PLANNING AHEAD

While I'm presently still tolerating hooking the floral, I'm thinking ahead  to the next project.  This year is America's 250th Birthday and want to hook a rug commemorating that event.  Perhaps one of the following will entice you to hook your own Semi-quincentennial rug.

The 13 star eagle rug below was hooked in the 1800's.

Someone hooked the rug below to celebrate the Centennial birthday of America, but adding 8 more letters to say "Semi Quincentennial" would make for a larger rug, if this is your choice.

Not long ago the God Bless America rug is what I'd planned to hook, but not sure now as I'm looking thru my patriotic rug photos.

I have already hooked two of the three sections of this design below, so the crossed flags in the heart would be the next to hook one day.

A 13 star rug hooked in the 1800's shown below.

This heavenly Eagle is one I recently found.

I've long admired the following patriotic rug, but haven't hooked it yet.

And this Eagle rug below is gaining popularity with me.  

Believe it or not, the next two colorful rugs are antique; the eagle is said to have been hooked 1865 by the auction house.  Whew, those bright colors hurt my eyes.

This one has a hooked date of 1933.

For those of you who draw your own rugs, perhaps one of these strike your fancy.  If not, Polly Minick, Cathy Stephan and Maria Barton have some great patriotic rugs.

Don't know which I'll choose or even if the patriotic rug will begin immediately after the Shelburne Bouquet is done.  Do I want to start it this early or wait until maybe May to be closer to July 4th?  But first must finish the floral.

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/woodlandjunctionhookedrugs

Happy Halloween

Don't have a lot of Halloween decorations out this year but will show you what is.  First is my favorite Halloween rug Nantucket Broom Ride designed by Lori Brechlin and sold by Spruce Ridge Studios.  It was fun to hook in Kris' class and I enjoy it each year.

I used to make dolls but stopped doing that about 10 years ago.  Here is a witch with a hooked face I made.  Also made the paper mache' pumpkin as well.  Prices too high for a vintage pumpkin so made my own.  I don't have wonderful vintage Steiff Cats like Robin (The Cranky Crow) but do have this fun thing I purchased from a JoAnne Fabrics years ago ~ think it was JoAnne.

A pattern by Lucille Festa named Hobo Joe.  It was meant to be a cut out door people pattern but I chose to make it into a mat.  

A better view of Lucille's pattern is below.  

Since I have your attention I may as well show you other Halloween themed rugs  and  other things I've hooked over the years.  My design is "mache' Jacks" and a better look at my pumpkin.

A design by Kelley Belfast I call A Little Birdie Told Me because her design looks like the bird is whispering into an ear.

Another Lori Brechlin Design named "Do Goode Be Nice" was hooked in another Kris Miller class and she also offers the pattern for sale.

A few years ago I was the lucky recipient of a kit giveaway by Maria Barton from her Star Rug Company's blog.

Below is a Barb Carroll Jack I hooked which was a free pattern insert in the 1997 Sept/Oct issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.

Many years ago I made this applique quilt piece which I've hung on my front door previously to celebrate Halloween.

HESTER is another free design by Lori Brechlin which was in Primitive Quilts and Projects.

I can't forget Jack's Crow which I hooked last year.  A design by Terri Leamer of Winter Cottage Studio.  Think I'd like to hook it again and in better colors. 

Yet another Lori Brechlin pattern Merrie October hooked last year was quick and fun.

A Witch doll I used to make which sold well at shows.  I tried to make each one slightly different.  

And another example.

From a Not Forgotten Farm pattern booklet I hooked the Wytch pulling a pumpkin.

Just found this picture of witches.

Last but not least....Kitty in Candy Corn was a small thing I made which sold well and even tho I could probably sell many this time of year am just not interested in even making easy things any longer.  Am over dollmaking (cat making).

Today I hauled 8 wheelbarrow loads of rocks and here is the sum of two days work of 16 loads.  And there is a lot more for me to haul.  Me thinks these rocks are reproducing faster than my wool worms.  Calling my work outside done for today and will find pleasure hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

 

ELEVEN DAYS INTO THE CHALLENGE (Updated info)

This is day 11 of the alternative textile challenge with 6 people having  completed their Tulip and both people completing Magdalena's Pup.  

Update:  Chris posted a very interesting question to all you participants.  She wondered if you plan to steam your piece.  She's worried since both ribbon and pantyhose are in her piece they may melt or singe.  Chris, I can only speak for myself and I don't have either of those textiles in my piece.  I don't plan to steam, but since it is supposed to look old anyway, mine is on the floor in my kitchen between the sink and where I prepare food.  It will get pressed when standing on it and if anything spills on it oh well.

Cathy of Acorn Hollow has completed her Tattered Tulip and her sentiments were like  mine....happy to have it finished.   She used ribbon, old curtains, skirt lining, vintage bark cloth and vintage lace.  She enlarged hers 10 x 10 and said it was much harder than she thought.

Lauren has accomplished a lot since her last posting.  But me thinks she can't wait for this to be done so she can go back to her wonderful warm wool.  Your colors work well together ~ I especially like that olive green in the background.  Oh, and great colors.

Chris couldn't wait to cut up her old pantyhose and put them in her Tulip rebelling against having to once wear them.  She said the nylons hooked  "as smooth as buttah".

Kimm also accomplished more on her Hearts in Circles design.  She said the pink and tan appeared too bright so she coffee stained it.

Jane sent an update on her Scrappy Cat, said she had just enough of the stripe brown and tan jersey to put some in the head.  A remnant of a rayon paisley skirt was used to outline the cat.  The background is a variety of knits. 

Here is a picture of some of the fabrics Jane spoke of. 

Pam sent me this photo  a day or so ago and I emailed her saying the photo was distracting and to take another.  Explained that with the sun and the shadow of her hand it destroyed the beauty of her work.  But since I've not received another photo thought I'd post it anyway since her hooking and the velvet is wonderful.  

Breaking News, this just in.......

This afternoon Maria Barton asked to join our group and has chosen Magdalena's Pup as her challenge.  She said once while hooking a Horse and Scroll she added some cotton but she'd never hooked an entire piece with alternative textiles and can't wait to do the challenge.  She has, or had, an active BLOG and welcome her to the group.  

Donna, who also has a BLOG  has joined us as well and has chosen the Tattered Tulip.  And, would you believe that Margaret, who has already finished her Magdalena Pup wants to do the Tulip challenge also???  

Wow, am quite surprised by the second wind this challenge has taken.  I'm having a glass of wine so don't hold me to what I'm about to say 😊 but maybe, just maybe I'll do another challenge along with the rest of you and choose my textiles more realistically and more hand friendly.

Tomorrow I'll post something else other than challenge updates to give everyone a break.  But will post something for sure.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Welcome October

October is my very favorite month of the year ~ warm days with cooler evenings and no need for heat or A/C.  Well, except weatherman has said tomorrow will be in the 90s* but can deal with that for the last hurrah of the year.  After tomorrow it will become FALL.

Am excited to change the blog photo from that gaudy neon fuchsia wool to a couple nice pumpkin rug photos.

This one is a Kelley Belfast design I named "A Little Birdie Told Me".  Drew mine out 15 x 24.

One year I was a lucky winner of a kit by Star Rug Company.  Thanks Maria Barton!!!!!  I love it.

Another Kelley Belfast design I recently hooked is one I called Patriotic Pumpkins.  

Am still trying to finish Glazer Antique Hearts and hope that is the next blog post.  Happy October 1st everyone.

Saundra

Recently Retired Lauren

Lauren lives in Ohio and worked for the city.  When it snowed she had to get to work ~ even thru the drifts and hip high snow ~ to handle calls from city folk wanting to know when their street would be plowed.  Oh there's more but it's her story so will leave you with that.

Needless to say I'm sure that gal is doing the 'happy dance' every time she sees a snow flake now.  Anyhoo, onto her rug hooking journey......

Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) likes to say she is a self-taught hooker but that’s not entirely true.  She said about 30 years she took a hooking class ~ and HATED every loop.  She recalls it as a 4 or 6 cut using a push-pin frame.  She finished an area perhaps 4” x 4”.  When the class was over she put all the supplies in a closet, never to pull another loop on it.

Fast forward to 2004 she stumbled upon primitive hooking.  In the meantime, she downsized and probably threw out all the supplies because she tore the attic apart looking for them but never did.   Lauren found a class to take from a wonderful primitive hooker.  Sadly, the class was cancelled; think she was the only one signed up.  

Then Lauren turned to eBay for supplies.  She purchased 8 cut worms since she had no cutter.  As most of us just starting out she had no idea what bad wool was.  And Lauren says, "but let me tell you, I spent a fortune buying bad wool.  I wasn’t hooking, just buying wool."

Lauren continues:  "When I finally got brave enough to start a little mat, I drew up a diamond mat and I chose THE UGLIEST colors, flat red, black and yellow.  I knew they were ugly, not sure why I chose them, but that didn’t stop me."

Above is Lauren's first effort which was hooked 2005 and measures 6 x 9 1/2.  She still has it displayed in her hooking room as reminder to how far she's come.  

Lauren  wrote, "Initially everything I hooked was small.  I mean really small.  In 2006 first time I hooked a mat which was about 12” x 12”, you’d think I’d hooked a room sized rug I was so proud."

This would be that 'room size rug Lauren spoke of.  It is definitely an accomplishment over her first.  Yet her first still looks better than my first.

Lauren said, "The first three years I hooked alone.  The only other hooker I knew was the teacher and you’d think the next time she had a class she would have contacted me but she did not.  I knew of one group that met but I hate to enter a room full of people I don’t know, so it took me a long time to finally put on my big girl panties and go.  Too bad it took me so long to be brave.  I was made to feel so welcome and they are friends to this day.

Lauren has come a long way since then and the hooking never stops; well, maybe a pause on occasion.

Above is a collage of hooked items she has hooked, bottom left is a chicken on a spring from a class with Annette Shaffer.  The chicken design above that is offered by Maria Barton.  Top right chicken pattern is named Henny Penny and is a design by Woolley Fox (I also hooked that pattern, it was fun and quick). Below that is Cat and Mouse, a design by Betsy Reed.  I have that pattern too and still haven't hooked it ~ one day when something is needed between rugs I'll do mine.

Now we're talking ROOM SIZE rug here for Lauren now.  This is a bit bigger than her 12 x 12 she once thought was huge.  It is called 1885 Horses, it is an antique adaptation and copyright free and is also offered by Woolley Fox.  It comes in two sizes and bet money that Lauren hooked the small one which measures 16 x 47.

Would like to thank Lauren and all others who have kindly volunteered to share their journey of hooking rugs.

Happy Saturday even tho the temperatures are frigid.

Saundra

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Here are some fall and HalLanterns is my design.  Since I've always wished I had a collection of them decided to hook my own version.

The most recent hooked Halloween rug was Do Goode Be Nice a design by Lori Brechlin and sold by Kris of Spruce Ridge Studios.

Nantucket Broom Ride a design by and offered by the above talented ladies.

Jack which is a design by Barb Carroll and was a free design in an old issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.

The cat Hester was in a Primitive Quilts and Projects issue last year and a design by Lori Brechlin.

This cute Duluth Pumpkin was a very generous kit, complete with pattern on linen, all the wool and buttons by Maria Barton of Star Rug Company.

Hobo Joe was hooked using the same green background as Hester (above).  Hobo Joe is a design by Lucille Festa of American Country Rugs.  Instead of making it a cut out I made it into a mat.

A photo dated 2012 of a mat I hooked using Lori's design which was in her booklet "October Folk".

Well darn, I hooked another of Lori's mats from her Wytch's Stitches with a witch pulling a large pumpking but can't find a photo of that mat. I know I've seen the photo, so must be on another flash drive somewhere.

Happy Haunting everyone.  Yup, I made this cute quilt piece a number of years ago.

Saundra