this is what the rug looks like now. The binding part can wait but want to get the hooking finished so that I can work on the Harriet project.

As you can see from the picture above, the Santa and Deer adaptation measures 23 x 25 1/2; it is hooked mostly in #8.5 strips but for the border was using #9.  Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra