THIS and THAT

Hope you've enjoyed the days of rug shows and 'throw down' photos of rugs on the lawn.  I'm still working on my camp rug concentrating on the border now, should have an update soon.  

After returning home (btw it was wonderful to sleep in my own bed), the reality of how many rugs I have hooked really hit me.  So have decided to do something about it by hanging more rugs on the walls.  I removed framed artwork, photos and documents about my wonderful Step-father Edward C. Patterson and will relocate those in the office.  

So now when I walk out of this room (computer room) this is what I will see.  Sorry, not good lighting or could be the angle.  On the left is Lollipop Bouquet and recently hooked is Rooster, Duck and Horse both designed by Magdalena. 

Another photo on the Magdalena hallway is a better picture of the two rugs facing me when walking out.  At the end of the next hallway is Great Granddaughter's Rug only partially in view.

And a photo from an adjoining room showing the Great Granddaughter's Rug in full view but at an angle as well as Magdalena's Dog and Crows.  

The room I'm in is what I refer to now as 'the computer room'.  But it was originally the work out room before becoming an ex.  After the ex left I turned it into a rug hooking room so I could host hook-ins with friends.  His military and skydiving wall hangings went with him and I put rugs on the wall to claim my space.

Another wall with cherished rugs hooked at camps and some home hooked pieces which I'm proud of.

On another wall is Radiant Flower and Herbs. 

My beloved Shadow Memorial is in here too, she is hooked in #8.

I've plans to find a location for other rolled up rugs and enjoy them in full view.  After all, lots of money spent on wool, foundation and other supplies we may as well enjoy our passion and personal works of art in full view.  

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Easter Sunday

Easter Blessing to all of you and hope you found a basketful of eggs or chocolate bunnies.  It is always the ears which are bitten first on chocolate bunnies.

Weather was nice here and green weeds have grown fast with all the sun and warmer temps so today I cut Ben's backyard.  And mulched the leaves of areas which had no grass yet.

Worked a little more on Harvey's Magdalena today after chores.  Forgot to mention the dimensions of this and I owe that to my gal pal Lauren who always (usually) reminds me to post the size.  Surprisingly she didn't remind me this time; hope she isn't angry because I mention her name...luv ya Lauren.  Here is Harvey's Magdalena.  To see a better picture without all the wiggly background just click on the picture to enlarge it and you'll see a more clear picture.

This one I drew to be 18 x 27 and it will be a wall hanging.  I'm having lots of fun working on it and have temporarily put my son's rug aside.

As soon as I do the complete outline of the crow I'll start to hook the background and outer edges of the rug.  Magdalena designs are a joy to hook on many levels:  it is primitive and antique; you can use a lot of worms for the rag rug style rug; all the while giving you pleasure in doing hand work to give a personal gift to someone or to enhance the beauty of your home.

Enjoy the rest of your Easter Sunday and warmer weather.

Saundra

Gotta Pick Up the Pace

Good grief, I've another rug camp and leaving here one month from today and will start a new rug.  Right now my plans are to do Olde Ducks which is a design by Magdalena Briner.  It is all drawn but no wool pulled yet.  Mama's gonna get back to her roots.

However..... as you know I've got the Katz in progress and really WANT that one done and out of the way before I leave.  I'm hoping I can accomplish that feat AND have it bound would be incredible.

Meanwhile, this cutie is unfinished ~ it is Folk Art Horse, a design by Magdalena Briner and the small size pattern offered by Woolley Fox.  So if the Katz are done this will go with me to work on the night before class starts and while I wait for Betsy to get to me.  This picture is taken with a flash inside.

This photo is taken in evening light on the back deck without a flash.

Well guys and gals, time for me to finally do some hooking on that pink/orange cat.  Today I did start with the quilled eyes but that is as much as was accomplished. 

Have a great evening and hope you enjoyed the same mild temps today as I did in Delaware.

Saundra

Making Rug Labels

Jackie, a loyal follower of mine suggested I do a tutorial on making rug labels.  But before I get to that wanted to let Jackie know that I tried to respond to your message but you ARE one of those unfortunate people who has that dreaded "no-reply" blogger.  To learn how to correct it so you don't miss any giveaways or personal help when asking for it, do a google search or scroll thru my old posts to see how to correct it.  It is easy to do.

Anyway, there are a couple ways to make rug labels and I've done it two ways now.  The first way was to cut freezer paper 8 1/2 x 11 to and a piece of muslin ripped on the straight of grain across and down to fit that sheet of paper. 

If you want the muslin a little tea stained I'd do that to a larger piece to allow for shrinkage and then rip/cut to fit the freezer paper.  Then you iron the slippery side of the freezer paper to the fabric using a hot dry iron. 

The label for the the McCue Eagle was done using the technique described above.  Since I was planning to hook several of Magdalena Briner's designs wanted to provide adequate information on the back so did a form and hand wrote the information in after each was hooked.  As you can see below it isn't as nice since the ink pen ran and the writing isn't as structured as the print.

If you look at the label above closely you will see that I also indicated the original size of Magdalena's Eagle and the size of mine.  Wanted to show the year the original is to have been hooked as well as the year I hooked mine.  Since all that information was available to me, thanks to the long and tedius research of my friend Evelyn Lawrence, I felt it should be on my label.

So now the more current rug labels I've done; you saw one on the back of The Cat's Meow in a recent post.  Here is a label I just attached to the back of a previously hooked Henny Penny design by Woolley Fox. Notice that mild green in the background ?  The name of it is Irish Eyes and was purchased from Betsy.  I LOVE that wool and am using it in the Pot of Flowers that I'm presently working on (flower buds, leaf, thin row around flowers) and it was used in the duck on Magdalena's Farm rug.  It is a 'must have' wool in my estimation.  Not sure if she has any left but if not and it is ever re-milled, make sure you get some.  Now she'll shiver if she doesn't have any in stock and she gets e-mails. 

This is the product I used to make these last labels.

I

I purchased this at Hancock Fabrics but am sure other fabric or craft stores would have a similar product.  This is NOT a shiny or rubbery product but a muslin and just what you want.

So this is what I do to design the information on my piece of paper:

~OPEN a new document in Windows Word
~ make MARGINS the narrowest so there's more room for the labels.
~INSERT "Table" and I used two across and 4 down per sheet of paper.
~TYPE your information using the font you desire and info you desire
~COPY and PASTE a picture of your choosing.

I will fill out one square with information and then copy and paste the info into the other 7 blocks.  If the 8 labels runs over onto a second page then I know that I've to reduce the font size or reduce the size of the picture (if there is one).  And, sadly am normally behind in labeling my rugs so that I know the name and information for all 8 rugs.  That way I use up the whole sheet and don't waste the product.

Oh, and I save that into a document so that when I'm ready to label the next 8 rugs all I have to do is change the name and the information.  Also be sure to leave adequate space above and below each label for cutting and stitching.

What you will need to do is test to see which side the fabric enters the printer.  You will notice that I made a note and wrote it on the package so next time I know to place the fabric side down so the printing is on the proper side and doesn't gunk up my printer.  It was much better using this product than ironing on the freezer paper to cotton.  But that was a cheaper way to go.

After printing out the fabric I waited for it to dry and just for safety sake I took a plain sheet of paper and placed it against the printed side of the fabric and ironed it with a hot dry iron.  Since I wanted to stain the fabric I wanted to be sure the ink wouldn't run.  Thankfully something worked because it didn't run when I dipped the labels in coffee.  Now, I DID cut my labels while they were attached to the paper to make it easier and make for a straighter cut. 

Hopefully I've explained everything well enough for you.  And feel free to write me with questions but just remember, if you are a NO-REPLY blogger you'll never receive my e-mail.

Have a great evening everyone.  And please be kind to one another; as the old saying goes.... "you can catch more flies with sugar...."  Besides, it makes me happier to be nice.

Saundra

 

It's Baaack.......

Yup, the Lollipop Bouquet is back ~ not done, but back.  This picture was taken out on my deck in natural light and without a flash.  Never know which presents a better photo so take both when I can. 

This picture was taken inside with a flash.

So you are wondering which picture is really what it looks like with your eye?  All I can tell you is that the backing is on Dorr Natural Primitive Linen and not burlap.  So the real colors are probably somewhere between the two.

As mentioned before, this has been a fantastic project for using up all those wool strips left over from various projects.  Domestic Zoo would be another great Magdalena design to use up even more wool strips and wish I hadn't been so anal when I hooked it.  That was my very first Magdalena rug and wonder how differently it would have looked if I used left overs.  In case you're wondering...... nope, not gonna hook it for a second time.

Hope you enjoyed your extra day off on this Labor Day.

Saundra